HSL-HSM realignment

[SWO Bubba]

What advice would you HSM helo bubbas give a future Destroyer CO regarding the HSL-to-HSM realignment? Has this significantly changed anything for me (admin, care, feeding) compared to the HSL dets? How much tactical control do I retain over the bird embarked under the new structure?

 

[helolumpy]

First, I'm assuming that you’re a CSG ship and not an independent steamer. If your independent, then it will be pretty much ops as you're used to.

If you're part of the CSG, then the CO of the HSM squadron will be on the carrier and he'll work for CAG. However, when the det is embarked, they'll be a DESRON asset to employ. (CAG will own all the maintenance headaches, but DESRON will employ). I wouldn't think you'll have much difference in how/when you can employ the Det, it will be based upon the personalities of the CAG and DESRON as to how tight they want to micromanage (much like today....)

You still should have the same PUK since that is considered a ship asset. The Det will be roughly the same size and you may get a one bird or two bird det.

For Operations, once the Det embarks, they will answer to you, but their CO is in theater, so if there are issues regarding tasking, they can call home to mom a whole lot easier.

From your view point, if you have an issue with a member of the Det, it will be a lot easier to change them out, since the Carrier will have a 4+ bird det embarked with the squadrons front office.

Of course this could all change...

 

[SWO Bubba]

helolumpy,

Thanks for the response. Most of what I expected. I hadn't fully appreciated the goods of having the HSM CO deployed with the rest of the squadron. Makes sense.

Thanks again! - Bubba

 

[helolumpy]

No problem, good luck on your command tour!!

 

[eddie]

What are the trade-offs in being an independent warship or being attatched to a E/CSG, from both the perspective of the ship, but also the air assets?

 

[helolumpy]

I can give you my expirience, but is may be more limited than others on this forum.

It all depends on the mission for the ship on the deployment. Some DDGs go alone, but they spend thier whole time in the Gulf due to 5th Fleet requirements for specific capabilities. So they may be independant, they are not doing a lot of world travelling.

Compare to a ship that gets tasked to do "Standing Naval Forces" type missions (NATO) and you get lots of port calls in some pretty cool places.

I haven't heard of a cruiser doing an independant steaming deployment since we only have a couple of dozen left. They will usually be assigned to a CSG or ESG as the air warfare commander, so they probably aren't going to get many indepentant opportunities.

Just because you deploy as part of a CSG, doesn't mean you'll be stuck next to the carrier the whole time. Since we are operating in parts of the world that are not 'open seas' the CSG will break up and ships will go to different places at different times. The CGs and DDGs will get tasking to support 5th Fleet requirement for certain capabilities and the FFGs do a lot of MIO/EMIO tasking.

Also since we don't all hit port at the same time, the CRU/DES ships usually are pulling into port with 5,000 of your favorite people, like when a carrier hits port.

I would guess the biggest advantage to independant steaming is you are 'answering' to less people overall when you're deployed. When you're part of the CSG then you're answering to the DESRON, who's answering to the CSG Admiral, who's answering to the Fleet Commander and so on.
But you have a mission to complete and some missions are more fun than others.

So to sum up, I guess you could say it all depends....

 

[SWO Bubba]

So to sum up, I guess you could say it all depends....

Completely agree. From my CRUDES perspective there is usually more overhead (read baggage) that comes from steaming in a group. However, there are many bread-n-butter skill sets you do on a daily basis that you miss on independent cruises.

One of the more painful items of overhead in a CSG is scheduling maintenance and unit level training. The warfare commanders understandably have veto power on things that may impact your readiness. You don't have that problem steaming independently.

I would say that CRUDES guys who have done nothing but independent steaming are at a disadvantage over those that have been able to mix it up and benefit from the experiences.

 

[navy09]

Kind of off on a tangent here, who's doing more MIO/VBSS ops these days- CSG, ARG, or independent deployers? What's the high end of the spectrum?

If you consider this OPSEC, please PM me for NIPR/SIPR addresses.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Depends. That's really going to be the answer to any operational "who's doing what where and how much?" questions you may have nowadays.

As to the HSL-HSM transition, I know that several flags and CAGs have been heard to say specifically that they're looking forward to it. CAG will own all the air in the CSG, and CAG likes it that way.

I'd say how different it makes things will depend on the CAG. When territorial pissing ensues, I could definitely see you getting some phone calls from CAG to the effect of "Listen, dude, those helo guys may be on your boat, but they work for me."

 

[BigRed389]

Kind of off on a tangent here, who's doing more MIO/VBSS ops these days- CSG, ARG, or independent deployers? What's the high end of the spectrum?

If you consider this OPSEC, please PM me for NIPR/SIPR addresses.

Like Fester said, it's a who's doing what now kinda thing.

Nearly all MIO/VBSS shit today is piracy related...Red Sea, HOA, etc.

It's more a right place right time. We were an independent deployer and got jack shit because we were never in the right place at the right time...though we got to chase pirated vessels up and down the coast.

There was another ship in the NIMSTRKGRU that came out to relieve us and got a boarding on the way over to us.

 

[helolumpy]

I was doing EMIO in the Philippines on an independant steaming vessel.

But like I said before, it all depends. Where are you and who are you working for? Once you role into CENTCOM AOR, everything is up for grabs. C5F planners will schedule vessels for missions based on time available and what holes they have in their plans.