The United States Merchant Marine is an organization composed of United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, and engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine primarily transports domestic and international cargo and passengers during peacetime, and operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, charter boats and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, harbors, and other waterways. In times of war, the Merchant Marine can be an auxiliary to the United States Navy, and can be called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military.
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen to serve as officers in the United States Merchant Marine, branches of the United States Armed Forces, and the transportation industry. Midshipmen are trained in marine engineering, navigation, ship's administration, maritime law, personnel management, international law, customs, and other subjects important to the task of running a large ship.
The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US military services as well as for other government agencies. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's ocean transport needs. The MSTS was renamed the Military Sealift Command in 1970.
A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.
United States Naval Ship (USNS) is the prefix designation given to non-commissioned ships that are property of the United States Navy (USN).
SS Albert M. Boe is a Liberty ship laid down on 11 July 1945 at the East Yard of New England Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland, Maine, as a boxed aircraft transport. The ship is notable as the final liberty ship built.
USNS Lawrence H. Gianella (T-AOT-1125) is a United States Military Sealift Command product tanker which typically carries diesel, gasoline, and JP5.
USNS Redstone, designated T‑AGM‑20, was a tracking ship assigned to Apollo space mission support under the control of the Eastern Range. For a brief time during conversion the ship was named Johnstown with the designation AGM‑20.
SS Mission San Rafael was a Type T2-SE-A2 tanker built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. After the war she was acquired by the United States Navy as USS Mission San Rafael (AO-130). Later the tanker transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Mission San Rafael (T-AO-130). She was a member of the Mission Buenaventura-class oiler and was named for Mission San Rafael Arcángel, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Pawcatuck (AO-108) was a T3 Ashtabula class replenishment oiler tanker that served in the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 1975, then transferred to the Military Sealift Command to continue in non-commissioned service with a civilian crew as United States Naval Ship USNS Pawcatuck (T-AO-108). She was the only United States Navy ship to bear the name Pawcatuck.
USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187) is a United States Navy fleet replenishment oiler and the lead ship of her class. Her mission is to resupply U.S. Navy and allied ships at sea with fuel oil, jet fuel, lubricating oil, potable water, and dry and refrigerated goods, including food and mail.
USNS Maumee (T-AO-149), later T-AOT-149, was a United States Navy Maumee-class oiler, later transport oiler, in non-commissioned service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), later Military Sealift Command, from 1956 until probably the mid-1980s.
USNS Marine Adder (T-AP–193) was a troop ship for the United States Navy in the 1950s. She was built in 1945 for the United States Maritime Commission as SS Marine Adder, a Type C4-S-A3 troop ship, by the Kaiser Company during World War II. In 1950, the ship was transferred to the Military Sea Transport Service of the U.S. Navy as a United States Naval Ship staffed by a civilian crew. After ending her naval service in 1957, she entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet, but was sold for commercial use in 1967. She was used in part to carry supplies to support the Vietnam War efforts. During the Summer of 1972 while in Da Nang Port, South Vietnam, a limpet mine was attached to the vessel by a swimmer, blowing a hole in the hull upon detonation. In order to save the ship, the Skipper ran it aground in the Da Nang harbor. The US Navy standby salvage ship USS Grasp with its crew of divers installed a box patch over the hole and pumped the water from the bilges, before moving the ship to a pier. US Army tanks hung from ship booms to heel the ship so that a metal patch could be welded in place to return the ship to duty. SS Transcolorado, she was chartered by the Military Sealift Command as a civilian cargo ship designated T-AK-2005.
MV Charles L. Gilliland, formerly USNS Gilliland (T-AKR-298), is a Gordon-class roll on roll off vehicle cargo ship of the United States Navy. She was originally built as a merchant vessel but later acquired and converted by the Navy, and assigned to the United States Department of Defense's Military Sealift Command. Gilliland was built in 1972 as MV Selandia. After some time spent in commercial service she was lengthened by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 1984, and later went on to be acquired by the US Navy under a long term charter. She was converted to a US Navy Vehicle Roll-on/Roll-off Ship at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia, in a contract dated 23 May 1997 and on completion was assigned to the Military Sealift Command under the name USNS Gilliland, after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Charles L. Gilliland. Gilliland is one of 28 Strategic Sealift Ships operated by the Military Sealift Command. She was assigned to the MSC Atlantic surge force, and is maintained in Ready Operational Status 4.
USNS Norwalk (T-AK-279) was the first in her class, a Fleet Ballistic Missile Cargo Ship, which was launched as a World War II commercial Victory cargo ship SS Norwalk Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Norwalk Victory was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1963.
USNS Furman (T-AK-280) was a Norwalk class Fleet Ballistic Missile Cargo Ship, which was launched as a World War II commercial Victory cargo ship, the SS Furman Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Furman Victory was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1963.
USNS Victoria (T-AK-281) was a Norwalk-class fleet ballistic missile cargo ship, which was launched as a World War II commercial Victory cargo ship SS Ethiopia Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Ethiopia Victory was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1963.
USNS Marshfield (T-AK-282) was a Fleet Ballistic Missile Cargo Ship, which was launched as a World War II commercial Victory cargo ship SS Marshfield Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Marshfield Victory was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1968.
USNS LCPL Roy M. Wheat (T-AK-3016), the only ship of its class, is a cargo ship built in 1987. She became one of the only Soviet ships to enter United States service. The ship is named after Lance Corporal Roy M. Wheat, an American Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor during Vietnam War.
United States
