Dozens of Seafarers were honored July 16 near New Orleans as the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) welcomed the crews of three fast sealift ships that supported Operation Iraqi Freedom.Crew members and officers from the USNS Algol, USNS Bellatrix and USNS Pollux were presented with U.S. Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medals by Rear Admiral (Select) Deborah A. Loewer, USN, Vice Commander, MSC. The ceremony took place aboard the Bellatrix in Marrero, La.
SIU Vice President Gulf Coast Dean Corgey was one of the featured speakers. He thanked and congratulated the crew for their dedication and patriotism. Corgey also expressed gratitude to MSC and the U.S. Maritime Administration for their strong, comprehensive efforts to acknowledge U.S. mariners returning from the war.
“It’s our honor and privilege to serve our country. As a labor leader, it’s an honor and privilege to represent many of the mariners who delivered the goods,” Corgey said. “The U.S. Merchant Marine will be there whenever our country calls. We’re proud to serve as the nation’s fourth arm of defense.”
Loewer told the crews, “You delivered the cargo. You got it there on time. You completed the mission. We’re proud of you.”
Bosun Eric Leibold, who sailed on the Bellatrix during the war, said the ceremony was “incredible, very heart-moving. All the speakers were very informed and expressed their gratitude for the job done by all seafarers in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.”
Leibold said that his ship “literally did two round-the-world runs this year” in support of the mission. “Overall, it was a couple of very good runs. We took on four groups of military personnel, including a fast security team on both runs. Interaction with the military was outstanding. They were all just incredible men and women, and they contributed a lot—not only to the security of the ship and the upkeep of their own vehicles, but they actually wanted to help us with maintenance. I had to lock my paint locker to keep them from painting the ship.”
According to MSC, the Algol, Bellatrix and Pollux “were critical elements in getting the combat equipment and supplies to U.S. war fighters in the Middle East.” Each ship can carry more than 150,000 square feet of vehicles and other out-sized cargo for the Department of Defense. The 946-foot vessels, which can reach speeds in excess of 30 knots, are part of MSC’s surge sealift program and are normally kept in reduced operating status until they are needed for contingencies like Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Algol, activated for service in November 2002 from its berth in Violet, La., transported equipment for the U.S. Army’s V Corps and 4th Infantry Division.
The Pollux, also normally kept in reduced operating status in Violet, La., activated in early January 2003 to move cargo belonging to the Marine Corps I Marine Expeditionary Force and the Army’s 101st Airborne division.
The Bellatrix, based in Marrero, was activated in September of 2002 and carried elements of the Marine Corps I Expeditionary Force and the Army’s 4th Infantry Division.
The U.S Maritime Administration’s Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal recognizes civil service and commercial mariners who served aboard U.S.-flagged chartered or government-owned ships that supported Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. The medal, which was first authorized for American merchant seamen serving in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, consists of a two-sided bronze medallion suspended from a red, white, blue and green ribbon.
The Algol, Bellatrix and Pollux are crewed by an SIU-contracted commercial ship operating company (AMSEA) under contract to MSC, the ocean transportation provider for the Department of Defense. The command normally operates about 120 civilian-crewed, noncombatant ships for a variety of missions around the world. That number expanded to 214 in March as additional ships were activated from reduced operating status or were chartered for the command’s support of U.S. forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Printer Friendly Page