Bonhomme Richard deploys after generator repairs - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Bonhomme Richard deploys after generator repairs

SAN DIEGO — The amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard departed its berth at Pier 13 before noon Thursday, restarting a scheduled overseas deployment that was delayed last week when problems surfaced with some cracks and leaks in several steam generators.

The San Diego-based ship, carrying the bulk of 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit on the deployment with the three-ship amphibious ready group, “is back in fighting shape,” the ship’s skipper, Capt. John Funk, told families and friends in a recorded message on the ship’s “Careline” announcing the new departure date.

The ship will take on AV-8B Harrier jets and other helicopters and Navy landing craft and head west to rejoin about 1,500 sailors and Marines aboard transport dock ship Cleveland and dock landing ship Rushmore, which left last week for the planned Western Pacific and Persian Gulf deployment.

Bonhomme Richard’s planned Sept. 18 departure was delayed by Navy officials Sept. 16 because of what 3rd Fleet officials attributed to an “emergent engineering maintenance issue.” Repair teams, including sailors and workers from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Va., tackled the repairs while the ship remained pierside, a period Funk described as “a challenging couple of days.”

Three of the five ship’s service turbine generators on Bonhomme Richard “had cracked and/or leaking welded balance access plugs,” a Naval Sea Systems Command spokeswoman, Kathleen Roberts, said in an e-mail response.

“Norfolk Naval Shipyard workers bored out and replaced both plugs on the three affected generators,” Roberts said, noting that each generator has two such plugs.

The delay had left in limbo some 3,000 sailors and Marines — the bulk of the 4,500-member ready group — as many had already vacated their barracks rooms or apartments for the deployment.

For the Marines, the delayed departure meant a weekend of liberty close to home. “Some units stayed at their command posts,” and others worked aboard the ship, said 1st Lt. Roger Hollenbeck, an 11th MEU spokesman. The ship’s galley has been providing meals throughout the week, and “everybody’s been given a place on the ship,” Hollenbeck said. “The Navy’s been great. It’s just like if we are embarked. At the end of the day, Marines can go out in town.”

Navy Capt. Rodney Clark, Amphibious Squadron 7 commander in San Diego, is leading the ready group, which includes Tactical Air Control Squadron 12’s Detachment 1; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23’s Detachment 3; Assault Craft Unit 1’s Detachment B; ACU-5’s Detachment F; Beachmaster Unit 1’s Detachment B; and Fleet Surgical Team 9. The 2,100-member 11th MEU, based at Camp Pendleton, is lead by Col. Gregg Olson and includes Battalion Landing Team 2/4, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 11.