DVIDS Hub works best with JavaScript enabled

Lifting Tugs

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Felix Fimbres | Two U.S. Army Tugboats are readied by watercraft operators, 88k, prior to being lifted...... read more read more

PORT HUENEME, CA, UNITED STATES

07.21.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Felix Fimbres

311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

PORT HUENEME, Calif. - Two tugs boats from the 311th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) where lifted out of the port here and placed into an Logistical Support Vessel crewed by Army Mariners July 21, 2014.

The Soldiers are Watercraft Operators, 88k, and man both the tug boats and the LSV which will carry the tugboats to Tacoma, Washington.

Sgt. First Class Victor Michaud, Vessel master, said this operation is unique.

“I’ve been in 12 years and this is only the second time I’ve done this; the other time was just this year,” said Michaud, “We lifted two tugs during a joint logistics over the shore in Anchorage, Alaska, but here we’re putting the tugs into the cradles before they go onto the boat.”

During this mission the cradles, weighing a few tons and large enough to hold the entire tug boat, are on the pier where they two cranes will lift to tug and lower in it into position. Once In the cradle and the tug boat will then be lifted again and placed on the deck of the LSV said Michaud.

Chief Warrant Officer Three Matthew Kenney, Second Mate and Navigation Officer, on the LSV said that this the crane operators decided to load the tug boats onto the cradles first for safety. “The crane operators won't be able to see the deck of the ship and the cradle,” said Kenney, “So the crane operators felt it was safer to do it this way because they need to be lined up within inches. That’s why they are loading the tugboats into the cradle on the dock.”

The soldiers for their part are excited to be a part of the mission regardless of the details.

“Anytime we can get on the boats and get underway they're happy,” said Michaud, “They're actually getting to do their job and not all the soldiers here have seen this kind of lift.”

Port Hueneme provided civilians on the pier to operate the cranes and ensure the tug boats are placed into the cradles correctly. However, the crew of the LSV are all Army Mariners.
Chief Warrant Officer Four Michael W. Carr, Vessel Master of the LSV, said his crew is a mixture of soldiers from both active and reserve units.

“They’ve been awesome. They have been unbelievably great even though they come from different units with different levels of training they’ve all come together,” said Carr, “I think they’re just the best group of Soldiers and I’m really proud of them.”

The LSV itself had been in Seattle but was moved to Baltimore to fill in for another LSV which had been sent to Kuwait said Kenney.

“One of the most challenging parts of this mission has been time,” said Kenney, “I've been here for 115 days myself; it’s challenging for the Army Reserve to put together a mission of this magnitude because of the length of duty involved in moving from one side of the continent to the next and then we’ll be going on to Alaska.”