The third US Navy vessel named after Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...

, USNS Rainier is the second 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. On September 28, 1991, the ship's sponsor - Mrs. Suzanne Callison Dicks, a most gracious lady and wife of The Honorable Norm Dicks - christened 'AOE-7' as Rainier. Rainier was commissioned on January 21, 1995 at Bremerton, Washington - Captain Thomas P. Danaher, USN, commanding.

Rainier has the speed to keep up with the carrier strike groups. She rapidly replenishes Navy task forces. She receives petroleum products, ammunition and stores from shuttle ships and redistributes these items simultaneously to carrier strike group ships. This reduces the vulnerability of serviced ships by reducing alongside time.

Shield

Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally associated with the Navy. Gold is indicative of honor, excellence, and achievement. The dark blue of the shield stands for loyalty and reflects the sea, the theater of naval operations. White suggests integrity and purity of ideals. Black implies solidity. The chevron, a symbol of strength and support, alludes to the prow of the ship and the peak of Mt. Rainier, the ship's namesake. The black pellets characterize fuel and ammunition pointing to the ship's mission. The pellets are charged with twelve battle stars earned for World War II service in Korea and Vietnam. The three anchors, symbolic of maritime tradition, simulate the past and present ships.

Crest

Red symbolizes combat, valor, and zeal. The colors red, yellow and green are the colors associated with Vietnam. The Torii gate recalls service in Korea. The bamboo annulet signifies continuous replenishment operations conducted off Vietnam. The crossed palm fronds represent the ship's extensive service in the South Pacific and portray strength, support, honor, and achievement.

Construction

Contract design was completed in February 1986 and steel fabrication work for Rainier began on August 16, 1986 at National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO)

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, commonly referred to as NASSCO, is a shipyard in San Diego, California and Norfolk, Virginia and a division of General Dynamics. The shipyard specializes in constructing commercial cargo ships and auxiliary vessels for the US Navy and Military Sealift...

 in San Diego, California. The official keel laying was conducted on May 31, 1990.

NASSCO built the Rainier utilizing an efficient modular construction technique - separate sections of the ship were built with piping sections, ventilation ducting and shipboard hardware, as well as major machinery items such as main propulsion equipment, generators and electrical panels installed.

These pre-outfitted sections were then brought together to form a complete hull. As a result of this construction technique Rainier was nearly 50 percent complete when launched on September 28, 1991.

The next three years were spent completing the electrical wiring, plumbing systems, ventilation systems, and equipment and hardware installation.

As built, USS Rainier included the following (Self Defense) Weapon Systems:

• NATO Sea Sparrow Missile Launching System
• Close-In-Weapons-System (CIWS)
  Close-in weapon system
  A close-in weapon system , often pronounced sea-whiz, is a naval shipboard point-defense weapon for detecting and destroying at short range incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses....
  
  
• 25mm guns (x2)
• .50 Caliber Machine Guns (x4)
• Countermeasures Set - AN/SLQ-32(V)3
• Decoy Launchers (x4)
• Torpedo Countermeasures Transmitting Set (NIXIE)
  AN/SLQ-25 Nixie
  The AN/SLQ-25 Nixie and its variants are towed torpedo decoys used on US and allied warships. It consists of a towed decoy device and a shipboard signal generator...
  
  

As built, USS Rainier 's hull arrangements provided berthing, living, messing, recreation and office spaces for 40 Officers, 36 Chief Petty Officer's and 591 enlisted personnel. Additional features included leisure and community facilities, medical and dental spaces, barber ship, ship's store, snack bar, laundry and dry cleaning facilities, work ships, laboratories and test areas.

Operational History

During the month of May, 1996, Rainier conducted several ammunition onloads, fueling at sea (FAS) and CONSOL's before arriving in the Hawaiian Operating Area.

Throughout June 1996, Rainier participated in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC-96) exercise where numerous FAS, Vertical Replenishments (VERTREP) and CONSOL's were conducted with US, Australian, Canadian and Japanese ships.

During the first half of August, Rainier participated in a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFX-96) - operating in the Southern California Operating Area (SOCAL OPAREA). During the last half of August and well into September, Rainier was inport at Puget Sound Naval Station for upkeep.

Maiden Deployment

Rainiers maiden deployment began when she departed Indian Island, Washington on October 11, 1996, enroute to Hong Kong via the SOCAL OPAREA.

For the month of November, Rainier anchored in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, providing hotel services to USS Santa Fe (SSN 763)

USS Santa Fe (SSN-763)

USS Santa Fe , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Santa Fe, New Mexico. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 21 March 1986 and her keel was laid down on 9 July 1991. She was...

 and participated in a relief project: "Helping Hands Home for the Elderly." Rainier anchored in Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, participating in a relief project: "Christian School for the Mentally Handicapped." Towards the end of November, fuel was onloaded in Fujairah

Fujairah

Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and the only one on the Gulf of Oman in the country's east instead of Persian Gulf .-History:...

, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Rainier conducted several FAS's with US, United Kingdom and New Zealand ships before a brief inport period at Muscat, Oman

Muscat, Oman

Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...

 - where Rainier provided hotel services for USS Stump (DD-978)

USS Stump (DD-978)

USS Stump , named after Admiral Felix Budwell Stump USN, was a built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. The USS Stump was decommissioned and stricken on 22 October 2004.-History:...

.

The month of December found Rainier transiting the Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. On the north coast is Iran and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman....

; anchoring at Bahrain

Bahrain

' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

; conducting FAS and CONSOL's; loading fuel at Jebel Ali

Jebel Ali

Jebel Ali is a port town, located 35 kilometres southwest of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates . The village has a thriving expatriate community with over 300 residents. The area is also home to "5,500 companies from 120 countries"....

, UAE; transiting the Strait of Hormuz; conducting FAS's; and on Christmas, loading fuel in Fujairah; re-transiting the Strait of Hormuz to conduct FAS's; and, anchoring on New Year's Eve with the SAG.

During the month of January 1996, Rainier fell into a routine of loading fuel in Jebel Ali, conducting numerous FAS, Replenishment at Sea (RAS), VERTREP, and CONSOL's. The month eded with Rainier anchoring in Bahrain.

February, Rainier transited through the Strait of Hormuz twice to onload fuel and conduct RAS and VERTREPs. During this period, Rainier anchored in Bahrain, was inport Jebel Ali and retransited the Strait of Hormuz for the last time during this deployment.

March, Rainier was inport briefly in Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....

 before spending a week in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, Australia. Several RAS's were conducted enroute to Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

, Hawaii.

The beginning of April consisted of embarking "Tigers" and conducting ammunition downloads to USS Flint (AE-32)

USS Flint (AE-32)

USS Flint is a of the United States Navy, and was named after the sparking rock flint . Flint was constructed at the Ingalls Nuclear Shipbuilding Division, Litton Industries, Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi...

 and USS Shasta (AE-33)

USS Shasta (AE-33)

USS Shasta was a Kilauea-class replenishment ammunition ship of the United States Navy. She was named after Mount Shasta, a volcano in the Cascade Range in northern California, USA....

. Rainier returned to Bremerton, Washington on April 11, 1996 to complete WESTPAC 96-97.

After a month of reduced operations to let the crew recover, the training cycle to prepare for the November 1998 deployment. This training cycle included the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC-98) exercise conducted with over thirteen countries.

Second Deployment

Rainier 's second deployment began in November 1998. After 28 consecutive days underway, Rainier pulled into its first liberty port - Singapore. Rainier sailors participated in a community relations project, "Project Handclasp", at Singapore's Gracehaven Children's Home.

Rainier 's second port of call was anchoring off the beach of the resort city of Patong, Thailand.

After transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Rainier arrived in Jebel Ali to onload fuel. Rainier was informed that it won its third Battle Efficiency Award

Battle Efficiency Award

The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...

. A majority of Rainier 's operational time was conducting FAS, RAS, VERTREP and CONSOL's while in the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

.

After departing the Persian Gulf, Rainier made port calls to Bali

Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

 and Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

, Australia. Rainier 's last port of call was Pearl Harbor before returning to Bremerton, Washington in April 1999.

Fate

After service in 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...

 from 1995 through 2003 as USS Rainier (AOE-7), her weapons systems were removed and she was transferred on August 29, 2003 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...

, which designated her USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7).

Like other fast combat support ships, she is part of MSC's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force

Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force

The 42 ships of the Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force are the supply lines to U.S. Navy ships at sea. These ships provide virtually everything that Navy ships need, including fuel, food, ordnance, spare parts, mail and other supplies. NFAF ships enable the Navy fleet to remain...

.

USNS Rainiers cargo capacities:

• Diesel Fuel Marine (DFM): 1,965,600 US gallons (7,440 m³)
• JP-5 fuel: 2,620,800 US gallons (9,920 m³)
• Bottled gas: 800 bottles
• Ordnance stowage: 1,800 tons
• Chill and freeze stowage: 400 tons
• Water: 20,000 US gallons (76 m³)

USNS Rainier's refueling rigs can pump fuel at a rate of 3,000 US gallons per minute (200 L/s).