Sealift Ships – 28 (as of Sept. 30, 2003) Tankers – 6 USNS Paul Buck (T-AOT 1122) USNS Samuel L. Cobb    (T-AOT 1123) MV Gus Darnell (T-AOT 1121)* USNS Lawrence H. Gianella    (T-AOT 1125) USNS Richard G. Matthiesen    (T-AOT 1124) MV Montauk* Cargo ships – 3 MV American Tern (T-AK 4729)* MV Sagamore* MV Sea Mark III (DRSS)* Large, medium-speed, roll-on/    roll-off ships – 11 USNS Benavidez (T-AKR 306) USNS Brittin (T-AKR 305) USNS Fisher (T-AKR 301) USNS Gilliland (T-AKR 298) USNS Gordon (T-AKR 296) USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR 300) USNS Mendonca (T-AKR 303) USNS Pililaau (T-AKR 304) USNS Seay (T-AKR 302) USNS Shughart (T-AKR 295) USNS Yano (T-AKR 297) Fast Sealift Ships – 8 USNS Algol (T-AKR 287) USNS Altair (T-AKR 291) USNS Antares (T-AKR 294) USNS Bellatrix (T-AKR 288) USNS Capella (T-AKR 293) USNS Denebola (T-AKR 289) USNS Pollux (T-AKR 290) USNS Regulus (T-AKR 292) *Long-term charter

n fiscal year 2003, the Sealift Program provided critical ocean transportation for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, peacekeeping operations in Eastern Europe and various day-to-day missions around the globe.

The Sealift Program maintains a close working relationship with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, manager of the 68-ship Ready Reserve Force. When activated, MSC assumes operational control of RRF ships.

Purchasing four T-5 tankers instead of chartering them will save nearly $300 million over the life of the ships.

Tanker Project

In January 2003, MSC purchased four of the five chartered Champion-class (T-5) tankers under an option in their long-term charter contracts. Operating USNS Paul Buck, USNS Samuel L. Cobb, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella and USNS Richard G. Matthiesen as government-owned ships with commercial mariner crews will save nearly $300 million over the remaining life of the ships.

In FY 2003, six long-term contract tankers and 38 voyage and short-term time chartered vessels provided 149 lifts, delivering more than 1.8 billion gallons of petroleum products to DOD facilities around the world. Much of this was in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

MV Montauk, a 30,000-barrel-capacity chartered tanker, provided shuttle service between suppliers and shallow-draft depots in South Korea and Japan for the Defense Energy Support Center in FY 2003, completing more than 50 voyages.

MSC-chartered dry cargo ship MV American Tern and MSC tanker USNS Paul Buck off-load containers and fuel at the pier near Thule Air Base during Operation Pacer Goose. A Canadian ice breaker stands by to escort the two ships south when their off-loads are complete. Photo by Lt. Col. Chris Sorrentino, USAF.

USNS Richard G. Matthiesen re-supplied McMurdo Station in Antarctica during Operation Deep Freeze as a service to the National Science Foundation. This year’s evolution was unique in that the ship was unable to get to the discharge facility due to extreme ice and had to pump the cargo from an ice pier nearly three miles away. USNS Paul Buck and MV Gus Darnell also provided fuel in support of Operation Pacer Goose, the annual re-supply of Thule Air Base, Greenland.

By the end of FY 2003, requirements had been reduced and the tanker fleet numbered eight ships – five T-5s, one T-1 and two 30-day time charters. Throughout FY 2003, the tanker fleet maintained an impressive record of zero fuel spills during all operations.

Cargo Project

During FY 2003, MSC-owned and chartered dry cargo ships lifted a total of 31.9 million square feet of cargo aboard 178 ships making 346 voyages.

Operation Iraqi Freedom accounted for almost half of the cargo lifted – more than 15 million square feet. One-hundred and thirty-three ships made 273 voyages to carry the war-fighting equipment and supplies needed in the deployment phase of the operation. Redeployment efforts at the end of the fiscal year totaled more than 7 million square feet aboard 46 ships.

A longshoreman guides one of two U.S. Navy Mark V Special Operations Boats down the stern ramp of MSC-chartered ship MV Skodsborg.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Cargo Project was also resupplying peacekeeping forces in Kosovo with more than 18,000 square feet of equipment and supplies using a small voyage-chartered container ship. Another small voyage-chartered container ship carried more than 25,000 square feet of cargo to peacekeeping forces in Bosnia.

Other routine lifts included three ships under long-term charter to MSC. MV Sagamore conducted re-supply missions for U.S. operations at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean; MV Seamark III provided re-supply for Andros Island in the Bahamas; and MV American Tern, an ice-strengthened ship, re-supplied Thule Air Base, Greenland, and the National Science Foundation operation at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Surge Project

During mobilization for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, the MSC surge fleet of large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships and fast sealift ships delivered 7.3 million square feet of cargo. This was approximately one third of the total cargo carried by all MSC government and chartered ships. Equally important, the surge fleet was immediately available, highly capable and extremely reliable.

With large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship USNS Mendonca in the background, rows of wheeled Army vehicles wait to roll or be lifted onto MSC ships.

At the end of the fiscal year, the surge fleet included 11 LMSRs and eight fast sealift ships, all maintained in a four-day reduced operating status at various U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports. The LMSRs are especially suited for transporting heavy or bulky unit equipment such as tanks, large wheeled vehicles and helicopters. The Surge Project accepted delivery of MSC’s eleventh and final surge LMSR, USNS Benavidez, at the end of FY 2003.

Trucks being hoisted in this flatrack are but two of the 2,000 pieces of equipment belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps' First Marine Expeditionary Force that were loaded aboard MSC's fast sealift ships in San Diego. Photo by Larry Crutchfield.

Surge LMSRs were one of MSC’s biggest success stories during the deployment phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The LMSRs were activated in an average of three days and maintained an average speed of more than 17 knots throughout the deployment. With their 300,000 square foot capacity per vessel, the 10 Surge Project LMSRs available for the war lifted more than 5.3 million square feet of cargo in 23 voyages. This was an average of 231,000 square feet of lift per ship, the same amount carried by six commercial charters during Operation Desert Storm.

While smaller than LMSRs, fast sealift ships, at 150,000 square feet capacity each, remain the fastest cargo ships in the world. They are capable of sailing from the U.S. East Coast to the Persian Gulf in 18 days, and can carry nearly all the equipment needed to outfit a full Army mechanized division. These eight ships lifted two million square feet of cargo during Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment.

U.S. Army vehicles wait to board Ready Reserve Force ship SS Cape Intrepid during a January loading operation. Once it was activated, Cape Intrepid transferred to MSC’s operational control from the U.S. Maritime Administration. Photo by Larry Crutchfield.

The Ready Reserve Force consists of 68 militarily useful ships owned and maintained by the U.S. Maritime Administration. These ships are intended to offset a lack of suitable cargo ships in the U.S. commercial sector. They include roll-on/roll-off ships, crane ships, break-bulk ships, tankers and troop ships. All of the roll-on/roll-off ships are maintained in a five-day readiness status with a nine-person crew aboard.

Ready Reserve Force ships are maintained at ports throughout the U.S. East, Gulf and West Coasts in proximity to potential military loading sites. Forty RRF ships were activated during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was a smaller force than the 72 ships that sailed to Operation Desert Storm in 1991, but was far more capable and reliable.

Since Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s, older RRF break-bulk ships have been replaced with newer and more efficient roll-on/roll-off ships. Significant improvements were made in RRF ship readiness, training and management oversight as well. Where only 20 of 72 RRF ships were activated on time in Desert Storm, all but two were on time for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The RRF delivered 3.4 million square feet of cargo for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

An ambulance version of the Army’s new Stryker combat vehicle moves up fast sealift ship USNS Bellatrix’s cargo ramp. Photo by Larry Crutchfield.

Ready Reserve Force ship MV Cape Texas rides out a storm in the Mediterranean Sea in early March 2003. Cape Texas and 30 other RRF ships transported cargo for the U.S. Army’s Fourth Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom.