Photo By Sgt. Edwin Rodriguez | Pfc. Rey Howard, assigned to Small Tug 913, assist in bringing in the LT 805’s work...... read more read more
COAST GUARD TRAINING CENTER YORKTOWN, Va. - Green water is what many people call it. Fifteen-foot high walls primed for destruction emerge from the sea trying to flip over any boat in its path. Waves push and pull the vessel rocking it enough to give the crew the ride of their life. About a month ago, a crew of approximately 20 soldiers was tasked to the Gulf of Mexico just south of the Florida panhandle. Their job was to tow a former Army vessel that dated back to the Vietnam War down and around the coast to Georgia.
A storm was in the vicinity but it wasn’t enough to steer the crew away from Kings Bay. The storm hit while underway smacking the tugboat with green wave after green wave, tossing the vessel like a chew toy in the mouth of a canine; the life of a tug.
Assigned to the 7th Sustainment Brigade is the massive yet sleek Large Tug 805, one of the Army’s few active duty tugs. The vessel is one of the only tugboats in the U.S. military, making it a hot commodity around the East Coast and the civilian towing world. Dubbed one of the most dangerous jobs in the watercraft field, working on the tug isn’t for the weak of heart.
Taking a trip to the USCG Training Center in Yorktown, a 20 minute drive from Fort Eustis, gives you a taste of what a boat that size can do and what kind of soldiers it takes to handle the heavy duty beast known as the Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, LT 805.
I arrive at 8 a.m. on day 4 of training and the crew, assigned to the 73rd Transportation Company, 10th Transportation Battalion, 7th Sus. Bde., is outside prepping to get underway as we await the arrival of warrant officers currently attending technical school. All the coffee drinkers are pouring their first cup, some their third while others are drinking Red Bull, smoking a cigarette, or eating a quick snack for breakfast. I see the readiness in everyone’s eyes to start the day.
About a quarter after 8 a.m. we watch the marine deck officer students as they walk up the pier heading straight for the bridge to begin the day’s training. I wonder which group has more focus, the students or the crew. Today’s task is docking procedures, which entails towing a vessel, in this case the Bristoe Station 2006, also assigned to the 7th Sus. Bde.
Day five continues on from the day before but this time the skip, Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Helmsderfer, decides to try another more rarely used towing procedure. “The day before consisted of catch and release moves but today they will be challenged using the hip tow, towing another vessel from port or starboard side (left or right side of boat),” said Helmsderfer.
The tow lines they use to hold vessels are massive. There are two lines used to support inland or sea operations. The strong heavy duty cable lines can hold close to 400,000 lbs. which are used to pull large vessels. For maneuverability and smaller boats synthetic tow lines are used which can hold almost 300,000 lbs, stats that don’t surprise the crew on board.
“The blue synthetic lines are serious material. At any moment they can rip through steel. I have seen them blow right through panels, steel siding and bits that hold lines,” said Helmsderfer.
What separate these deck hands from other boat crews is what their operational knowledge and the huge machinery they use for towing. It is a dangerous and tedious job but it is imperative that they are proficient.
“We have to know all vessel handling procedures dealing with tow line handling, docking and undocking procedures for ocean tow or inland tow, whether or not to use synthetics, or chain bridles,” said Spc. Alexander Meese, a watercraft operator assigned to the tug. “When I am not outside, I am on the bridge pulling watch for four hours at a time watching for other vessels, maintaining our position and charting maps.
The "deckies" know that tying and untying lines area normal day-to-day operations done before and after the boat is underway. There are few things this crew hasn’t seen especially when it comes to training exercises. Training environment or not, they demonstrate how serious this business is.
“Line handling can be dangerous because you can get caught between lines or the boat you are tugging. If you’re not paying attention, the lines can grab you and take you where you don’t want to go,” said Spc. Adam Kagnhieser, another deck hand for the tug. “Lines are also strong enough to take your finger off, which is why we don’t wear gloves; our fingers could get caught in the gloves as the lines take everything with.”
What I saw today happens every day for these men and women. It is not unusual to see soldiers conducting real world training while simultaneously training marine deck officer students. The tugboat brings toughness to a new level for both men and women aboard.
“It is hard work, but I go home happy that I have this job.
Physically it’s demanding but it is something I take pride in,” said Spc. Amanda Kirkland, a watercraft engineer on board. “You have to be positive and motivated in this field,”
It is certainly physically demanding. Nothing is small or light on this boat. There is plenty of moving steel and synthetic parts on board that could hit you in the head or take a limb at any given moment. However, the soldiers on board the LT 805 are required to be highly proficient in the area of safety operations before they are allowed to step aboard the “beast.”
It’s time to head out to sea. The lines are double and triple checked starting from the tug to the LCU. Lines are cast off the tug as the marine deck officer students fire up the engine, which gets the boats crawling out to the middle of the James River, warming up the engine to full power. Making sure his deckhands are sharp and ready to go is Staff Sgt. John Plake, senior boatswain aboard the large tug.
“I can remember one time in Iraq, 2003, a line from a vessel snapped apart and really scared the ‘you know what’ out of the crew,” said Plake. ”I have to keep them motivated daily because we all work in one of the most dangerous jobs in watercraft. I ensure they do their job safe and correctly.”
Certainly a scary moment, however, I know everyone aboard felt like they were in safe hands. Marine deck officer students, soon to be 1st mates and skippers of their respective vessels, are taking on the majority of the navigating duties today. There will be a day when they may have to maneuver a boat, moving 786 tons of tug and 390 tons of LCU, to port safely. The marine deck officer students have enough experience with the watercraft, but the river strength, and the size of the vessel still make it a challenge. The tug itself can tow more than 700 tons; roughly the equivalent of five fully loaded 120-foot barges. Not an easy task for even the most experienced deckhand.
In contrast, one of the least experienced members in the field with only one-year under his belt, Pfc. Rey Howard, a deck hand on Small Tug 913 assisting with this weeks’ training, shows how confident he is with his leaders.
“I have been around a lot of experienced leaders during my time here. I know I have to pay attention to those in charge and be quick. There was one time I had to grab somebody by the collar because a fellow soldier almost fell over. If you are not aware you can lose your balance,” said Howard.
Letting the marine deck officer students take the reins of the beast, I was able to chat more with the skip. He told me more about what happened in June as his crew went down to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., to tow an old helicopter landing vessel to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. When the storm hit, he knew the large tug could handle the rough conditions, but with her top heavy weight and the weight of the towed vessel, it made the crew’s day a even tougher. During the storm, no one could go outside because of the eminent danger. It took them an extra day of travel but they completed the mission as Tropical Storm Debby made her landing.
Who knew that 3rd Port was housing a rare gem in the military? There are certainly more stories that haven’t been shared, and there will be more in the future. The ocean can get rough but the LT 805, and its reputation as the “beast,” can take on any mission given to them, anywhere in the world.
All in a tug’s life.
| Date Taken: | 08.03.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2012 14:13 |
| Story ID: | 92925 |
| Location: | U.S. COAST GUARD TRAINING CENTER YORKTOWN, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 260 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Waterborne Soldiers Volume 2: Tug Life, by SGT Edwin Rodriguez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
