Atlantic Lines

USNS Grapple (T-ARS 53) at anchor in Kingston Bay, Jamaica, one of the ship’s stops during Navy Dive-Southern Partnership Station 2012. The mission fosters cooperation between partner nations and the United States. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Kathleen Gorby

John Gregov, Military Sealift Command Atlantic marine transportation specialist managing the command's office in Port Canaveral, Fla., supported the discharge of an advanced dual optical tracking system from USNS Waters (T-AGS 45). This equipment tracks Tomahawk missiles launched from a Trident ballistic missile submarine.

Early in the month, Gregov conducted a cost analysis that resulted in shifting USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM 25) to Port Canaveral from Norfolk, Va., for a cost savings of more than $14,000 for each arrival and departure the vessel makes to port.

USNS Pathfinder (T-AGS 60) off-loaded cargo using U.S. Air Force cranes, forklifts and trucks May 9-13. Gregov further supported the loading of missiles on TB Megan Beyel/MOBRO 1210, destined for the Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center on Andros Island in the Bahamas for use during live ocean exercises.

Bill O'Neal, marine transportation specialist at MSCLANT's Jacksonville, Fla., office, and MSC's Jacksonville team supported USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) and MSC-chartered ship MV Houston throughout the month. Big Horn made two stops in Mayport for cargo upload and fuel and one stop on Blount Island to pick up cargo for the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Carrier Strike Group. Houston discharged more than 135,000 barrels of fuel in mid-May.

At MSC's office in Charleston, S.C., Tom D'Agostino, director of ship operations, assisted Houston in discharging 170,000 barrels of jet fuel. Marine Transportation Specialist Mary Ann Liberto coordinated port services for USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189) for the ship's arrival at Detyen's Shipyard May 1.

USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) returned to Norfolk May 31 after a nearly seven-month, high-tempo deployment to U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. Patuxent supported the USS John C. Stennis and USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Groups as well as the USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. Patuxent also supported multinational exercises Arabian Shark and Vigilant Mariner. The ship performed 95 replenishments at sea during that timeframe.

A security, training, assessment and assistance team from Naval Criminal Investigative Service conducted a triennial individual ship assessment on Pathfinder while the ship was moored at Port Canaveral in May. During the assessment, MSC ships are evaluated in all areas of anti-terrorism and force protection to determine their readiness to detect, deter and defend against asymmetrical threats. Pathfinder and crew passed with flying colors; NCIS inspectors noted only minor administrative discrepancies, which were corrected.

Also in May, MSC Atlantic anti-terrorism and force protection representatives conducted pre-deployment ATFP spot checks on USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) and USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5). Both ships' programs were found to be well maintained.

The command welcomes Eric Carter as operations planning specialist in the command's logistics department and Navy reserve component Lt. Fionna Boyle to MSCLANT's ATFP team.