Denver Puts Marines Ashore during Ssang Yong

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bradley J. Gee, Commander Amphibious Squadron 11 Public Affairs

USS DENVER, At Sea (NNS) -- Amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9) transported Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK) as part of Exercise Ssang Yong 2014.

Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1666 and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters carried Marines from 31st MEU to shore where they will conduct amphibious operations and exercises in conjunction with ROK forces.

"Our involvement in Ssang Yong 2014 offers the Navy and Marine Corps a rare opportunity to work and train with our allied nation of South Korea," said Lt. j.g. Joshua Erwin, Combat Information Center officer aboard Denver. "This exercise offers us the ability to operate on foreign shores and train our Marine Expeditionary Units and our naval fighting forces in real world training scenarios on a multinational level."

Denver is assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group 7 which is made of the Bonhomme Richard and Boxer Amphibious Ready Groups, and several other U.S. and ROK ships currently participating in exercise Ssang Yong 2014. Ssang Yong is designed to strengthen interoperability between U.S. and ROK military forces.

This is Denver's last time participating in this exercise. The last ship from the Austin-class will be decommissioned later in the year.