Seafarers and members of the SIU Government Services Division recently demonstrated teamwork and proficiency during an underway replenishment involving the tanker Badlands Trader (operated by U.S. Marine Management) and the Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ ammunition ship USNS Matthew Perry.
The Perry, whose crew includes SIU CIVMARS, received approximately 335,000 gallons of aviation fuel which was intended for later transfer to U.S. Naval Combat Logistics Force (CLF) ships operating in the Indo-pacific region. CLF ships support U.S. combatant vessels and allies through underway replenishment-at-sea operations.
Recertified Bosun Gregorio Cudal, who sailed aboard the Badlands Trader during this procedure, recounted his experience guiding the crew through the replenishment-at-sea that occurred back in December.
“Essentially, what we had to do was tie up the equipment and securely transport it from our ship to the other ship,” he said. “As a bosun, I was tasked with coordinating the replenishment, signaling the other members of the crew at the console station with two other ABs.”
The Badlands Trader is one of the few commercial oil tankers that have been designed to pump fuel to CLFs while at sea, according to the Military Sealift Command (MSC). This cost-effective measure allows CLFs to stay closer to the fleet rather than returning to shore to resupply at a depot, the agency noted.
Cudal said that although he is a longtime SIU member who began sailing with the union in 1987, this was his first time doing a replenishment-at-sea. To prepare, Cudal and his shipmates did a series of dry runs at the port in Norfolk, Virginia, and practiced again twice with the MSC ship at a pier. The first of these practice sessions happened in Honolulu and then the next one took place in waters near South Korea.
Cudal found the logistics of the replenishment challenging because of some key differences between merchant and naval ships.
“The boat speeds differ,” he pointed out. “Luckily, we were able to still complete the replenishment safely.
“During a procedure like this, you really need to pay attention to every detail,” he added. “For example, during one of the test runs, we noticed there was a loose connection valve, but we caught it before it became a problem.”
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