MSC brings 'Old Ironsides' home after 15 months in Iraq
(USTCNS) --- Stifling heat and blowing desert sand has taken a heavy toll on the U.S. main battle tank's engine.
The U.S. Army 1st Armored Division (1st AD) M1-A1 tank-returning to its base in Germany after 15 months in Iraq-is towed by another M1-A1 down the stern ramp of the U.S. Navy's large, medium speed, roll-on, roll-off ship, or LMSR, USNS Gordon.
Overall, the 1st AD covered some 17,000 square miles of territory in Iraq over the course of the deployment-immobilizing a number of wheeled and tracked vehicles.
"Discharging the damaged wheeled and tracked vehicles, or vehicles that simply had broken down, slowed cargo operations to some extent," said Gordon's chief mate Kevin Kavanaugh.
"But, the port's contracted stevedores, who worked around-the clock off-loading the cargo from the vessel, responded extremely well." Kavanaugh, like all of the 30 crewmembers aboard Gordon, is a merchant mariner under contract with MSC.
The 1st AD's equipment, which secured some of Baghdad's toughest neighborhoods, and put down an uprising by radical militias in number of cities in southern Iraq, arrived at ports in Antwerp, Belgium and Bremerhaven, Germany, aboard six MSC ships, Aug. 4-25.
Overall, more than 70,000 tons of heavy combat equipment and supplies- armored personnel carriers, tanks, heavy trucks, ambulances, Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, as well as containers carrying everything from bandages to night vision equipment-was discharged from five LMSR's, and one fast sealift ship. Most of the cargo will return to Germany by rail, while the helicopters will travel by barge.
The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Europe, and the Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's 598th Transportation Terminal Group, component commands of U.S. Transportation Command, teamed up to complete the massive off-load. The Army handles port operations and ensures the cargo is safely delivered to units in the field, while MSC handles the duties of moving the cargo by sea.
In addition to Gordon, other ships involved included fast sealift ship USNS Denebola, and LMSR's USNS Brittin, USNS Pomeroy, USNS Benevidez, and USNS Watkins. Together, the combined cargo capacity of these ships are equivalent to no less than 48 football field-all of which loaded in Ash Shuaybah, Kuwait, in July.
USNS Denebola was the first ship to arrive in Antwerp, Aug. 4, while the last ship to depart was USNS Watkins, also from Antwerp on Aug. 25. Both Brittin and Benevidez off-loaded their cargo at Bremerhaven, Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 21-23, respectively.
"Using two ports provides more flexibility and more options, with this many ships in a short time-frame," said Cmdr. Scott Gover, USN, commanding officer of MSC Europe's Northern Europe office based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. "This avoids a potential cascading effect which can be a problem in commercial ports where port space is limited. This limits the potential for delaying incoming ships."
Also manning '24-7' cargo operations were Lt. Troy Gosswiller, USNR, and Cmdr. Phil McFarland, USNR, New Orleans-based merchant marine reservists performing their annual training with MSC Europe. McFarland also serves as Chief Mate aboard MSC's prepositioning ship MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo.
Taking the opportunity to tour the port facilities, observe cargo operations, and visit Gordon was U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, Tom C. Korologos. The Ambassador toured the vessel Aug. 10-seeing cargo being moved from the ship's holds, cargo staged on the pier from the ship's weather deck and helicopter landing deck, and paying a lengthy visit to the bridge.
"This is a very impressive operation," the Ambassador said, peering over the ship's massive main deck. Ambassador Korologos was appointed to Brussels in June, after a posting as senior counselor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq-working directly for former Civil Administrator L. Paul Bremer.
Ship's master Capt. Karl Faulkner led the Ambassador on the tour, along with Will Imbrie, the Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission, economic officer's Terri Robl and Guy Van Habberney, and Office of Defense Cooperation chief, Col. Ulysses Rhodes, USAF.
Faulkner, a long-time MSC civilian mariner who served as master of no less than 12 MSC vessels before retiring last year, wrapped up his third transit to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
MSC Europe moved the Army's heavy armored division from Germany to the Middle East last April from Antwerp and nearby Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Overall, MSC has 19 LMSRs in the Navy's inventory. Denebola is one of eight fast sealift ships, used for the rapid deployment of U.S. military equipment to contingency sites around the world. Together, these ships delivered thousands of tons of combat equipment, supplies, and ammunition to our forces serving in Iraq. These massive ships are more than 940-ft. in length, just a little shorter than a Nimitz-class U.S. aircraft carrier.
The U.S. Army 1st Armored Division (1st AD) M1-A1 tank-returning to its base in Germany after 15 months in Iraq-is towed by another M1-A1 down the stern ramp of the U.S. Navy's large, medium speed, roll-on, roll-off ship, or LMSR, USNS Gordon.
Overall, the 1st AD covered some 17,000 square miles of territory in Iraq over the course of the deployment-immobilizing a number of wheeled and tracked vehicles.
"Discharging the damaged wheeled and tracked vehicles, or vehicles that simply had broken down, slowed cargo operations to some extent," said Gordon's chief mate Kevin Kavanaugh.
"But, the port's contracted stevedores, who worked around-the clock off-loading the cargo from the vessel, responded extremely well." Kavanaugh, like all of the 30 crewmembers aboard Gordon, is a merchant mariner under contract with MSC.
The 1st AD's equipment, which secured some of Baghdad's toughest neighborhoods, and put down an uprising by radical militias in number of cities in southern Iraq, arrived at ports in Antwerp, Belgium and Bremerhaven, Germany, aboard six MSC ships, Aug. 4-25.
Overall, more than 70,000 tons of heavy combat equipment and supplies- armored personnel carriers, tanks, heavy trucks, ambulances, Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, as well as containers carrying everything from bandages to night vision equipment-was discharged from five LMSR's, and one fast sealift ship. Most of the cargo will return to Germany by rail, while the helicopters will travel by barge.
The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Europe, and the Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's 598th Transportation Terminal Group, component commands of U.S. Transportation Command, teamed up to complete the massive off-load. The Army handles port operations and ensures the cargo is safely delivered to units in the field, while MSC handles the duties of moving the cargo by sea.
In addition to Gordon, other ships involved included fast sealift ship USNS Denebola, and LMSR's USNS Brittin, USNS Pomeroy, USNS Benevidez, and USNS Watkins. Together, the combined cargo capacity of these ships are equivalent to no less than 48 football field-all of which loaded in Ash Shuaybah, Kuwait, in July.
USNS Denebola was the first ship to arrive in Antwerp, Aug. 4, while the last ship to depart was USNS Watkins, also from Antwerp on Aug. 25. Both Brittin and Benevidez off-loaded their cargo at Bremerhaven, Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 21-23, respectively.
"Using two ports provides more flexibility and more options, with this many ships in a short time-frame," said Cmdr. Scott Gover, USN, commanding officer of MSC Europe's Northern Europe office based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. "This avoids a potential cascading effect which can be a problem in commercial ports where port space is limited. This limits the potential for delaying incoming ships."
Also manning '24-7' cargo operations were Lt. Troy Gosswiller, USNR, and Cmdr. Phil McFarland, USNR, New Orleans-based merchant marine reservists performing their annual training with MSC Europe. McFarland also serves as Chief Mate aboard MSC's prepositioning ship MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo.
Taking the opportunity to tour the port facilities, observe cargo operations, and visit Gordon was U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, Tom C. Korologos. The Ambassador toured the vessel Aug. 10-seeing cargo being moved from the ship's holds, cargo staged on the pier from the ship's weather deck and helicopter landing deck, and paying a lengthy visit to the bridge.
"This is a very impressive operation," the Ambassador said, peering over the ship's massive main deck. Ambassador Korologos was appointed to Brussels in June, after a posting as senior counselor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq-working directly for former Civil Administrator L. Paul Bremer.
Ship's master Capt. Karl Faulkner led the Ambassador on the tour, along with Will Imbrie, the Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission, economic officer's Terri Robl and Guy Van Habberney, and Office of Defense Cooperation chief, Col. Ulysses Rhodes, USAF.
Faulkner, a long-time MSC civilian mariner who served as master of no less than 12 MSC vessels before retiring last year, wrapped up his third transit to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
MSC Europe moved the Army's heavy armored division from Germany to the Middle East last April from Antwerp and nearby Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Overall, MSC has 19 LMSRs in the Navy's inventory. Denebola is one of eight fast sealift ships, used for the rapid deployment of U.S. military equipment to contingency sites around the world. Together, these ships delivered thousands of tons of combat equipment, supplies, and ammunition to our forces serving in Iraq. These massive ships are more than 940-ft. in length, just a little shorter than a Nimitz-class U.S. aircraft carrier.
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