BRISBANE, Australia – The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), arrived in Brisbane for a scheduled port visit July 26 after completing Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019.
Along with Wasp, USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and USS Ashland (LSD 48), both in the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), sailed into Australian ports with Green Bay moored in Cairns, Australia, and Ashland in Townsville, Australia.
"Talisman Sabre 2019 was a terrific opportunity to work with our Australian partners, strengthen our interoperability, and demonstrate our bilateral amphibious force's lethality and capabilities," said Captain Jim McGovern, commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11. "This year's exercise enabled our combined high-end partner and allied forces to continue our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific through realistic, relevant training opportunities, and was especially significant as the Australian and U.S. partnership is celebrating its 100-year anniversary of mateship."
The Wasp ESG and 31st MEU team is a flexible, self-sustained crisis response force, capable of conducting operations from combat missions, to humanitarian aid and disaster relief. They are the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.
"As we complete Exercise Talisman Sabre, our Marines and Sailors continue to experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities with our Australian brothers and sisters in arms during training and on liberty," said Col. Robert Brodie, 31st MEU commanding officer. "Our allied contribution to security and stability throughout the region marks our ready, partnered, and lethal capabilities together with our PHIBRON 11 partners.”
During their port visit, Wasp will host the Talisman Sabre 2019 closing ceremony. Additionally, Sailors and Marines from all three ships will have the opportunity to participate in community events, tours and liberty.
Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019 took place off the coast of Northern Australia. It is a bilateral, biennial event designed to improve U.S. and Australian integration and combat readiness through realistic, relevant training. This year’s exercise was also joined by forces from Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Great Brittan.