Ryan Rowley and USS BATAAN assisting in hurricane Katrina relief efforts!

USS BATAAN (LHD 5) Official Website:

ABOARD USS BATAAN (LHD 5) AT SEA IN THE GULF OF MEXICO – The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) was tasked to assist with the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts on Tuesday August 30, 2005 . Two MH-60 Search and Rescue Helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 based out of Norfolk, Virginia flew off the flight deck at 5 pm (central time) Tuesday to assist in the search and rescue efforts that are currently ongoing in and around the New Orleans area.

At 6:30 pm (central time), two MH-53 helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 based out of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, also took off to assist with efforts in the New Orleans area.

USS Bataan is currently steaming in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 100 miles South of New Orleans. The ship's involvement in the humanitarian assistance operations is an effort led by the Department of Defense (DoD) in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).