As activations continued for the third phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom’s sealift component, 40 SIU-crewed ships had been mobilized by mid-November.That total included 21 ships from the Ready Reserve Force, 17 U.S. Military Sealift Command vessels and two from the U.S.-flag commercial fleet.
“SIU members have answered the call throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom,” noted SIU President Michael Sacco. “The membership has demonstrated great respect for and support of our troops, and I know they’re proud of our role as part of the nation’s fourth arm of defense. We’ll continue to deliver the goods, wherever and whenever needed.”
The following Seafarers-crewed ships are among those sailing in support of OIF3. Vessel operators are listed first:
AMSEA’s Cape Jacob; Crowley’s Cape Inscription, Cape Intrepid, Cape Island and Cape Wrath; Interocean Ugland Management’s USNS Chesapeake, USNS Petersburg, Northern Lights, Westward Venture and Independence; Keystone’s Cape Race, Cape Rise, Cape Knox, Cape Orlando and Cape Vincent; and Maersk Line, Limited’s USNS Charlton, USNS Dahl, USNS Pomeroy, USNS Red Cloud, USNS Sisler, USNS Soderman, USNS Watkins and USNS Watson.
Also underway are Mormac’s Cape Decision, Cape Domingo, Cape Douglas, Cape Ducato, Cape Edmont, Cape Horn and Cape Hudson; Pacific-Gulf Marine’s Cape Farewell; and American Ship Management’s USNS Brittin, USNS Benavidez, USNS Gilliland, USNS Gordon, USNS Fisher, USNS Pillilau, USNS Seay, USNS Yano and Cape Girardeau.
Referring to both the ongoing war on terrorism and the all-out combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S. Maritime Administration noted, “During Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, the combined strategic sealift operation provided more than 80 percent of all cargo transportation to the theater of operations. Led by the U.S. Transportation Command, this joint effort included the Military Sealift Command, the Military Traffic Management Command, and the Maritime Administration. Forty RRF vessels supported Army and Marine missions during the operations providing up to 20 percent of the total combined surge sealift capacity.”
During a U.S. Senate Seapower Subcommittee hearing earlier this year, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, described the RRF as “one of the great successes. We followed that very closely in this (Armed Services) committee. Their ships have done an extraordinary job.”
In a prepared statement, Gen. John W. Handy, USAF, commander, U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM); Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, USN, commander, Military Sealift Command (MSC); and Maj. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, USA, then the commanding general, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, noted, “The increased readiness standards and maintenance of our RRF have made it more efficient and better able to meet lift requirements than ever before. The RRF today is a well-maintained, ready force of 31 surge roll-on/roll-off ships and 37 special-purpose sealift ships.”
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