Military Sealift Command is renamed

11-26-05

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Military Sealift Command is renamed

By JACK DORSEY,
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 24, 2005


NORFOLK — A Navy command that operates 133 ships manned mainly by civilians, but not usually counted in the fighting fleet, is getting a new name and headquarters here.  The Military Sealift Command has established in Norfolk the Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, which includes about 5,000 members – 4,000 civilian mariners assigned worldwide, 400 civilian support staff and about 200 military members.

It was formally created Nov. 13 by consolidating offices in San Diego and Norfolk and will be responsible for manning, training, equipping and maintaining a fleet of government-owned and -operated ships worldwide.

Sealift ships carry the prefix “T” before their hull numbers and include ammunition ships, combat stores ships, hospital ships, oilers, ocean tugs, survey ships, missile range ships, pre-position container ships and roll-on, roll-off ships.

However, the ships are not generally included in the 280 commissioned ships on the Navy’s roles.Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger, previously deputy chief of Navy Reserve and former commanding officer of the ammunition ship Shasta and combat support ship Bridge, has been named the top commander.

Pottenger, a 1977 graduate of Purdue University, was one of the first women in the Navy selected for sea duty in 1979 when the Navy implemented its “woman at sea” program.

The new command “marks yet another important milestone in the U.S. Navy’s ongoing transformation to meet the needs of the fleet,” Pottenger said in a statement.

The command’s duties include repair and maintenance of its ships, their communication systems, comptroller and contracting services and personnel administration.

Also transferring to the command is the Afloat Personnel Management Center, located in Virginia Beach, which manages the civilian mariners aboard ship.So far, most of the staff positions have been filled by personnel from several smaller commands previously involved in supporting the sealift fleet.

To provide a presence around the world, six Ship Support Units will be established in San Diego; Guam; Singapore; Bahrain; Yokohama, Japan; and Naples, Italy.

A number of functions now done at sealift command headquarters in Washington and numerous other sealift organizations will transfer to the new command as well, increasing efficiency, according to Tom Connors, director of the transformation task force for the command.“

Our overall goal ... is to improve our support of those MSC ships crewed by our civil service mariners,” Connors said in a statement.

While they are crewed by civilians, some ships have small military departments to carry out certain military tasks, such as communications and supply operations.

Reach Jack Dorsey at (757)446-2284 or jack.dorsey@pilotonline.com.