MANAMA, 30 January 2005 — The aircraft carrier USS Truman, which is operating in the Gulf waters along with its battle group, is on alert status to help provide support for coalition forces in Iraq during elections, according to a top US naval officer.
Commanding Officer Capt. James P. Gigliotti, whose group is operating in the international waters of the Arabian Gulf close to the Iranian border in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), said they did not encounter any problems with the Iranians despite the recent diplomatic spar between Tehran and Washington over nuclear weapons.
“We watch, they watch, we are very professional here and there has been no escalation,” Capt. Gigliotti said on board the USS Truman. “They are providing security for their country and we respect that, but we are really focused on helping the Iraqi people.”
Capt. Gigliotti said there had been no change in their operations in the run-up to the Iraqi elections and that they continue to provide air support for ground forces in Iraq that had been increased in numbers recently. He described the role of the carrier air wing, which is composed of 72 aircraft, as one of the airborne backups for the coalition troops.
“It is a very real expectation to have increased attacks in Iraq because of the rhetoric coming out,” he said. “We remain on alert and ready to go out and curtail them if required.”
Capt. Gigliotti said the USS Truman’s role in the war effort was part of a bigger role the US Navy plays in the region to help encounter smuggling and maintain maritime security in cooperation with other US armed forces branches and coalition forces from Britain, France, Italy, Australia, and other countries along with countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
