The Beaumont Enterprise December 5, 2003
Naval Ship Bob Hope to Spend Next Few Days at Port of Beaumont, Texas
By Kevin J. Dwyer
BEAUMONT, Texas--With white water boiling around their thrashing propellers, several tugs gently eased the USNS Bob Hope into its berth on Wednesday at the Port of Beaumont.
Specifically designed to quickly load and unload military equipment, the Bob Hope will spend the next three to four days in Beaumont being loaded with equipment from Fort Hood and other military posts.
"The vehicles, both tracked and wheeled, can just drive right on and off," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. John Williams, executive officer of the 842nd Transportation Battalion, which is headquartered at the port.
This is not the first time the Bob Hope has visited Beaumont. Following its christening in 1997, Williams said, the ship was loaded with equipment and began its maiden voyage from the Port of Beaumont.
"They're a huge step up from what we've had in the past," Williams said of the Bob Hope and her sister ships. "They're the first class designed for roll-on/roll-off and can be quickly loaded and unloaded."
The ship was named in honor of legendary performer Bob Hope, who entertained troops around the world for more than 50 years and, through his affiliation with Texaco, made many visits to Southeast Texas over the years.
Hope died earlier this year.
The USNS Bob Hope is the lead ship in a new class of transports with the military moniker "Large Medium-speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships."
The Bob Hope is 950 feet long, has a beam of 106 feet and can cruise at a speed of 24 knots. The only ships in the Navy larger than the Bob Hopes are aircraft carriers.
Although owned by the Navy, 30 civilian mariners employed by a private company man and operate the ship.
"It seems like a small number of crewmen, but it is consistent with other large commercial ships," Williams said.
The Bob Hope has seven decks that provide more than 300,000 square feet of space to load military combat and support equipment.
"You could fit half the cars at an Astros game inside it," said Lt. Col. Brian Sundin, the 842nd's commander. "This is the Cadillac of seagoing parking garages."
SIDEBOX: The USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR 300)
Type: Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off cargo ship Length: 950 feet Beam: 106 feet Draft: 34 feet Displacement: 62,069 long tons Speed: 24 knots Cargo capacity: 380,000 sq. ft.
Engines: 4 Colt Pielstick diesels developing 65,160 horsepower Crew: 30 civilian mariners.
Built by: Avondale Industries
Source: Military Sealift Command and GlobalSecurity.org
© Copyright 2003, Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News © Copyright 2003, The Beaumont Enterprise
