Navy Seaman Boslooper deployed

Monroe — Navy Seaman Thomas A. Boslooper, son of Mary A. Boslooper of Monroe and Thomas Boslooper of Manhattan, departed on a scheduled deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism while assigned to the amphibious transport dock U.S.S. Austin, whose home port is Norfolk, Va. Prior to deploying, Boslooper and more than 2, 000 of his fellow shipmates of the U.S.S. Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group successfully completed a Composite Training Unit exercise and a Joint Task Force exercise. The latter was the final step in preparing the strike group for deployment, and is designed to test its ability to operate in a complex, hostile environment with other U.S. and coalition forces. The U.S.S. Austin is a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Amphibious landing docks are generally designed to use landing craft to transport troops into a war zone. Boslooper is a 2002 graduate of Monroe Woodbury High School of Central Valley, and joined the Navy in July 2004. For more information on the deployment and photographs, visit www.navy.mil.