Task Force 76
Encyclopedia
Expeditionary Strike Group SEVEN/Task Force 76 (Amphibious Force SEVENTH Fleet) is a United States Navy
task force
. It is at one and the same time operationally a Task Force of the United States Seventh Fleet
and administratively, the USN's only permanently forward-deployed Expeditionary Strike Group. It is based out of White Beach Naval Facility at the end of the Katsuren Peninsula in Uruma City, Okinawa, Japan.
CTF 76 conducts operations throughout the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations, which includes the Western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
, the landing at Lae
, the landing at Scarlet Beach at Finschhafen
, Battle of Arawe
and Battle of Cape Gloucester
on the island of New Britain
,
1944 – Particiated in the landing at Saidor
and Admiralty Islands campaign
. Amphibious Group ONE is formed; participated in assault of Saipan
, Tinian
, Iwo Jima
and Okinawa. Also seized Keramo Retto.
1950 – Supported UN during Korean War
by stationing ships at Inchon and Wonsan
.
1954 – CTF 76 participated in Passage to Freedom, the largest operation of its kind in history. Operation evacuated 310,000 people from communist-controlled North Vietnam to South Vietnam and carried 58,000 tons of cargo and humanitarian aid.
1965 – Participated in amphibious landings, assaults and demonstrations off the eastern coast of the Republic of Vietnam. Also cleared mines off the Vietnamese coast toward the end of the Vietnam War
. Amphibious Ready Group
Alpha, and its U.S. Marine contingent "Special Landing Force Alpha" or SLF-A often referred to as the "Sluff", during the Vietnam era) formed Task Group 76.4. TG 76.4 consisted of various support vessels, such as Landing Platform, Helicopter
(LPHs) such as the , or . Other vessels included LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) or LSD (Landing Ship Dock) supported a reinforced Marine Corps battalion referred to as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT). The Marine elements of the Group were referred to as Special Landing Force Alpha which itself consisted of the BLT and a Marine Helicopter Squadron. The ARG also included an Amphibious Group Command Ship (AGC) or the Amphibious Communication and Command Ship (LCC) which carried the Commander Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet and command and communications support facilities. Three AGCs and one LCC rotated to the Western Pacific and all four were involved in the amphibious landings by the LCC/AGC/SLF in Vietnam. The one LCC was and the three AGCs were , and .
1975 – Rescued more than 100,000 people from Phnom Penh and Saigon (including in Operation Eagle Pull
). Also assisted in recovery of the American-flagged SS Mayaguez
after it was hijacked by the Cambodian Khmer Rouge
in the Gulf of Thailand
.
1983 – Transited to Suez Canal
to support multi-national forces in Lebanon
.
1999 – Belleau Wood Amphibious Ready Group completed no-notice five-month deployment to Persian Gulf
for Operation Desert Fox
.
2000 – and complete humanitarian mission to East Timor
supporting Australian-led forces. Continued missions until East Timor became 191st member of United Nations in 2002.
2004 – and deploy to Indonesia in support of Operation Unified Assistance
to provide support and aid to the victims of the 26 Dec. tsunami in Southeast Asia.
2005 – Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group returns to Sasebo, Japan following unscheduled eight-month surge deployment to North Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
2005 – Forward Deployed ARG deploys for Fall Patrol. Conduct Amphibious Landing Exercise/Talon Vision (PHIBLEX/TV) 06 in the Republic of Philippines and then make a port visit to Hong Kong.
2006 – Forward Deployed ARG deploys for 5-month Spring Patrol, participating in TRUEX/MUEX in Guam, Balikatan 06 in the Republic of Philippines, Foal Eagle 06
in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Cobra Gold in the Kingdom of Thailand.
2006 – and embarked Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 Detachment (Det) 51 complete Summer Patrol throughout Southeast Asia, participating in Cobra Gold and WP-MCMEX in Malaysia, while making port visits to Brunei
, Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong.
2009 - Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief mission to Padang, Indonesia.
2011 - Coordinated Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi
.
s which pass through the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations fall under the operational control of CTF 76.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
. It is at one and the same time operationally a Task Force of the United States Seventh Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
and administratively, the USN's only permanently forward-deployed Expeditionary Strike Group. It is based out of White Beach Naval Facility at the end of the Katsuren Peninsula in Uruma City, Okinawa, Japan.
CTF 76 conducts operations throughout the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations, which includes the Western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
History
1943 – Task Force 76 formed and particiapted in Operation ChronicleOperation Chronicle
Operation Chronicle was the Allied invasion of Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands during World War II, in the South West Pacific as part of Operation Cartwheel. An early planning name for this operation was Operation Coronet...
, the landing at Lae
Landing at Lae
The Landing at Lae was an amphibous landing, as part of ', to the east of Lae in the Salamaua-Lae campaign of World War II between 4–6 September 1943....
, the landing at Scarlet Beach at Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
, Battle of Arawe
Battle of Arawe
The Battle of Arawe was a battle during the New Britain Campaign of World War II. This campaign formed part of Operation Cartwheel and had the objective of isolating the key Japanese base at Rabaul. Arawe was attacked on 15 December 1943 by U.S...
and Battle of Cape Gloucester
Battle of Cape Gloucester
The Battle of Cape Gloucester was a battle in the Pacific theater of World War II, which took place between late December 1943 and April 1944, on the island of New Britain, part of the Territory of New Guinea....
on the island of New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
,
1944 – Particiated in the landing at Saidor
Landing at Saidor
The Landing at Saidor was an Allied amphibious landing at Saidor, Papua New Guinea on 2 January 1944 as part of Operation Dexterity during World War II. In Allied hands, Saidor was a stepping stone towards Madang, the ultimate objective of General Douglas MacArthur's Huon Peninsula campaign...
and Admiralty Islands campaign
Admiralty Islands campaign
The Admiralty Islands campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of World War II in which the United States Army's 1st Cavalry Division occupied the Japanese-held Admiralty Islands....
. Amphibious Group ONE is formed; participated in assault of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
and Okinawa. Also seized Keramo Retto.
1950 – Supported UN during Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
by stationing ships at Inchon and Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
.
1954 – CTF 76 participated in Passage to Freedom, the largest operation of its kind in history. Operation evacuated 310,000 people from communist-controlled North Vietnam to South Vietnam and carried 58,000 tons of cargo and humanitarian aid.
1965 – Participated in amphibious landings, assaults and demonstrations off the eastern coast of the Republic of Vietnam. Also cleared mines off the Vietnamese coast toward the end of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Amphibious Ready Group
Amphibious Ready Group
An Amphibious Readiness Group of the United States Navy consists of a Navy element—a group of warships known as an amphibious task force —and a landing force of United States Marines , in total about 5,000 people. Together, these elements and supporting units are trained, organized, and equipped...
Alpha, and its U.S. Marine contingent "Special Landing Force Alpha" or SLF-A often referred to as the "Sluff", during the Vietnam era) formed Task Group 76.4. TG 76.4 consisted of various support vessels, such as Landing Platform, Helicopter
Landing Platform, Helicopter
LPH is the hull classification used by a number of the world's navies to designate a type of amphibious warfare ship designed primarily to operate as a launch and recovery platform for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft...
(LPHs) such as the , or . Other vessels included LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) or LSD (Landing Ship Dock) supported a reinforced Marine Corps battalion referred to as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT). The Marine elements of the Group were referred to as Special Landing Force Alpha which itself consisted of the BLT and a Marine Helicopter Squadron. The ARG also included an Amphibious Group Command Ship (AGC) or the Amphibious Communication and Command Ship (LCC) which carried the Commander Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet and command and communications support facilities. Three AGCs and one LCC rotated to the Western Pacific and all four were involved in the amphibious landings by the LCC/AGC/SLF in Vietnam. The one LCC was and the three AGCs were , and .
1975 – Rescued more than 100,000 people from Phnom Penh and Saigon (including in Operation Eagle Pull
Operation Eagle Pull
Operation Eagle Pull was the American evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 12 April, 1975. At the beginning of April 1975, Phnom Penh, the last remaining stronghold of the Khmer Republic, was surrounded by the Khmer Rouge and totally dependent on aerial resupply through Pochentong Airport...
). Also assisted in recovery of the American-flagged SS Mayaguez
SS Mayagüez
SS Mayaguez was a U.S.-flagged container ship that attained notoriety for its 12 May 1975 seizure by Khmer Rouge forces of Cambodia, which resulted in a confrontation with the United States at the close of the Vietnam War....
after it was hijacked by the Cambodian Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
in the Gulf of Thailand
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
.
1983 – Transited to Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
to support multi-national forces in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
1999 – Belleau Wood Amphibious Ready Group completed no-notice five-month deployment to Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
for Operation Desert Fox
Operation Desert Fox
The December 1998 bombing of Iraq was a major four-day bombing campaign on Iraqi targets from December 16–19, 1998 by the United States and United Kingdom...
.
2000 – and complete humanitarian mission to East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
supporting Australian-led forces. Continued missions until East Timor became 191st member of United Nations in 2002.
2004 – and deploy to Indonesia in support of Operation Unified Assistance
Operation Unified Assistance
Operation Unified Assistance is the name of the United States military's response to the tsunami of 2004.-Overview:On 28 December, the first elements of the Combined Support Force were deployed to Utapao, Thailand following that country's approval of the use of that base.More than 12,600...
to provide support and aid to the victims of the 26 Dec. tsunami in Southeast Asia.
2005 – Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group returns to Sasebo, Japan following unscheduled eight-month surge deployment to North Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
2005 – Forward Deployed ARG deploys for Fall Patrol. Conduct Amphibious Landing Exercise/Talon Vision (PHIBLEX/TV) 06 in the Republic of Philippines and then make a port visit to Hong Kong.
2006 – Forward Deployed ARG deploys for 5-month Spring Patrol, participating in TRUEX/MUEX in Guam, Balikatan 06 in the Republic of Philippines, Foal Eagle 06
Foal Eagle
Foal Eagle is an annual combined Field Training Exercise conducted between the Republic of Korea and United States armed forces under the auspices of Combined Forces Command within the Korean Theater of Operations . It is one of the largest military exercises conducted annually in the world...
in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Cobra Gold in the Kingdom of Thailand.
2006 – and embarked Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 Detachment (Det) 51 complete Summer Patrol throughout Southeast Asia, participating in Cobra Gold and WP-MCMEX in Malaysia, while making port visits to Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong.
2009 - Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief mission to Padang, Indonesia.
2011 - Coordinated Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi
Operation Tomodachi
is a United States Armed Forces assistance operation to support Japan in disaster relief following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. As of March 22, 2011, twenty U.S. naval ships, 140 aircraft, and 19,703 Marines and Sailors were involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief...
.
U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan
- Amphibious Squadron ELEVEN
- Mine Countermeasure Squadron Seven
- Assault Craft Unit ONE, Detachment Western Pacific
- Assault Craft Unit FIVE, Detachment Western Pacific
- Beach Master Unit ONE, Detachment Western Pacific
- Fleet Surgical Team SEVEN
- Tactical Air Squadron ELEVEN
- Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWO FIVE
Transiting Amphibious Ready Groups
United States-based Amphibious Ready GroupAmphibious Ready Group
An Amphibious Readiness Group of the United States Navy consists of a Navy element—a group of warships known as an amphibious task force —and a landing force of United States Marines , in total about 5,000 people. Together, these elements and supporting units are trained, organized, and equipped...
s which pass through the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations fall under the operational control of CTF 76.
- USS Boxer ARG (Transit February 2009)
Task Force / Amphibious Group Commanders
| • Rear Adm. Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"... J. Scott Jones |
(8 April 2011 – Present) | |
| • Rear Adm. Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"... Richard B. Landolt Richard B. Landolt Richard B. Landolt is a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. He is currently in command of the Amphibious Force for the 7th Fleet in Okinawa, Japan.... |
(23 June 2008 – 8 April 2011) | |
| • Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger Carol M. Pottenger Vice Admiral Carol M. Pottenger is currently the deputy chief of staff Capability and Development at NATO Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Norfolk, Virginia.-Biography:... |
(7 November 2006 – 23 June 2008) |