MSC chartered ship named for Air Force hero
The chartered ship operated for the Navy's Military Sealift Command, the ocean transportation provider for the Department of Defense, was named MV A1C William H. Pitsenbarger and will preposition Air Force ammunition at sea near potential war or contingency sites, adding greatly to the U.S. military's combat readiness.
Air Force Gen. John W. Handy, Commander in Chief, U.S. Transportation Command, and Commander, Air Mobility Command, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony.
Pitsenbarger will operate from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Richardene Brewer, wife of Navy Rear Adm. David L. Brewer, Commander, Military Sealift Command, is the ship's sponsor and she broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne officially naming the ship.
Pitsenbarger will carry Air Force containerized ammunition. The ship can carry about 885 container equivalents -- 720 under deck and 135 in a cocoon above deck. Both cargo areas will be air-conditioned and dehumidified to protect the ammunition.
Pitsenbarger has five cranes on her deck that allow the ship to on-load and off-load her ammunition without shoreside cranes. This critical feature gives Pitsenbarger the flexibility to off-load in undeveloped ports.
Pitsenberger joins a fleet of more than 35 Afloat Prepositioning Force ships under MSC's operational control. At-sea prepositioning of combat equipment has become increasingly important as U.S. bases overseas continue to close.
The civilian-crewed, 621-foot container ship is owned by RR & VO L.L.C. and operated by Red River Shipping Corp. of Rockville, Md., under a five-year charter to MSC.
On April 11, 1966, 21-year-old Airman 1st Class Pitsenbarger was lowered from a hovering helicopter through the dense jungles near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, into the midst of heavy gunfire. A para-rescueman of the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Pitsenbarger volunteered to board the rescue helicopter to evacuate U.S. Army casualties. The young enlisted man, affectionately known as "Pits," was nearing his 300th combat mission.
When Pits' helicopter was struck by enemy fire he had a choice-to climb into the litter basket to depart with the helicopter or stay behind. Pits chose to stay behind and assist the wounded. He treated the wounded and joined the infantrymen with a rifle to hold off the Viet Cong. Despite being wounded three times, Pitsenbarger continued to simultaneously treat the wounded and ward off the enemy until he succumbed to the bullet of a sniper. When his body was recovered the following day, one hand still held a medical kit and the other, a rifle.
Following A1C William H. Pitsenbarger's heroic sacrifice, Army Sgt. Fred Navarro detailed Pitsenbarger's actions in a taped statement for the Air Force and recommended him for the Medal of Honor. Through the award process, the recommendation was downgraded to the Air Force Cross, the second highest Air Force Award. Pitsenbarger's parents received the award on his behalf on Sept. 22, 1966 -- making him the first Air Force enlisted man to receive that award.
Over time, Pitsenbarger's valiant actions became Air Force legend for embodying the pararescue motto-"that others may live." After numerous private citizens and federal officials campaigned to have Pitsenbarger's story revisited in the 1990s, his award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Pitsenbarger's father accepted the Medal of Honor on Pitsenbarger's behalf on Dec. 8, 2000, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in his home state of Ohio -- 34 years after his courageous actions in the jungles of Vietnam.
Military Sealift Command operates more than 110 ships daily around the world. Ship missions vary from the transport and afloat prepositioning of defense cargo; to underway replenishment and other direct support of Navy ships at sea; to at-sea data collection for the U.S. military and other U.S. government agencies.
(FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
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