November 2016
The SIU-crewed MV Ocean Glory, operated by Crowley, recently completed the final mission stop of Pacific Pathways 16-2, offloading military cargo in Pearl Harbor. An official from the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) commended the crew’s performance, as did the vessel master.
During the last stop, the U.S. Army’s 599th Transportation Brigade partnered with Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor to discharge 25th Infantry Division cargo and equipment off the Ocean Glory from September 7-9.
“This is our eighth of nine ports for Pacific Pathways 16-2,” said Christopher Hill, captain of the Ocean Glory since 2011. “It has been one of the best voyages of my entire career. The professionalism on display by the U.S. Army and how they helped our crew has been amazing.
“As Americans we are proud to do our part anyway, but this has been a pure pleasure,” Hill added. “I wish I could do this every day for the rest of my career. Working with the military hand in hand was a positive and unique experience.”
The captain and crew of the Ocean Glory received praise from Chris Thayer, Director of Contractor Operated Ships for MSC, in an official Bravo Zulu transmitted on Sept. 27. In the letter addressed to the captain and the owners of the vessel (Intermarine), Thayer said, “I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you and the crew of M/V Ocean Glory for your role in the delivery of critical PACIFIC PATHWAYS 16 exercise equipment while under charter to MSC. You delivered critical military exercise enablers to build and maintain relationships with our nation’s Pacific regional partners. During the performance of the mission, I often heard of the reliability of your ship and the professionalism of your crew. The superb level of service illustrates your company’s focus on customer fulfillment and your efforts did not go unnoticed.”
He concluded, “The performance of Captain Hill and the crew of M/V Ocean Glory was exemplary and fortifies the strong and honorable traditions of the U.S. Merchant Marine and the Military Sealift Command. The dedication, teamwork, and professionalism of all involved was extraordinary.”
The Ocean Glory is part of the Maritime Security Program (MSP), which features American-flag ships that are assets which the U.S. military can draw upon during contingencies. The vessel is a multi-purpose dry cargo ship equipped for carriage containers and strengthened for heavy cargo. She is equipped with three shipboard cranes.
Pacific Pathways 16-2 was a U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) mobility operation that supports three USARPAC exercises and links them into a single operation by using one commercial vessel to carry a designated task force and their force package equipment for the duration. PP16-2 was a combined operation between the U.S. Army and each of the armed forces of Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia – where the last of the U.S. Army’s equipment was back-loaded for return to Pearl Harbor and Tacoma, Washington.
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