Tag: MSC

Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS Miguel Keith

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November 18, 2019 – The Navy accepted delivery of its third Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, USNS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) on Nov. 15. Delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy. ESB 5 will be owned and operated by Military Sealift Command. “The Navy and industry team overcame significant setbacks in the construction of this ship, and I’m extremely proud of the urgency and determination displayed on everyone’s part to deliver a high quality ship that will support our operational requirements in the…

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Marines Embark Merchant Vessel to Provide Security in Strait of Hormuz Transit

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October 31, 2019 – Marines and Sailors deployed with Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team, Central Command (FASTCENT) Company, assigned to Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5th MEB), embarked on a Military Sealift Command time chartered vessel in the Arabian Gulf to provide security during a Strait of Hormuz transit Oct. 21. Task Force 51/5th MEB has a myriad of inherently maneuverable assets that offer commanders the ability to flexibly respond to a wide variety of missions and contingencies, and that are capable of being rapidly deployed.…

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Navy to Christen Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Miguel Keith (ESB 5)

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October 17, 2019 – The Navy will christen the Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) during a 10 a.m. PDT ceremony Saturday, Oct. 19, at General Dynamics NASSCO, San Diego. The ship is named in honor of Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Lance Cpl. Miguel Keith, and is the first ship to bear the name. Retired Gen. Walter E. Boomer, USMC, 24th assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. In a time-honored Navy tradition, Keith’s mother, Mrs. Eliadora Delores…

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Philly Shipyard Awarded Pollux Dry Docking Contract

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October 3, 2019 – Philly Shipyard, Inc., the sole operating subsidiary of Philly Shipyard ASA, has been awarded a dry docking contract for the Ready Reserve Force vessel, SS Pollux. The vessel is owned by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) and managed by TOTE Services, LLC (TOTE), an industry leader in ship management, marine operations and vessel services. The vessel undergoes routine repair and maintenance during its scheduled dry docking every few years. TOTE, as ship manager for MARAD, awarded the contract to Philly Shipyard. SS Pollux…

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Navy Tests Mine Countermeasures on USNS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams

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September 19, 2019 – USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams (T-ESB 4) recently completed a three-day voyage in the Chesapeake Bay to test an anti-mine system. The Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship used the Littoral Combat Ship Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Mission Package portable control station to maneuver the MCM equipment and the launch and recovery equipment, as well as to test the command and control of unmanned vehicles. The demonstration proved ESB class ships’ ability to serve as an MCM-capable platform to embark 12 twenty-foot equivalent units, vehicles, and the support equipment…

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Comfort Begins Medical Services in Grenada

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September 16, 2019 – Senior leadership from the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) alongside partner and host nation representatives attended an opening ceremony to mark the beginning of the ship’s seventh medical mission stop in St. George’s, Grenada, Sept. 15. While in St. George’s, U.S. service members and medical professionals will work alongside partner and host nations to provide medical assistance in communities with urgent health care needs and demonstrate the commitment to strengthen regional medical capacity. “It is truly a pleasure and honor to be here to welcome…

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U.S. Transportation Command begins large-scale sealift readiness exercise

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September 17, 2019 – U.S. Transportation Command began a large-scale sealift readiness exercise Sept. 16, as part of its Turbo Activation exercise series, ordering dozens of ships to sea. These exercises typically involve only a few ships but this event targets 28 vessels for activation to provide a better assessment of the readiness of U.S. sealift forces than can be accomplished with fewer activations. This scale will also stress the underlying support network involved in maintaining, manning and operating the nation’s ready sealift forces. Turbo Activation has, since 1994, served…

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USNS Puerto Rico Successfully Completes Integrated Sea Trials

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August 23, 2019 – USNS Puerto Rico (EPF 11), successfully completed the first integrated sea trials for an Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ship Aug. 22. The ship returned to the Austal USA shipyard following two days underway in the Gulf of Mexico. Integrated Trials combine Builder’s and Acceptance Trials, allowing for the shipyard to demonstrate to the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey the operational capability and mission readiness of all the ship’s systems during a single underway period. During trials, the shipbuilder conducted comprehensive tests to demonstrate the performance…

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Global Markets, Shipping Shape Military Ops

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By C. Todd Lopez About 85% of the joint force resides inside the continental United States. When they need to move to an operation overseas, and their equipment needs to go with them, U.S. Transportation Command will be doing the heavy lifting. Speaking yesterday at the Department of Defense Intelligence Information Systems Worldwide Conference in Tampa, Florida, Transcom’s commander said much of Transcom’s capacity to project U.S. military power around the globe relies on commercially procured transportation. Just who is the ultimate owner of that commercial transportation — friend or…

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USNS City of Bismarck Welcomed in MSC Pacific AOR

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August 12, 2019 – Military Sealift Command Pacific welcomed the newest ship to the Pacific area of operations, expeditionary fast transport ship USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF-9). The ship arrived in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, following a trip from its former home in Little Creek, Va. The trip included passage through the Panama Canal. Bismarck is the ninth of 12 contracted EPF ships, formerly known as Joint High Speed Vessels. It is named in honor of the city of Bismarck, North Dakota, and is the first ship to be…

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Further MacGregor deck machinery destined for heavy-duty naval operations

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July 3, 2019 – MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has been selected to supply repeat packages of deck machinery equipment for two new US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) T-ATS class vessel under construction at Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, US. These orders, with a combined value of circa €8 million, were booked into Cargotec’s second quarter order intake and the equipment is planned for delivery during 2020. The new orders are subsequent to the first contract secured in the fourth quarter of 2018 and announced in January 2019. “We…

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SECNAV Names Newest Towing Salvage and Rescue Ship Cherokee Nation

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June 21, 2019 – Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer has announced the newest Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship will be named Cherokee Nation in honor of the service and contributions the Cherokee people have made to the Navy and Marine Corps team. “It is my privilege to announce that the many Cherokee Nation citizens who’ve served throughout the years will be remembered with the highest honor a Secretary of the Navy can bestow, the naming of a ship,” said Spencer. “The future USNS Cherokee Nation will expand our…

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USNS Amelia Earhart Donates Supplies, Builds Friendships in Philippines

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June 19, 2019 – Members of Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) dry cargo ship USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6) and Military Sealift Command Far East visited three locations in Olongapo City, Philippines, to participate in community outreach events during a routine port visit at Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, June 14. The team visited the Subic Bay Children’s Home, Social Development Center, and the Foundation for Differently-Abled Persons to deliver donations from the crew of Amelia Earhart that included clothes, snacks, school supplies and more than 660 lbs. of rice. “It’s encouraging…

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USNS Comfort Departs Norfolk for Medical Mission

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June 14, 2019 – USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed Norfolk, June 14, to begin her deployment to South America, Central America and the Caribbean. During its deployment, Comfort will provide medical assistance in support of regional partners and in response to the regional impacts of the Venezuela political and economic crisis. “We are embarking on a five-month deployment to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility to embark on a humanitarian assistance mission,” said Capt. B.J. Diebold, Comfort’s mission commander. “Our mission will consist of multinational personnel from across our…

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USNS Lawrence H Gianella Completes Her Final Underway Mission

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May 23, 2019 – Military Sealift Command’s last champion class T-5 petroleum tanker, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella (T-AOT 1125), completed its final underway mission for the U.S. Navy by sailing down the Elisabeth River to downtown Norfolk, Virginia in support of National Maritime Day, May 23. Christened April 19, 1986, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella’s primary role has been to perform point-to-point delivery of petroleum products to Department of Defense storage and distribution facilities worldwide. “USNS Lawrence H. Gianella is the last and longest serving U.S. government owned champion class T-5…

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