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Specialized Reservists Add Capability to Military Sealift Command Ships

Navy NewStand

Story Number: NNS030502-05
Release Date: 5/2/2003 4:30:00 PM

By Dan Kuester, Military Sealift Command, Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- More than 170 Naval Reservists specially trained in underway replenishment are working for the Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC), helping resupply combat ships supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Reservists comprise four Cargo Afloat Rig teams (CART) working aboard MSC ammunition ship USNS Kilauea (T-AE 26) and modular cargo delivery ships SS Cape John (T-AK 5022), SS Cape Johnson (T-AK 5075) and SS Cape Gibson (T-AK 5051) of the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force.

These CARTs assist the ships' crews during underway replenishments and are usually assigned to ships that have been outfitted with a Modular Cargo Delivery System (MCDS).

The MCDS is a 46 1/2-foot tower placed on the main deck of a ship that allows a cable to run between the supplying ship and the customer ship. When the cable is connected, the supply ship can transfer cargo to the customer ship across the connecting cable.

Kilauea is generally kept in a reduced operating status and is crewed with civil service mariners when she is activated. Kilauea does not use an MCDS, because the ship was built with underway replenishment towers. The CART aboard Kilauea helps the ship's crew perform underway replenishments.

Ships that have the MCDS aboard become doubly useful to MSC, because they can function both as point-to-point cargo carriers and as fleet auxiliary ships that take supplies directly to war ships, allowing the combatant fleet to remain on station for longer periods.

"This is a valuable program for MSC and the Navy," said Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, commander, MSC. "These Reservists help transform cargo ships into combat logistics force ships," said Brewer. "With a specially trained CART crew aboard, these ships can do double duty."

The Reserve units were developed following the Gulf War to assist the merchant crews assigned to Ready Reserve Force (RRF) ships for replenishment operations. When activated, RRF ships come under the operational control of MSC and support U.S. Navy missions.

There are seven CARTs assigned to RRF ships with MCDSs aboard and two units assigned to work aboard MSC ammunition ships Kilauea and USNS Santa Barbara (T-AE 28).

Each unit receives its specialized training at the MSC Underway Replenishment Training Center at Naval Weapons Station Earle, N.J., aboard ships during annual exercises and at Reserve centers with material provided by MSC.

MSC, the ocean transportation provider for the Department of Defense, normally operates about 120 civilian-crewed, noncombatant ships around the world.

Today, MSC operates more than 200 ships, most supporting U.S. forces deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. MSC ship missions vary from the transport and afloat prepositioning of defense cargo to underway replenishment and other direct support to Navy ships at sea as well as at-sea data collection for the U.S. military and other U.S. government agencies.