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New commander of MSC-Europe visits fleet tug Mohawk

NAPLES, Italy (USTCNS) --- Navy Capt. Gary J. Ellis the new Military Sealift Command, Europe commander visited USNS Mohawk, one of the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force ships under his aegis, last month at the port of Naples.

Accompanying him were his NFAF Director, Lt. Cmdr. Christine Buswell and Cmdr. Hal Baker the command's acting Public Affairs Officer.

Ship's master Capt. Charles Rodriguez, a civilian mariner working for the Navy's Military Sealift Command, briefed the Commodore on Mohawk's missions. The schedule of an MSC fleet tug may be varied and interesting over the course of its deployment, as it responds to the needs of the Navy and its ships at sea.

Mohawk is actually a multi-tasked asset that can function as an ocean-going fleet tug, a salvage ship, or a diving and salvage unit base of operations. USNS Mohawk is one of five fleet ocean going tugs in the Navy's inventory. The ship is 240 feet in length and displaces 2,370 tons.

Next on the docket was master diver Chief Warrant Officer Rick Cavey who explained the role the embarked Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two Detachment Delta divers perform in salvage operations. To maintain qualifications and critical expertise, the Detachment conducts training dives as much as possible when on deployment. This also makes the Mohawk a frequent choice for numerous bilateral exercises between our Navy and numerous countries in the Mediterranean littoral.

In addition to a wide variety of exercises and operations with allied governments, MODSU divers frequently conduct dives while the ship is in port. Recently, Detachment Delta divers went diving in the Gulf of Salerno below the Amalfi coast. While this was the scene of the first Allied landings on mainland Italy, it was also where "funnies," or modified Sherman and Churchill tanks, were tested in preparation for the Normandy invasion.

One of the "funnies" was the M-4 Sherman DD, or Sherman duplex-drive amphibious tanks. This was a modified version of the Sherman that had two propellers and an inflatable canvas screen attached to let it "swim" ashore and provide immediate armored support to infantry storming the beach. During the Salerno tests, one of them had wallowed in the surf and sank. Det Delta sailors were able to go down and look at the wreck.

After these discussions, Rodriguez led Ellis and his party on a tour of his vessel. On the bridge, Rodriguez and his Second Mate Walter Thorpe talked about the basic operation of their ship and its sea-keeping characteristics. Mr. Thorpe explained a typical towing operation and the different issues that one has to face towing another vessel on the open seas.

With Capt. Rodriguez leading the way, Capt. Ellis paid a visit to the active-duty sailors. The active duty component of the Mohawk is made up of a four-sailor Military Detachment, or MILDET, led by Chief Petty Officer Eddie Starks. This group consists of two Information Systems Technicians and two Electronics Technicians. In contrast, MDSU Det Delta has 17 sailors.

The final stop on the visit was engineering. Chief Engineer Joseph Muchulsky showed Ellis and his party the two large General Motors Electro-Motive diesel engines that provide the power for the Mohawk on her missions.

(FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND - EUROPE PUBLIC AFFAIRS)

Office of Public Affairs - transcom-pa@mail.mil
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