Loaded aboard fleet of navy cargo ships, "old Ironsides" deploys to Iraq

Navy Supply Corps Newsletter, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Edward Baxter

"Loading helicopters is a delicate process, you have to be extremely careful," said MSC Antwerp's SK2 Mark Stappenbeck, USNR, who worked the night shift during the '24-7' operation. In just over six hours, most helicopters were carefully rolled up the ship's stem ramp, but the Chinooks' were too large and had to be lowered in the cargo hold by crane. "The Chinooks were challenging since part of the shrink-wrapping had to be removed in order to attach the crane line," said Stappenbeck. Manning the overnight shift with Steppenback was BMI Kenneth Jones, USNR.

The Italian ship MV Jolly Turchese was next to arrive at Antwerp on the evening of April 19. The ship loading 544 pieces of cargo, including 163 shipping containers.

MV Skodsborg arrived in Rotterdam at 3 a.m. on April 21, loading over 175,000 square feet of cargo. According to Weitenberg, this was one of the more challenging loads at the port. "Skodsborg has a straight stern ramp that is unable to swing," Weitenberg said. "It is not possible at Rotterdam's port to 'med-moor'--a phrase used in the shipping industry to describe a ship that literally backs to the pier so the stern ramp can be extended straight out--because the pier strength is not sufficient. So, we had to use a floating pontoon, which was secured to the ship's stern. Then, the ramp was lowered onto the pontoon. Overall, this is quite unusual for any port"

Port cranes were used to carefully lift armored personnel carriers, ammunition carriers, bridge layers, and howitzers from the pier onto the floating pontoon. From there, port stevedores simply drove the wheeled and tracked vehicles up the stern ramp into the cargo holds. Up to three commercial barges pulled alongside the pontoon where more cargo was craned aboard. A forward crane was used simultaneously to load cargo containers and other rolling cargo onto the ships main deck. Shipboard cranes easily handled the 54-ton howitzers. "But, this is very unusual for us to carry military cargo," said Skodsborg's Polish master Capt. Marek Juszkiewcz, whose Caymen Island-flagged ship routinely carries commercial rolling stock and breakbulk cargo. Up to three commercial barges pulled alongside the pontoon to unload additional cargo.

British-flagged MV Thebeland arrived in Antwerp in the early hours of April 22. The ship loaded 517 pieces of cargo, including 121 containers, setting sail April 24, just after 7 p.m. The ship used a giant central cargo elevator to move cargo to the lower decks. Thebeland's Swedish master Capt. Karl Goran Inberg said his ship carried military cargo before--in support of peacekeeping operations in both Bosnia, Herzegovina and Kosovo, and delivered military equipment for a major British military exercise in Jordan--but this would be his first trip to the Arabian Gulf. According to Inberg, Thebeland is more used to carrying paper and timber from Finland to ports in the Mediterranean, than U.S. Army humvees or armored personnel carriers.

Like Mendonca, USNS Gilliland's master Capt. Edwin L. Sherrill, III said his ship was on her way to the U.S. from the Gulf, when she was diverted to Rotterdam. The ship arrived next at Rotterdam early on April 23. Shortly after arrival, the ship's giant stern ramp was lowered to the pier and cargo began to roll on. Barges pulled alongside to transfer cargo to the ship and forward cranes were used to lower rolling stock and containers onto the ship's main deck. The ship loaded more than a thousand pieces of equipment of rolling stock and containers, getting underway early on April 26. "The crew has spent 45 days at sea since January," said Sherrill, a 1976 Kings Point graduate, who has served as ship's master since December of 2000. "Generally, everyone's holding up well ... they accept a lot of uncertainty but they move on."