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    MSC Commander Visits MPSRON 3 in Saipan

    MSC Commander Visits MPSRON 3 in Saipan

    Photo By Grady Fontana | 190210-N-ix266-001 SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands—Commodore Capt. Eric C....... read more read more

    SAIPAN, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

    02.11.2019

    Courtesy Story

    Military Sealift Command Far East

    Story by Senior Chief Petty Officer Pasetto Taupau

    As part of an Military Sealift Command (MSC) worldwide tour, Rear Adm. Dee L. Mewbourne, commander, MSC, visited Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three (MPSRON 3) leadership, staff and the masters and crews of vessels in Saipan, Feb. 10.

    MPSRON 3 staff, normally embarked on flag ship USNS 2ND LT John P. Bobo (T-AK 3008), embarked on USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) in Guam and sailed to Saipan to begin preparations for a seven-ship Group Sail Feb. 12-17.

    Saipan, one of the various hubs for MPSRON3, berths the majority of the MPSRON 3 vessels within the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR).

    Ships present in Saipan were M/V Maj Bernard F. Fisher (T-AK 4396), USNS Sacagawea, USNS Charlton (T-AKR 314), USNS Dahl (T-AKR 312), USNS John Glenn (T-ESD 2), USNS Montford Point (T-ESD 1), USNS VADM K.R. Wheeler (T-AG 5001) and USNS Fast Tempo.

    MPSRON 3 Commodore Capt. Eric C. Lindfors and Senior Enlisted Leader Chief Gunner’s Mate Andrew R. Liley greeted Mewbourne and guests. The group transited from the airport straight to the Port of Saipan where launch boats provided transportation to the MPSRON 3 vessels at anchorage.

    Mewbourne and guests were treated to a ship tour and lunch with the crew on board the USNS Charlton. Additionally, Mewbourne engaged the master and crew on board where he expressed his appreciation for their hard work and dedication to supporting the MSC mission. He emphasized the significance of readiness for the vessels and how the group sail and tactical core events tie into readiness and survivability of the vessels.

    In the afternoon, the group boarded the launch from USNS Charlton to USNS Sacagawea where Mewbourne and Michael Morris, Director of Total Force Management at MSC, conducted an All Hands with MPSRON 3 staff and Sacagawea Master and crew where they conveyed their gratitude for all the hard work and support that they provide on a daily basis while forward deployed to a very demanding AOR.

    USNS Sacagawea Chief Engineer Frank Wells commented, “Admiral Mewbourne’s visit reinforced the message to the crew of USNS Sacagawea that the Maritime Prepositioning program and our contribution is vital to the security of our country. Despite an aggressive travel schedule, he and his team took a significant amount of time to field questions from the crew ranging from manning issues to the recapitalization of the sealift fleet.”

    Charlton and Sacagawea crews were offered the opportunity to provide questions and feedback which included manning concerns, future of MSC, incentives for hiring additional personnel, and crew rotation and reliefs.

    "The most memorable event was the question and answer session with the crew,” said civilian mariner Capt. Karen Reyes of the USNS Charlton. “Admiral Mewbourne showed the crew that he really cares about their input. He stressed safety and preparedness on both professional and personal levels. It was an honor to have Admiral Mewbourne visit the USNS Charlton on his around-the-world tour."

    Lindfors echoed his appreciation for the MSC team’s visit.

    "Saipan is not easy to travel to so this truly showed the mariners the commander’s interest in not only their contributions to our nations plans as a global and strategic asset, but also to their quality of life as they remain on station and vigilant ready for tasking on short notice," said Lindfors. "This was a great visit and it spurred detailed conversations as one cannot truly understand the challenges faced by looking at a chart or reading a report. We look forward to additional (MSC) staff coming to the tip of the spear."

    MSC is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, and controls subordinate geographic commands in Italy, Singapore, Bahrain, San Diego, and Norfolk.

    Mewbourne’s worldwide tour includes attendances at a maintenance summit in Guam, a masters and chief mates symposium in California, and visits to other MSC subordinate units in Europe, Asia and the U.S.

    MSC operates approximately 125 non-combatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 02.11.2019
    Date Posted: 02.20.2019 14:44
    Story ID: 311293
    Location: SAIPAN, MP

    Web Views: 780
    Downloads: 0

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