USNS Washington Chambers Joins MSC Fleet
Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of its newest dry cargo/ammunition ship, USNS Washington Chambers, during a short ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO Ship Yard San Diego on Feb. 23. The ship, which was christened and launched Sept. 11, 2010, in San Diego, honors Navy Capt. Washington Irving Chambers, a pioneer in Navy aviation who arranged the world's first airplane flight from a warship Nov. 14, 1910. The flight confirmed the potential for carrier-based naval aviation.
USNS Charles Drew delivered to MSC
The Lewis and Clark-class of dry cargo/ammunition ships - the Navy's newest class of logistics ships, also called T-AKEs - grew July 14 when Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of the 10th ship in the class, USNS Charles Drew. The currently deployed T-AKEs operate as part of MSC's combat logistics force - allowing Navy ships to stay at sea, on station and combat ready for extended periods of time. "As our 10th ship in the T-AKE class, USNS Charles Drew is another milestone for MSC," said Capt. Jerome Hamel, commander, Sealift Logistics Command Pacific, MSC's office in San Diego.
New Commander, Sealift Logistics in Pacific
Sealift Logistics Command Pacific, the San Diego-based U.S. Navy command responsible for operational control of Military Sealift Command ships in the Eastern Pacific, changed command during a ceremony on board fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe at Naval Station San Diego. SEALOGPAC outgoing commander, Capt. David L. Kiehl, was relieved by Capt. Jerome Hamel during the ceremony. Since assuming command of SEALOGPAC in 2007, Kiehl has overseen a wide range of operations and exercises within the command's area of responsibility, including the deployment of hospital ship USNS Mercy in support of the 2008 Pacific Partnership humanitarian mission, a 2008 Joint Logistics Over the Shore exercise and the 2008 Rim of the Pacific exercise.
