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No port needed, CJTF-HOA replenishes at sea

USMC News

Story Identification Number: 20033852957
Story by Cpl. Andrew W. Miller

USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC/JCC-20)

(March 5, 2003) -- The ship's 16th replenishment at sea was conducted March 5 by the crew and members of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa staff, whose mission is battling the war against terrorism in the Horn of Africa region.

According to Chief Warrant Officer David L. Lankford, ship's boatswain, the number of times the ship has replenished underway during this deployment is beyond its usual amount.

"This ship is not normally used for sustained sea operations," he said. "We are setting records every time we unrep."

"Unrep," which stands for underway replenishment, is another term for RAS.

An RAS involves at least two ships, with one ship providing supplies to the other. The ships and oilers that transport supplies and fuel are provided by the Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force program.

"An RAS allows us to maintain our operations at sea without having to pull into a port," said Lankford native of Chesapeake, Va.

Docking at ports when supplies are needed can pose serious disadvantages for naval vessels as was the case for USS Cole Oct. 12, 2000 when it was rammed in the Port of Aden, Yemen by a small craft loaded with explosives. Seventeen service members died on that day.

RAS's increase the ship's mobility and reaction time because, the ship is continuously "topped-off" with fuel at sea, eliminating the time spent tied up in port where it can be vulnerable to attack.

Staying topped-off means the crew keeps the ship's fuel level above approximately 75 percent full at all times while underway. The total capacity is 1 million gallons. Approximately 800,000 gallons of that are diesel-fuel-marine for the ship, and approximately 200,000 gallons are JP-5 for the aircraft.

Planning for an RAS usually begins five days prior when the ship's engineers decide the quantity of fuel needed. Once that is determined, a replenishment request is submitted and they begin determining which ship will be used for the replenishment. This is important because different ships have different fueling rigs that must be able to align properly. Once the game plan is in place, the only thing left to do is wait for approval from the captain.

The recent RAS was the 16th during the ship's approximately 115 days at sea. So far, the crew has taken on approximately 1.9 million gallons of fuel, almost 100,000 of which are JP-5, and over 650 pallets of food and supplies.

"Throughout this deployment, the success of the underway replenishments has been highlighted by the help and participation of all the services aboard," said Lankford. "Whether they are guest line-handlers, the 20-25 members who pull the rig over from the other ship, or part of the 100-hand working parties who unload the pallets of food and supplies, everyone helps out because everyone benefits."