You can find more information about the USS Kearsarge and its history on the Navy’s Web site, but here’s a quick roundup of key facts: -- It’s the fourth ship in naval history to bear the name Kearsarge, which is the name of a mountain in New Hampshire. The first Kearsarge dates back to the Confederate era; the third was an aircraft carrier still in duty when my father was in the Navy in the 1960s. (My Dad, incidentally, spent a few years in the Navy but never deployed once. I’ve now spent more time on a Navy ship at sea, and I’m no sailor.) -- The Kearsarge is 844 feet long and weighs 40,500 tons. That figure doesn’t include the weight of the tanks, trucks, armored vehicles, artillery, people and other materials onboard. That anything so heavy can float will always amaze me. -- At 70,000 horsepower of thrust, the ship travels up to 600 feet per minute. -- It controls all elements of a Marine landing force of more than 2,000 troops, and the hospital can support up to 600 patients. The Kearsarge can house a crew of more than 1,000 in addition to the embarked troops. -- The ship played a role in the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003 and has deployed twice since then on missions related to the U.S. war on terror. -- This leg of Operation Continuing Promise is the first to be led by the Kearsarge’s new commander, Capt. Fernandez (Frank) Ponds.
