USS Boxer Arrives in the Philippines for Typhoon Relief Mission

 

The U.S. Navy amphib USS Boxer and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit have arrived in the Philippines to join disaster-relief efforts after the passage of Typhoon Krathon, which hit the northern tip of Luzon on September 30. 

The Pentagon and Indo-Pacific Command dispatched Boxer in response to a request from the Philippine government, along with civilian disaster-relief personnel from USAID. Boxer's crew and her complement of Marines will help distribute much-needed disaster relief goods from USAID to the local population, including tarps, shelter kits and food packets. They are joining forces with other Marine Corps units who have been working on the ground in Cagayan Province since the storm passed. 

"The primary focus of our mission is helping the people of the Philippines recover as quickly and safely as possible," said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Sean Dynan, commanding officer of the 15th MEU. "Humanitarian assistance in an expeditionary environment is what we train to do, and it is one of the reasons we are forward deployed as an amphibious force."

The successful deployment will come as good news to the Navy and to the ship's crew. Boxer was out of operation for years due to repeated maintenance problems, including failed repair efforts, and the ship's long journey to resuming service became a case study for Navy maintenance planners. 

Boxer went into a two-year refit period in 2020 and got out in 2022, but soon had to return to the pier due to propulsion problems. Contractor issues, crew errors and improper parts plagued the ship through a pierside repair period that lasted through 2023. The amphib left San Diego at last for a deployment in April 2024, well behind schedule, but had to return shortly after because of rudder problems. Successful sea trials occurred three months later, and the ship finally got under way for its Western Pacific deployment on July 16.