SS Sgt. Matej Kocak

Last updated

The ship was towed through the Gulf of Mexico to the Port of Brownsville Texas on Sept 13, 2024.

It was towed to one of the shipbreaking companies located at the Port.

It is visible from Texas State Highway 48, as it is still awaiting disassembly for material recycling.

An elevated port bow view of the Maritime Prepositioning Ship SS SGT. MATEJ KOCAK anchored a short distance from the Norfolk Naval Station - DPLA - 359b6910cbda62c415cd4a829e71a38e.jpeg
SS Sgt. Matej Kocak
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameSgt. Matej Kocak
Namesake Matej Kocak
Owner
Ordered21 November 1978
Builder Sun Shipbuilding
Laid down3 March 1980
Sponsored byMrs. George B. Moran
Christened25 April 1981
Acquired23 March 1983
RenamedJohn B. Waterman (1983–1984)
Reclassifiedfrom AK-3005
Stricken21 March 2023
Identification
StatusStricken
General characteristics
Class and type Sgt. Matej Kocak-class cargo ship
Displacement
  • 26,125 t (25,712 long tons), light
  • 48,754 t (47,984 long tons), full
Length821 ft 0 in (250.24 m)
Beam105 ft 6 in (32.16 m)
Draft33 ft 10 in (10.31 m)
Installed power
  • 1 × shaft
  • 30,000 hp (22,000 kW)
Propulsion
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Capacity
Complement34 mariners and 10 technicians
Aviation facilities Helipad

SS Sgt. Matej Kocak (T-AK-3005), (former SS Sgt. Matej Kocak (AK-3005) and USNS Sgt. Matej Kocak (T-AK-3005)), is the lead ship of the Sgt. Matej Kocak-class cargo ship built in 1981. [1] The ship is named after Sergeant Matej Kocak, an American Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I. [2]

Construction and commissioning

The ship was built in 1981 at the Sun Shipbuilding, Chester, Pennsylvania. She was put into the service of Waterman Steamship Corp. as John B. Waterman. [3] [4]

In 1984, she was acquired and chartered by the Navy under a long-term contract. The ship underwent conversion at the National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego until October 1984. [3] Later that year, put into service as SS Sgt. Matej Kocak (AK-3005). [5] Sgt. Matej Kocak was put into the Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron 2, based at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to support the US Marine Corps Expeditionary Brigade. [5] [4]

She was later transferred to the Military Sealift Command Surge Sealift as USNS Sgt. Matej Kocak (T-AK-3005) from 2 October 2012. [6] At 11:30 a.m. of 22 January 2015, she ran aground approximately six nautical miles off the coast of Uruma, Okinawa. She was refloated on 3 February later that year. [7]

Crowley Government Services Inc. was awarded $14,513,105 to maintain USNS LCPL Roy M. Wheat, USNS PFC Eugene A. Obregon, USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless and Sgt. Matej Kocak on 29 September 2020. [8]

On 21 March 2023, Sgt. Matej Kocak was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register [1] alone with another two ships in the class.

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References

  1. 1 2 "SGT MATEJ KOCAK (AK 3005)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Matej Kocak | World War I | U.S. Marine Corps | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 "SS Sgt. Matej Kocak (T-AK 3005)". www.navysite.de. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Cargo Ship Photo Index". Navsource. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 "John B. Waterman" (PDF). Sun Ship Historical Society’s Ships History Page. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "MSC's Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron One Disestablished". MarineLink. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Larter, David (24 May 2017). "Navy working to free grounded container ship off Japan". Navy Times. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Keller, Katie (29 September 2020). "Palantir Awarded $91 Million Contract R&D for the US Army Research Laboratory". ClearanceJobs. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
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