MV Capt. Steven L. Bennett (T-AK-4296) - History

History

MV Bennett started its Air Force Prepositioning Program career in the Mediterranean Sea, with a mission to "support the prepositioning requirements of the Department of Defense by transporting U.S. Air Force ammunition." The contract, awarded to owner and operator Sealift Incorporated, of Oyster Bay, New York was for $41,823,500 with "reimbursables that could bring the cumulative value of this contract to $47,400,000."

In 1999, Bennett was involved in the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, where she "off-loaded more than two-thirds of her cargo of U.S. Air Force ammunition containers in Nordenham, Germany, which was distributed to the United Kingdom, Italy and other locations within Germany -- quickly replenishing the Air Force's stockpile in theater."

When the original contract expired in fiscal year 2002, MV Bennett "competed for and won a new five-year contract and redeployed to the Mediterranean in October." MV Bennett, as a ship carrying Air Force cargo, was used extensively during fiscal year 2002 to support Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the global war on terrorism.

Bennett had an eventful 2003. Still assigned to MPS Squadron One, she started the year in the Mediterranean. In April, she delivered cargo to the Persian Gulf and continued on to Diego Garcia. In July, she returned briefly to the United States, stopping en route in Northern Europe to drop off and load additional cargo. In late 2003, Vice Adm. David Brewer III, commander of Military Sealift Command, awarded the officers and crewmembers of Bennett the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal.

Bennett spends much of its time at anchor in the lagoon of Diego Garcia, and was spotted in New Orleans, Louisiana in early 2005.