Ship to offer exhibit to public
By: Purvi Desai
To be brave and aim to be a Navy officer or Marine is one thing.
But to be the actual captain of an amphibious assault ship that caters to approximately 3,000 people half of them Marines as well as an airport, an aircraft maintenance facility and a hospital with five operating rooms and 300 beds, is, well, huge.
"I think it’s pretty much like running a small city," said Allentown-born Capt. Joseph Sensi, of the USS Kearsarge.
Although Capt. Sensi now lives in the northern part of Virginia, he grew up on Ellisdale Road and is about to be spending the week in New York.
"I’m hoping to come down and visit, although I may be kept busy here in New York," he said.
He and his crew are scheduled to bring the USS Kearsarge to Manhattan for New York’s Fleet Week, held between May 24 and May 31, when all the ship has to offer will be on exhibit to the public, said Senior Chief Petty Officer David Nagle.
The Kearsarge, a veteran of three trips to the Persian Gulf, carries a mix of 30 helicopters and vertical takeoff jets on the flight deck and three Landing Craft Air Cushion, or LCACs, in the well deck, enabling the ship to move troops and equipment to and from the shore, he said.
"Fleet Week is an annual event that the city of New York puts on working in conjunction with the Navy," Senior Chief Petty Officer Nagle said. "It is our opportunity to come visit New York City and show the people what the Navy is all about."
Hosted nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the city’s celebration of the sea services, according to the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Week Web site.
"The annual event also provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area to meet sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard team," Senior Chief Petty Officer Nagle said.
It will include dozens of military demonstrations and displays throughout the week, as well as public visitation of many of the participating ships, he said.
Capt. Sensi, 47, who called Monday from off the coast of Virginia, said he assumed command of USS Kearsarge in June 2005 after having served in the Navy since he graduated high school in 1976. He said he attended four years at the U.S. Naval Academy and has continued to serve in the Navy until the present.
"This is what I trained for and went to school for," Capt. Sensi said. "I get to interact with 1,200 sailors on a daily basis."
Capt. Sensi said the ship is designed to protect. Marines on shore, and to provide for their sustenance.
"It’s pretty exciting," he said. "We have two chaplains, and my job is to make sure the ship carries its mission."
Senior Chief Petty Officer Nagle said the USS Kearsarge’s primary mission is the embarkation, deployment, landing and support of U.S. Marine Corps landing forces, but that the ship has supported U.S. presidents in their travels several times.
Capt. Sensi said he enjoys working with everyone on board the ship.
"The people I get work with every day are fantastic," Capt. Sensi said. "I feel I have best job in the Navy," he said. "It’s like running your own little company."

