Military News in or from the Philippines

[Karl Welteke]

I decided to start a new thread in regards to Military news in the Philippines. As a 30 year veteran, living in the Philippines and after all, this bulletin board deals with US-Phil Military History. So it is a natural thing to do.

Right now we have a US Navy ship aground in the Philippines and it is in the news, I guess that motivated me.

I started a parallel album in my Photobucket account and it is here. The pictures are slightly bigger in there.

s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Philippines/No%202%20Phil%20Events%20Group%20Albums/Phil-Mil-News%202013-14?sort=2&page=1
or
tinyurl.com/nf75qrq


If you search any of the important Philippine News Services you will see it is covered and the story is followed by the public with interest.

Here is the 7th Fleet Home page where you can more information. They do not always report promptly.
www.c7f.navy.mil/

Here are most of the pictures:


2013-01-13 USS Guardian MCM-5 (Mine Counter Measure) in Subic Bay for fuel. This picture is from Philippine News Services.
Only Yesterday was I sitting in the Subic Bay VFW Canteen with my friends Alan YU and Tom Stone, sharing some beer. Tom told us that his son’s ship was pulling in today, a mine countermeasures ship but only to get fuel. Then Alan today seen and sent the news re that ship pulling in. The last paragraph in that URL, that the Senior Enlisted Man is a Filipino-American, that is Tom Stone’s son.


2013-01-17 USS Guardian MCM-5, a file photo from GMA news with description that she run aground.
From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs
SASEBO, Japan (NNS) -- No one was hurt when the mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian (MCM 5) ran aground on Tubbataha Reef at 2:25 a.m. local time, Jan. 17, while transiting the Sulu Sea.

The Avenger-class ship had just completed a port call in Subic Bay, Olongapo City and was en route to her next port of call when the grounding occurred. The ship is currently stuck on the reef, approximately 80 miles east-southeast of Palawan Island. The crew is currently working to determine the best method of safely extracting the ship.

The cause of the grounding is under investigation.

Guardian, forward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan, was commissioned Dec. 16, 1989, and has a crew of about 80.


2013-01-17 USS Guardian MCM-5 on Tubbataha Reef on the morning of her grounding. This picture if from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) via the Associated Press.


2013-01-20 USS Guardian MCM-5 on Tubbataha Reef, the situation has worsened, the ship is broached and is getting hit hard by the sea. From Philippine News services.


2013-01-21. Where is Tubbataha Reef, well this map from a www page shows us. It is a park.


2013-01-22 USS Guardian MCM-5 on Tubbataha Reef. This is a US Navy 7th Fleet image, the sea has become calm.


2013-01-22 USS Guardian MCM-5 on Tubbataha Reef. The same day or the next day a support ship arrived and in view of the rough seas then it was decided to take the crew of the ship. This is a US Navy 7th Fleet image.


2013-01-22 USS Guardian MCM-5. This is the 7th Fleet description of the previous image.


2013-01-23 USS Guardian MCM-5 on Tubbataha Reef. This is a US Navy 7th Fleet image, a Salvage Assessment Team arrived and is boarding the ship.


2013-01-23 USS Guardian MCM-5 on Tubbataha Reef. This is a US Navy 7th Fleet image. The Salvage Assessment Team is on board the ship starting their survey.

[darthdract]

Thanks Karl for making this thread. I have been trying to follow this incident all over the Web recently. I am not sure about this but can we post topics about the China Vs. Scarborough issue or is that way out of touch? I am not sure although that topic interests me I know how those threads may end up.But then I guess we are all matured here enough and I know our members are very civil.

[sherwino]

I hope that the damage is very little. Tubbataha is on my wish list that still has no check. Something could be wrong with their navigation equipment or they don't know about Tubbataha. That's sad, considering it takes a lifetime or more lifetimes to create something that wonderful.

[Registrar]

I prefer we not have any discussion concerning China and the Philippines issue for four reasons. Firstly, I do not doubt the maturity of our members. It is the possibility of outsiders getting involved who are not quite as mature. Secondly, I think that our core nature involves the US historic experience and the Philippines, in the widest sense. China is exterior to the historic examination. Thirdly, I do not want persons from China joining on the basis that they have only a single interest causing them to join. Fourthly, some years ago we suffered multiple spam attacks out of China. Eventually, I worked out the best defence against them was to have this site blacklisted by the Chinese authorities. This was done by posting hundreds of links to discussions banned from access in China. At that point, the spam attacks ceased.

It is peculiar but in my house at present, we have two long term child students, and two short term students, all Chinese. And they 're killing my bandwidth!

[darthdract]

Jan 25, 2013 21:08:19 GMT 8 Registrar said:

I prefer we not have any discussion concerning China and the Philippines issue for four reasons. Firstly, I do not doubt the maturity of our members. It is the possibility of outsiders getting involved who are not quite as mature. Secondly, I think that our core nature involves the US historic experience and the Philippines, in the widest sense. China is exterior to the historic examination. Thirdly, I do not want persons from China joining on the basis that they have only a single interest causing them to join. Fourthly, some years ago we suffered multiple spam attacks out of China. Eventually, I worked out the best defence against them was to have this site blacklisted by the Chinese authorities. This was done by posting hundreds of links to discussions banned from access in China. At that point, the spam attacks ceased.

It is peculiar but in my house at present, we have two long term child students, and two short term students, all Chinese. And they 're killing my bandwidth!

I completely agree. That topic will be way out of touch with the Historic Nature of the Site and it will attract "outsiders" who may end up in hot debates. Thats what I am thinking too that is why I am hesitant to post any news Article regarding that issue.

[okla]

Hey Karl....Being ex-USAF I certainly am not up on the "hows and whys" as to the procedures the USN uses in such matters as the USS Guardian being hung up on that reef, but doesn't this occurrence almost automatically guarantee that her skipper will be commanding a Training Squadron or School in the very near future? There may very well be extenuating circumstances involved here, but methinks explaining how his vessel ultimately found herself perched atop this reef will be double tough to explain. This event certainly isn't as terrible as that of the Italian Cruise ship over in the Med, but you do remember that USN Battlewagon that got hung up on those Hudson River mudbanks back years ago??? Just askin'. Cheers

[Karl Welteke]

Update! Pictures from the Seventh Fleet and news from the Philippine Star News Paper.

7th Fleet Home Page
www.c7f.navy.mil/

Here are 4 images from the 7th Fleet:


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5 This is the 7th Fleet image. A Malaysian tug arrived.


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5. This is the 7th Fleet description of the previous image.


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5. This is the 7th Fleet image. The On-Scene Commander confers with his Philippine counterparts.


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5. This is the 7th Fleet description of the previous image.

These pictures are also uploaded in my album and are in the front. In the album they are bigger and clearer:

s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Philippines/No%202%20Phil%20Events%20Group%20Albums/Phil-Mil-News%202013-14?sort=2&page=1
or
tinyurl.com/nf75qrq


Okla: You are probably right but I don’t jump to conclusion, first we got the ship off and settle the reef damage with the Philippines. Then lets worry about the skipper, meanwhile we also got to look after the crew.


Here is the URL from the Philippine Star News Paper:
www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/01/26/901257/us-envoy-expresses-regret-over-tubbataha-incident

US envoy expresses regret over Tubbataha incident

But I also pasted the content here:

MANILA, Philippines - The United States’ top diplomat in the Philippines yesterday conveyed to the government regret over the grounding of the US Navy minesweeper USS Guardian on Tubbataha Reef.
“This was an unfortunate accident, and I recognize the legitimate concerns over the damage caused to a unique and precious wonder of nature, internationally recognized for its beauty and biological diversity,” Ambassador Harry Thomas, Jr. said in a statement.
Thomas said the US would collaborate with the Philippines to assess the damage and take steps to address the environmental issues over the incident.
“My military colleagues and I are totally committed to working jointly with our Philippine counterparts to remove the ship as expeditiously as possible, making every possible effort to avoid or minimize further damage,” he said.
Thomas said the US government is grateful to the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy for coordinating the efforts to minimize the environmental disaster.
“We will continue our combined efforts to resolve this matter. As the investigation of this matter proceeds, we hope to continue our close coordination with the Philippine government to understand precisely what happened so we can ensure there will be no recurrence,” Thomas said.
The commander of the US 7th Fleet also expressed regret over the incident.
Lt. Commander Ralph Kris Hooper, public affairs officer of the US 7th Fleet, said an assessment team from the US Navy arrived in Palawan to work on the extraction of the warship from the reef. The team includes engineers, divers and other essential personnel.
Hooper said a US Navy investigation team is assessing the circumstances on how the warship strayed and grounded in Tubbataha Reef, a marine sanctuary that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The minesweeper USS Guardian, which is based in Japan, crashed into the reef before dawn on Jan. 17 while on its way to Indonesia after making a rest and refueling stop in Subic Bay.
All of its 79 officers and crew were transferred to two other US vessels the following day for safety reasons as the 68-meter long, 1,300-ton ship was unable to maneuver on its own as it was buffeted by strong winds and waves.
Rear Adm. Thomas Carney, commander of the US Navy’s Logistics Group in the Western Pacific, declined to explain why the Guardian was sailing in the area, saying that was still the subject of investigation while repeatedly expressing their regret over the incident.
Carney said Task Force Tubbataha and the US Navy team have decided to use a salvage ship with the capacity to lift the 1,300-ton ship off the reef.
He said the salvage operation could be “a very deliberate, complicated process” involving at least two more US Navy vessels that could take up to two weeks to complete.
Carney said the salvage operations would also depend on the environmental conditions in the area, which will determine how safely the salvagers can proceed in lifting the ship from the corals.
He said about 56,000 liters of fuel will first be siphoned off from the ship to avoid spills and contaminating the environment.
Preparations
Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said Task Force Tubbataha has started working with a salvage company from Singapore and the US Navy to finalize the plan to remove the stranded ship.
Abaya said part of the salvage plan was to use a crane with high lifting capacity for the vertical removal of the stranded ship instead of just dragging it to avoid more damage to the reef.
The USNS Salvor was expected to arrive at the site yesterday with SMIT Singapore Pte Ltd’s two vessels, SMIT Cyclone and SMIT Borneo, to arrive on Jan. 30.
Philippine Coast Guard Rear Adm. Rodolfo Isorena said the initial preparations for salvage operations started in the area yesterday.
He said US Navy personnel started to transfer some of the Guardian’s ordnance and its crew’s personal effects to another US Navy ship, USNS Mustin.
Another ship, Vos Apollo, was able to get into position and conducted partial defueling of the Guardian.
According to Tubbataha Management Office chief Park Superintendent Angelique Songco, the stranded warship has been dried of its fuel.
“Our monitoring of the situation in the area has been continuing. The ship has been dried of fuel, and that whatever heavy things are inside are now being taken out,” Songco said.
She added that they would just have to wait for the arrival of the ships from Singapore to be used in salvage operations.
“Information we received said that it will be arriving on Jan. 30. We just hope that it will be much earlier than that,” she said.
On the other hand, Commissioner Heherson Alvarez of the Climate Change Commission warned against accepting payment on a per square meter basis for the damage caused by Guardian.
Alvarez said the fine is a measly sum compared to the damage done. – With Rainier Allan Ronda, Rhodina Villanueva, Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude, Ben Serrano, Lawrence Agcaoili, Sandy Araneta

[Karl Welteke]

Update, USS Guardian Grounded, 8 images have been upload

Friends
Update, USS Guardian Grounded, 8 images have been upload, they are here and are in front of the album:

s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Philippines/No%202%20Phil%20Events%20Group%20Albums/Phil-Mil-News%202013-14?sort=2&page=1
or
tinyurl.com/nf75qrq


Here is word from the 7th Fleet.
fleetstandard.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/salvage-team-removes-fuel-from-grounded-uss-guardian/

This paragraph caught my attention:
With a primary mission to detect and counter mines, Guardian has a wooden hull covered in fiberglass similar to surfboards. The hull has been punctured and several areas of the ship have been flooded. The repeated pounding of heavy seas on the ship, which hampered recovery efforts in the days immediately following the grounding, has also resulted in the loss of much of the fiberglass coating on the port side.

From Karl:
I remember seen a TV News video about 5 or 6 days ago which showed the ship broached, tremendous waves striking the ship portside and it was red and I thought, “Damn, the paint got knocked off”?

Four pictures came from this CNN article dates 25th Jan 2013 but the pictures were dated the 19th and the 22nd of Jan:
edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/world/asia/us-navy-ship-aground/index.html?hpt=hp_t3#cnn-disqus-area
Karl


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5, fm CNN, protests in front of US Embassy , dated 2013-01-19 #1


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5, fm CNN, protests in front of US Embassy , dated 2013-01-19 #2


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5 via CNN, fm Phil Coast Guard #1 imaged dated 2013-01-22


2013-01-25 USS Guardian MCM-5 via CNN, fm Phil Coast Guard #2 imaged dated 2013-01-22


2013-01-25 USS Guardian,7th Flt., Phil. CG. Off. #1


2013-01-25 USS Guardian,7th Flt., Phil. CG. Off. #2, the text for the previous picture.



2013-01-25 USS Guardian,7th Flt., Phil. CG. Off. #1



2013-01-25 USS Guardian,7th Flt., Phil. CG. Off. #4, the text for the previous picture.

[Karl Welteke]

This 7th Fleet picture in three different formats has been uploaded into this album, it is dated 26th Jan. 2013 and is in front of the album.
s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Philippines/No%202%20Phil%20Events%20Group%20Albums/Phil-Mil-News%202013-14?sort=2&page=1
or
tinyurl.com/nf75qrq



The 7th Flt. says on the 28th Jan:
SULU SEA – A team of U.S. Navy salvage experts have been meticulously scouring the damaged USS Guardian (MCM 5), safely transferring anything deemed potentially harmful to prepare the grounded ship to be removed from Tubbataha Reef.
The Navy has safely transferred approximately 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel; 671 gallons of lubricating oil; dry food stores; paints and solvents contained in storage lockers; and the personal effects left behind by the crew from the ship.
“We continue to place extra scrutiny on removing everything we can to mitigate possible damage to the marine environment,” said Rear Adm. Tom Carney, the on-scene commander of the salvage operation.
Heavy lift floating cranes are en route to the site in the Sulu Sea about 80 miles east-southeast of Palawan Island where the mine countermeasures ship ran aground in the early morning hours of Jan. 17 during a transit to Indonesia. Naval architecture experts continue to develop a salvage plan that will involve using the cranes to safely extract the ship while mitigating damage to the reef.

fleetstandard.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/navy-removes-harmful-material-from-grounded-uss-guardian/


The Star News Paper had this article on the 29th Jan. 2013 -US drone supporting Tubbataha operation-
www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/01/29/902295/us-drone-supporting-tubbataha-operation

PS:
Lifting this wooden ship at the high sea near a reef will be a very difficult operation. I wish the Navy success. But I wouldn’t be surprised if things go wrong and it has to be removed in pieces.
Karl

Here is that 7th Flt. Picture with description:


2013-01-26, USS Guardian MCM-5, 7th Flt. Small boats are safely transferring anything deemed potentially harmful to prepare the grounded ship to be removed from Tubbataha Reef. No text.


2013-01-26, USS Guardian MCM-5, 7th Flt. Small boats are safely transferring anything deemed potentially harmful to prepare the grounded ship to be removed from Tubbataha Reef. The text.

[okla]

Hey Folks....Call me stupid or anything else that might be more appropriate, but why should students in Manila demonstrate against the US because one of our vessels ran aground in Philippine waters while making a voyage from Japan to Indonesia. This wasn't an act aimed at the Republic of the Philippines. USN vessels are a common sight in this region, so why is this incident cause for demonstrations??? I betcha many of these demonstrators would welcome the sight of this or other American ships if tensions between China and the Republic of the Philippines increase. Am I out of line expressing this view and if so, feel free to chastise me. I am a big boy.