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Divers from Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2 relocate and repaired a fuel mooring offshore Wake Island, USA. Wake island serves as a trans-Pacific fuel/maintenance depot for theater travel and supports Missile Defense Agency test activities. In 2023 a vessel pulled the mooring system out of place, which reduced operational capability for offloading fuel from the fuel barge at Wake Island.
“Wake Island serves three primary mission sets: refueling and en-route support along the Pacific air bridge, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) civilian divert airfield, and bed down support to USINDOPACOM, USSPACECOM, the Missile Defense Agency, and others,” said U.S. Army Maj. Nicole Torres, Pacific Regional Support Detachment 1, Wake Island officier in charge. “DET 1 provides USINDOPACOM and PACAF the ability to project U.S. power across the Pacific, enabling the trans-Pacific air bridge, joint missile launch operations, and remote basing strategies to deter regional threats and secure the Indo-Pacific theater.”
Utilizing SCUBA, surface supplied diving system (SSDS), and a Launch and Recovery System (LARS) installed on a dynamic positioning (DP) vessel, divers from UCT-2 repaired and relocated mooring leg A-2 of the four-point spread fuel mooring from 110 feet sea water (FSW) to 78 FSW. Divers carried out underwater rigging, weight handling and welding operations to conduct relocation and repair of the 227 foot mooring chain, embedding the sinkers 74 to 78 FSW. Dives ranged from 70 to 130 FSW, including planned surface and in-water decompression and use of Navy Dive Computers.
“The four-point mooring system at Wake Island directly supports fuel transfer operations and sustainment to the island and its personnel,” said Torres. “We are grateful that the Underwater Construction Team was able to get this system fully operational again. It has been over two and a half years that only three of the four points were operational. Wake Island relies on the continued support of our sister services, and we look forward to hosting the UCT again.”
The project was a combined effort with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC).
“UCT-2, Alfa Detachment displayed excellence in relocating a damaged mooring system at Wake Island”., said Engineer, Johnathan Koons. “The system exists in a unique bathymetric environment and required unique solutions to repair. Their efforts combined theoretical concepts and “CAN DO” execution. Alfa detachment persevered through multiple setbacks and the result was a complete success, and was a fraction of the cost in comparison to a contract action”.
UCT2 homeported out of Port Hueneme, CA, provides a capability for construction, inspection, repair, and maintenance of ocean facilities in support of Naval and Marine Corps operations, to include repair of battle damage. UCT-2 maintains capability to support a Fleet Marine Force amphibious assault, subsequent combat service support ashore, and self-defense for their camp and facilities under construction. In time of emergency or disaster, conduct disaster control and recovery operations.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2025 11:01 |
| Story ID: | 499694 |
| Location: | WAKE ISLAND (ISO RESERVED CODE = WK), UM |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Underwater Construction Team TWO Repairs Critical Offshore Fuel Mooring system off Wake Island, by CPO Gary Prill, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
