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New AMO Jobs Aboard 'Red Cloud'
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| LMSR Is One Of Eight To Be Operated For MSC By Maersk Line | |||
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The 'USNS Red Cloud,' the latest in a series of eight large medium-speed
roll-on/roll-off vessels to be operated by Maersk Line Ltd. for Military
Sealift Command and manned in licensed positions by American Maritime
Officers, was Christened Aug. 7 at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company.
The 'Red Cloud'--named for U.S. Army Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr., who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Korean Conflict in 1950--is the fourth ship in the Watson Class of LMSRs. The other three Watson Class vessels built by NASSCO are the 'USNS Watson,' 'USNS Dahl' and 'USNS Sisler.' Christening the vessel were its two sponsors, Annita Red Cloud, the daughter of Corporal Red Cloud, and Marilyn Paddick Clemins, wife of Admiral Archie R. Clemins, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), the chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Procurement whose district includes eastern San Diego County and Imperial County, was the featured speaker at the ceremony. Other speakers at the event included U.S. Army Materiel Command Deputy Commanding General Lt. Gen. James Link, Military Sealift Command Deputy Commander Rear Adm. John J. Bepko III, Deputy Commander for the Surface Ship Directorate and Deputy Program Executive Officer for Expeditionary Warfare Jesse A. Atkins, and NASSCO President Richard H. Vortmann. The LMSRs built by NASSCO have 390,000 square feet of cargo space and are assigned to MSC to carry prepositioned U.S Army equipment, vehicles and supplies to potential areas of conflict around the world. The cargo of the LMSRs can include armored personnel carriers, tanks, tractor-trailers, helicopters and high-mobility military vehicles. Other uses of the ships are to provide stores for surge sealift support of remote military actions. The multi-use capabilities make these cargo ships among the most flexible ever built. | |||
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