WAVY’s Navy Ship Salute is a feature on WAVY News 10 Today. Each month, in partnership with the U.S. Navy, WAVY-TV 10 will profile a different ship based at the world’s largest Navy base: Naval Station Norfolk. The series aims to better introduce our viewers to some of the largest floating taxp
ayer assets there are, as well as life aboard a U.S. Navy ship.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge for the monthly WAVY Navy Ship Salute, we were greeted from multiple levels of the ship with extreme enthusiasm.
"Our primary mission is to bring 2,000 screaming Marines to our enemies' doorsteps," said USS Kearsarge Commanding Officer Sean Knight. "We do that through amphibious operations and through combined flight operations."
This amphibious ship is fresh off the yard with a few new upgrades.
"We've got a generational leap in capability and lethality on board," Knight said. "We've upgraded all of our radar systems, all of our indication systems, all of our weapons systems. But the thing we were most proud of is upgrading this flight deck, which is now capable of carrying the F-35, which makes this one of the Navy's newest lightning carriers."
In total, the crew is roughly 3,000 strong. It is a combination of a Marine and Navy crew. This cooperation is critical to getting the job done through its many humanitarian and combat missions. At its peak, this wide open space is filled with an immense variety of vehicles and hundreds of service members.
When asked what it is like, MSgt. Pete VanDyken said: "If you've ever looked inside a beehive? That's what it's like inside this ship. We cram it all up in there and we're ready to to do the nation's bidding."
With a robust medical facility second to Navy hospital ships, many on board are prepared for the worst. They regularly practice medical exercises.
To show what they do, they had WAVY reporter Nick Broadway play the role of medical casualty, from the tourniquet to airway checks. You can watch how it went in our coverage. ...read more read less
