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USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10)
Encyclopedia
USNS Bridge is the fourth ship in the Supply class
Supply class fast combat support ship
The Supply class fast combat support ships is a class of four United States Navy supply ships used to refuel, rearm, and restock ships in the United States Navy in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.-Ships:-General characteristics:...
of fast combat support ship
Fast combat support ship
The fast combat support ship is the United States Navy's largest combat logistics ship, designed as an oiler, ammunition and supply ship. All fast combat support ships currently in service are operated by Military Sealift Command . The AOE has the speed and armament to keep up with carrier battle...
s and the second ship in the Navy named after Commodore Horatio Bridge
Horatio Bridge
Commodore Horatio Bridge was a United States Naval officer who, as Chief of the Bureau of Provisions, served for many years as head of the Navy's supply organization...
. BRIDGE was commissioned on 5 August 1998. Her commissioning CO was CAPT Robbie Williams (a SWO). The second CO was CAPT (now RADM) Rick Wren. In June 2001, CAPT (now VADM) Carol Pottenger relieved CAPT Wren. In October 2002, CAPT Richard Stockton relieved CAPT Pottenger. BRIDGE made four deployments as a commissioned warship. On 29 June 2004, BRIDGE was formally decommissioned and transferred from the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to the Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command
The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...
. Although the transfer to MSC officially occurred on 29 June 2004, the ceremony actually took place on 24 June 2004 (which is why the two dates are often interchanged). BRIDGE no longer carries the weapons systems she previously was equipped with. As a commissioned warship, BRIDGE was equipped with two Phalanx Block 1 CIWS mounts, one NSSM launcher (with two Mk 91 directors), two Mk 38 25-mm chain guns, six .50 cal machine gun mounts, two M-60 mounts (on the bow) and two GAU-38 Gatling guns (in addition to the M9 Berettas, M-14's, and 12-gau Mossbergs issued to the watch standers).
In March 2011, in company with the carrier Ronald Reagan
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)
USS Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the United States Navy. The ninth ship of her class, she is named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, President of the United States from 1981 to 1989...
, the ship was deployed off northeastern Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to assist with relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. During that time, the ship may have been exposed to leaking radiation from the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.In total, Bridge conducted 25 underway replenishment operations, delivering more than 1.8 millions gallons of fuel in support of Operation Tomodachi
Operation Tomodachi
is a United States Armed Forces assistance operation to support Japan in disaster relief following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. As of March 22, 2011, twenty U.S. naval ships, 140 aircraft, and 19,703 Marines and Sailors were involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief...
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