Soldiers exit a U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk on the deck of the USNS Dahl near South Korea's southern coast, March 7, 2024. (Grady Fontana/U.S. Navy)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — A U.S. Navy vehicle cargo ship recently took a rare opportunity to train with Army helicopter crews off the southern coast of South Korea.
Crews aboard UH-60M Black Hawks from the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade qualified for deck landings aboard the USNS Dahl on March 7, 5 miles from Jinhae, Military Sealift Command, Far East said in a news release Monday.
“All flight deck operations are inherently dangerous but [deck landing qualifications] add the wild card of potentially novice crews who are not familiar with either the vessel or ship flight operations in general,” contracted mariner Capt. Deatra Thompson said in the release.
“Additionally, unlike many USNS vessels, Dahl does not conduct flight operations often and many of the crew, while having received training and simulated operation, some have never been involved in real-life flight operations,” she said.
Military Sealift Command, Far East did not respond to a request for additional details by phone or email Wednesday.
Amid the Dahl drill, a separate large-scale military exercise throughout South Korea was underway. The 11-day Freedom Shield kicked off March 4 and encompasses air-assault, air-to-air, air-to-surface and cyber-related operations between U.S. and South Korean forces.
During Freedom Shield, the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade’s AH-64 Apache helicopters took part in live-fire gunnery drills with the South Korean navy’s 2nd Fleet at undisclosed over-water locations, according to photos the command released March 6.
The Dahl is a Watson-class cargo ship crewed by contracted mariners to support U.S. military operations. It displaces more than 62 tons and has a crew of about 30, according to the Navy’s website.
A U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk takes off from the USNS Dahl off South Korea's southern coast, March 7, 2024. (Grady Fontana/U.S. Navy)
The ship on Feb. 15 delivered U.S. Marine Corps vehicles and equipment to South Korean marines at Chinhae Naval Base, according to photos from the 3rd Marine Logistics Group.
In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dahl carried equipment and vehicles to an emergency medical facility on Guam.
Military Sealift Command, Far East is headquartered in Singapore and is responsible for roughly 50 ships operating in the Indo-Pacific, according to the release. The command’s international workforce includes around 6,000 civil service mariners, 1,100 contract mariners, 1,500 shore staff and 1,400 military service members.
