USNS Grasp Arrives in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia

KOSRAE, MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF

11.05.2019

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Natalie Byers 

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

KOSRAE, FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA – Military Sealift Safeguard-class auxiliary rescue and salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS 51) arrived in Kosrae for a scheduled port visit, Nov 5.

The port visit is a part of the ship’s participation in Triggerfish 2019, a U.S. Third Fleet-led mission that employs expeditionary forces to conduct hydrographic surveys and clear hazards to navigation in the Federated State of Micronesia.

“Grasp’s participation in Triggerfish is extremely important and demonstrates the wide capabilities of our ship in the Indo-Pacific region,” said the Grasp’s master, Capt. John Holesha. “We recently supported dive and shoal clearance operations with sailors from Underwater Construction Team Two as they reduced the size of an underwater obstruction in Sapwauhfik Atoll. Our platform allowed the divers to operate in close proximity to shore and have ready access to a recompression chamber in the event of a diving emergency. I’m proud of our combined efforts that opened a channel serving as an important cargo and passenger transfer point for the Federated States of Micronesia.”

USNS Grasp is a rescue and salvage ship, operated by civilian merchant mariners, that helps the Navy maintain global forward presence. The ship aids U.S. and allied ships at sea with the capabilities of combat salvage, lifting, towing, retraction of grounded vessels, off-ship firefighting and manned diving operations.

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

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet works in close coordination with U.S. 7th Fleet to provide commanders with capable, ready assets across the spectrum of military operations in the Indo-Pacific.

For more news from Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/c3f/.

• Date Taken: 11.05.2019
• Date Posted: 11.05.2019 15:48
• Story ID: 350545
• Location: KOSRAE, FM