Edward A Carter News

1. Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded a $12,495,775 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00033-10-C-3220) to exercise a one-year option period for the time charter of one self-sustaining ship, MV SSG Edward A. Carter Jr., to support the U.S. Army's ammunition prepositioning program. Work will take place at sea in the Far East for this option period is expected to be completed by September 2015. Transportation working capital contract funds in the amount of $12,495,775 are being obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00033-10-C-3220).

General Dynamics Electric Boat, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Maersk Line, and Offshore Vessels Inc. General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $25,668,778 firm-fixed-priced contract for the USS Providence (SSN 719) fiscal year 2013 dry-docking continuous maintenance availability. This scope of work encompasses required maintenance activities necessary to maintain full unrestricted operation of the submarine, as well as upgrades and modernization efforts required to ensure the submarine is operating at full technical capacity. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., and is expected to be completed by April 2014.

Navy Capt. Charles “Gene” Emmert has relieved Navy Capt. Wesley Brown as commander of Military Sealift Command’s Indian Ocean-based Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two. Emmert, the squadron’s 27th commander, accepted command during a ceremony on board MSC Maritime Prepositioning Force ship USNS SGT William R. Button in Diego Garcia’s lagoon. The commander of MPS Squadron Two has a staff of 10 active duty sailors and is responsible for the tactical control and readiness of the squadron’s current fleet of 12 government-owned and -chartered noncombatant cargo carriers.

M/V LTC John U.D. Page, one of two Maersk Line, Limited-operated ammunition prepositioning ships in Military Sealift Command's Prepositioning Program, marked a safety milestone on December 28, 2008, as the ship's crew celebrated seven years of operations without suffering a lost time accident (LTA). An LTA is defined as an accident that results in a crew member sustaining an injury requiring him or her to miss at least one shift of work. The number of LTAs occurring aboard a ship are a maritime industry standard for measuring safety performance. M/V Page is named for LTC John U.D. Page, a U.S. Army officer who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War in 1950.

A down economy, a disabled drydock and a nation under heightened security measures — not exactly the best position for a ship repair facility to be in — or so one would think. Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation (NORSHIPCO) however has managed to stay on top with its steady stream of government and commercial work coming in into its yard. With 70 percent of NORSHIPCO's work on the government side, the yard has still had a steady stream of commercial work. According to Krekich, the work that was performed on MSC ship M/V SSG Edward A. Carter was successful in terms of schedule, costs and customer satisfaction. The 950-ft. (289.5 m) vessel, which arrived at NORSHIPCO on March 1, 2001, is under a long-term charter to MSC.

The U.S. Coast Guard released the Marine Casualty Investigation into the fatal engineroom fire on board the SSG EDWARD A. CARTER JR on July 14, 2001. Two mariners died during the fire. The primary cause was determined to be human error on the part of the Second Assistant Engineer in failing to monitor the transfer of heavy fuel oil from the overflow tanks to the settling tank. The resulting spill was ignited by an undetermined source. A significant contributing factor was the failed operation of the ship's fixed CO2 firefighting system.