USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10)

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Coordinates: 47°33′09″N 122°39′16″W / 47.5525437°N 122.6544216°W / 47.5525437; -122.6544216

For other ships with the same name, see USS Bridge.

USNS Bridge
History
United States
NameUSNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)
NamesakeHoratio Bridge
Ordered6 December 1989
Awarded15 January 1993
BuilderNational Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego County, California
Laid down2 August 1994
Launched24 August 1996
Commissioned5 August 1998
Decommissioned24 June 2004
In service24 June 2004
Out of service30 September 2014
HomeportNaval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
Identification
StatusInactive as of 2016
General characteristics
Class and type Supply class
Displacement48,800 long tons (49,600 t)
Length754.6 ft (230.0 m)
Beam107 ft (33 m)
Draught39 ft (12 m)
Installed power105,000 hp (78 MW)
Propulsionfour General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines, Two Propellers
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Complement176 civilians, 30–45 military
Aircraft carriedTwo CH-46E Sea Knight or MH-60S Seahawk helicopters

USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10), (formerly USS Bridge [AOE-10]), is the fourth ship of the Supply-class of fast combat support ships in the United States Navy. She is the second ship in the Navy named after Horatio Bridge, a Commodore who served during the Civil War. Bridge was commissioned on 5 August 1998.

History[]

2000s[]

On 29 June 2004, Bridge was formally decommissioned and transferred from the US Navy to Military Sealift Command (MSC). Although the transfer to MSC occurred on 29 June 2004, the ceremony took place on 24 June 2004.[1]

USNS Bridge replenishing USS Nimitz at sea in February 2006

Bridge no longer carries the weapons systems she had been equipped with. As a commissioned warship, Bridge was equipped with two Phalanx CIWS (Block I) mounts, one NSSM launcher (with two Mk 91 directors), two Mk. 38 25-mm chain guns, six .50 caliber heavy machine gun mounts, and two M60 GPMG mounts (on the bow), along with various small arms carried by her Navy crew.

2010s[]

In March 2011, in company with the carrier Ronald Reagan, Bridge was deployed off northeastern Honshu, Japan to assist with relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[2] After multiple inspections for radiation traces due to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, it was determined that it was unlikely the ship was exposed to the radiation leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.[3]

Bridge conducted 25 underway replenishment operations, delivering more than 1.8 million gallons of fuel in support of Operation Tomodachi. The ship was then decommissioned shortly after.[4] In April 2013, it was announced that MSC will take Bridge, and her sister ship Rainier, out of service in 2014 as a cost-saving measure.[5] The ships' gas turbine propulsion make them faster than other Navy supply ships, but also make them consume more fuel.[6]

As of 2018, Bridge is in reserve, at NISMF Bremerton.[7] Two of her commanding officers, CAPT and CAPT Carol Pottenger have since gone on to achieve flag rank.[8]

Notes[]

  1. ^ (which is why the two dates are often interchanged)
  2. ^ Rabiroff, John. "U.S. military delivers 40 tons of supplies to hardest-hit areas," Stars and Stripes (US). 17 March 2011; Seawaves,"Warships Supporting Earthquake in Japan" Archived 23 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Stewart, Joshua. "Navy ships off Japan move to avoid radiation," Japan Times. 14 March 2011; retrieved 15 March 2011. Archived 17 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2011/May/japan.htm
  5. ^ "Navy to Decommission Two Oilers in Cost Saving Scheme". 29 April 2013.
  6. ^ CAVAS, CHRISTOPHER P. (17 September 2014). "Big Navy Supply Ship Inactivated". www.defensenews.com. Gannett. Archived from the original on 18 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Bridge AOE-10" (PDF). msc.navy.mil. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Wren takes reins of Navy in Japan". stripes.com. 11 April 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2018.

External links[]

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