Prepositioning Ships – 39 (as of Sept. 30, 2002) Combat Prepositioning Ships – 13 LMSRs   USNS Charlton (T-AKR 314)   USNS Dahl (T-AKR 312)   USNS Pomeroy (T-AKR 316)   USNS Red Cloud (T-AKR 313)   USNS Sisler (T-AKR 311)   USNS Soderman (T-AKR 317)   USNS Watkins (T-AKR 315)   USNS Watson (T-AKR 310) CONTAINER SHIPS   MV Staff Sgt. Edward A. Carter Jr.      (T-AK 4544)   MV Spec. 5 Eric G. Gibson      (T-AK 5091)   MV Lt. Col. John U.D. Page      (T-AK 4496)   MV Lt. Col. Calvin P. Titus      (T-AK 5089) CRANE SHIP   SS Gopher State (T-ACS 4) Maritime Prepositioning Ships – 16 SQUADRON ONE   MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo      (T-AK 3008)   SS Sgt. Matej J. Kocak      (T-AK 3005)   USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin      (T-AK 3015)   SS PFC Eugene A. Obregon      (T-AK 3006)   SS Maj. Stephen W. Pless      (T-AK 3007) SQUADRON TWO   MV Pvt. James Anderson Jr.      (T-AK 3002)   MV PFC William B. Baugh      (T-AK 3001)   MV 1st Lt. Alex Bonnyman      (T-AKR 3003)   MV Cpl. Louis J. Hauge      (T-AK 3000)   MV Pvt. Franklin J. Phillips      (T-AK 3004)   USNS Gunnery Sgt. Fred W. Stockham      (T-AK 3017) SQUADRON THREE   MV Sgt. William R. Button      (T-AK 3012)   MV 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez      (T-AK 3010)   MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus      (T-AK 3011)   USNS Lance Corporal Roy M. Wheat      (T-AK 3016)   MV PFC Dewayne T. Williams      (T-AK 3009) Logistics Prepositioning Ships – 10 DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY (TANKERS)   SS Chesapeake (T-AOT 5084)   SS Petersburg (T-AOT 9101) U.S. AIR FORCE (CONTAINER SHIPS)   MV Capt. Steven L. Bennett      (T-AK 4296)   MV Maj. Bernard F. Fisher      (T-AK 4396)   MV Merlin (AK 323)   MV A1C William A. Pitsenbarger      (T-AK 4638) U.S. NAVY (BREAKBULK SHIP)   SS Cape Jacob (T-AK 5029) HIGH SPEED VESSEL (CATAMARAN)   Westpac Express AVIATION LOGISTICS      SUPPORT SHIPS – 2   SS Curtis (T-AVB 4)   SS Wright (T-AVB 3)

t the end of FY 2001, MSC’s Afloat Prepositioning Force consisted of 39 ships, with 36 operating at sites in the Mediterranean Sea, Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Guam/Saipan in the western Pacific Ocean. Two of the three remaining ships are U.S. Marine Corps aviation support ships maintained in reduced operating status in the United States. The third ship is USNS Lance Cpl. Roy M. Wheat, the final Maritime Prepositioning Force (Enhanced) ship, which completed post delivery availability procedures at the end of the year.

Eight of MSC’s 19 LMSRs meet the need for two million additional square feet of prepositioning capacity determined by 1992’s mobility requirements study.

Combat Prepositioning Ships

Eight large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships, or LMSRs, preposition enough ammunition, food, water, fuel, equipment and other supplies to sustain up to 20,000 troops of an Army 2x2 heavy armored brigade and the 6th Brigade Afloat for up to 15 days. Combat Prepositioning Ships also include an auxiliary crane ship activated from the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve Force and four long-term commercial chartered vessels that carry combat support items, such as water purification units and food.

A U.S. Marine helps guide an M1A1 Abrams tank off MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, a Maritime Prepositioning Ship, off the coast of Chuk Samet, Thailand, during exercise Cobra Gold. MSC surge sealift ship USNS Seay is anchored in the background. Photo by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith, USN.

During FY 2002, USNS Soderman, a new LMSR, delivered to MSC. Soderman will deploy to Diego Garcia with U.S. Army equipment in FY 2003, bringing MSC to the two million square feet of prepositioning capacity called for in the 1992 Defense Mobility Requirements Study.

MSC Maritime Prepositioning Ship MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus off-loads equipment in support of exercise Cobra Gold. Photo by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith, USN.

During FY 2002, LMSRs participated in several exercises, including Native Atlas and Vigilant Hammer. In a groundbreaking event, USNS Watkins conducted the first contingency download ever performed in-theater.

Also during FY 2002, two of the three ships carrying Army port opening equipment off-loaded their cargo at Yokohama, Japan, in support of the Army Watercraft Restructuring Plan. MV Strong Virginian and MV American Cormorant then redelivered to their owners in August and September.

Maritime Prepositioning Ships

Maritime Prepositioning Ships are divided into three squadrons, each commanded by a Navy captain and carrying sufficient equipment and supplies to sustain a Marine Expeditionary Brigade of about 17,000 personnel for 30 days. MPS ships contain a wide variety of Marine Corps material from tanks, ammunition and food to petroleum products and spare parts. The three squadrons are located at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, in the Mediterranean Sea and at Guam/Saipan in the Western Pacific Ocean.

USNS Lance Cpl. Roy M. Wheat, the third of three Maritime Prepositioning Force (Enhanced) vessels, delivered to MSC in FY 2002. When loaded and deployed, Wheat will join Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three at Guam/Saipan, completing the enhancement program, which expanded squadron capabilities with expeditionary airfield, Seabee and fleet hospital cargo.

MV Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger, an MSC Logistics Prepositioning Ship, arrives at Sunny Point, N.C., to load munitions for her U.S. Air Force prepositioning mission. Photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung, USAF.

During the year, SS Pfc. Eugene A. Obregon and USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin participated in exercise Dynamic Mix in Spain; MV Cpl. Louis J. Hauge and SS Maj. Stephen W. Pless took part in Exercise Bright Star in Egypt; and MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus and MV Pfc. Dewayne T. Williams supported exercise Cobra Gold in Thailand.

Logistics Prepositioning Ships

Logistics Prepositioning Ships included seven prepositioning vessels carrying various cargoes for the U.S. Navy, Defense Logistics Agency and U.S. Air Force, plus one high-speed vessel and two aviation support ships in reduced operating status.

Container vessel MV Airman 1st Class William A. Pitsenbarger entered service with MSC in December 2001, replacing MV Buffalo Soldier, which was redelivered to its owner in early September. Pitsenbarger deployed to Diego Garcia in January 2002.

A new combination roll-on/roll-off/container vessel, MV Merlin, entered service with MSC in September 2002, loaded and sailed for Diego Garcia.

Container vessel MV Capt. Steven L. Bennett's five-year charter expired in FY 2002; however, she competed for and won a new five-year contract and redeployed to the Mediterranean in October.

The ships carrying Air Force cargo were used extensively during FY 2002 to support Operation Enduring Freedom, the global war on terrorism. USNS Henry J. Kaiser, a former Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force oiler being used to preposition fuel afloat, was returned to the NFAF for dry-docking and lay-up in a reduced operating status at the end of FY 2002.

A high-speed vessel, Westpac Express, was chartered in FY 2002 to support the Marine Corps Third Marine Expeditionary Force. This vessel, capable of carrying a Marine infantry battalion and its vehicles up to 1,200 nautical miles at a speed of 35 knots, is based in Okinawa, Japan.

During FY 2002, the communication functions performed by Navy Sailors aboard the prepositioning squadron flagships were taken over by a commercial contractor. This innovative arrangement enabled MSC to return 47 Sailors to the Fleet.

Stern view of the MSC-chartered high-speed vessel Westpac Express departing a Japanese port in support of the U.S. Marine Corps.