Twenty-six Seafarers recently were lauded for their contributions to the Department of Defense’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) X-Band Radar (XBR) Project office while working aboard the Interocean American Shipping Corp.-operated SBX-1. The SBX-1, during the period when the mariners earned the recognition, was involved in classified operations which had been mandated by the Department of Defense (DOD). The planning, training and execution of this mission ran from June 14 to July 5, 2006.
Army Col. John R. Fellows, of the DOD GMD Joint Program office, in a letter of appreciation to Interocean American Shipping which recognized the mariners, said in part: “I would like to commend and express my sincere appreciation to your team for their outstanding contributions to the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense X-Band Radar Project office and to our nation. The SBX was tasked to perform a classified special mission that was mandated by and in support of the Secretary of Defense….your team’s assistance to this effort was superb. Their professionalism and dedication were evident throughout this critical event.”
Receiving recognition were Bosuns James Crate and Wes Slattery; ABs John Ulstrom, Greg Overstreet, Mark Bolitho and Christopher Yohe; Ordinary Seamen Matt Jenness and Gene Hoehn; QMEDs David Spaulding, Joseph Benavente, Jordan Cuddy and Victor Bunghart; Electricians Kirk Benton and Frank Guenther; QEE Paul Mullersman and Wiper Bryan Fisher.
Also honored were Steward/ Baker Bill Bragg; Chief Cooks Larry Pugh and Nancy Vaupel; ACUs Larinda Sawyer and Elba Alfaro; and SAs Terry Lane, Francis Fiorella, Steve Concepcion, Cindy Galarza and W. Carnell Frink.
The SBX-1 is a unique combination of an advanced X-Band radar mounted aboard an oceangoing, semi-submersible platform. It provides the Ballistic Missile Defense System with a missile tracking and discrimination capability that can be positioned to cover any part of the globe to support both missile defense operations and testing. The platform is twin-hulled, self-propelled and very stable in rough seas and turbulent sea conditions. The platform’s ocean-spanning mobility allows the radar to be repositioned as needed to support the various test scenarios envisioned for the Ballistic Missile Defense System or to provide radar coverage of possible threat missile launches from anywhere in the world.
The Sea-Based X-Band Radar is 240 feet wide and 390 feet long. It towers more than 280 feet from its keel to the top of the radome and displaces nearly 50,000 tons. Larger than a football field, the main deck houses living quarters, workspaces, storage, power generation, a bridge and control rooms while providing the floor space and infrastructure necessary to support the radar antenna array, command, control and communications suites and an in-flight interceptor communication system data terminal.
###
Printer Friendly Page