The United States Military Sealift Command (MSC) is a Military Naval Agency to support transportation for the U.S Navy at seas and oceans. Its history goes back to the second world war– even though at that time the MSC was not established as the independent agency. A few years later in 1949 the formation of the Military Sea Transportation Service, as a distinguished agency, was materialized to provide ocean transportation support for the U.S Department of Defense. 
In the years followed the 1949, the role of Military Sealift Command (MSC), developed and commenced to project itself more significantly. Its operations continue to insert the vital support, not only to the United States Navy but also for NATO Allies–encompassing from the Cold War era, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan missions– and to the most ongoing operations of the present time, inter alia, the NATO and EU in the counter-piracy.
In the recent years with much synchronized joint efforts of the U.S and European Naval Forces in the various global missions, the MSC also has notably expanded its supporting tasks to the European Naval Forces. In this effort one of its main tasks is for Replenishment At Sea (RAS). The recent MSC statistic report describes that at the present time there are approximately 110 ships on a daily basis operating on support mission across the globe.
On August 30, the EU NAVFOR flagship HNLMS Tromp, after intense days and weeks of maritime security operation in the Indian Ocean and gulf of Aden, had to be refueled for the continuation of its crucial mission at seas. For that the U.S fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson was tasked for administering the replenishment. In the ensuing early hours of the day, the grand ship of U.S Navy ……. had to reach the mathematically determined point to the Dutch frigate– for executing ‘the Alongside Connected Replenishment’– on a rapid and precise mode.
Shortly after– the colossal ship drifted away….. and sailed ……into distance for its next mission.
Yet this was not the first, nor will be the last, that the Military Sealift Command of the U.S Navy stood as the vital lifeline for the EU Naval missions be it in any parts of the World, when urgency and support has been called. Its role even though as the supporting task remained to be highly essential– for without MSC the continuation of any operations will not be possible, especially the maritime security and the counter-piracy in the oceans.
Frigate HNLMS Tromp (right) approaches USNS John Ericsson to be refueled. August 30, 2016 © EU NAVFOR
- Additional: The United States Navy in Operation Atalanta-1
- The USNAVAF and EU NAVFOR for the first contact between Operation ATALANTA and the US Command responsible for the US Naval Forces in the Southern Indian Ocean.
Image-1: The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) alongside the fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194) in Arabian Guld. July 26, 2016 © U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Joshua Murray. Sources: US Navy/EU NAVFOR. By Editor in Chief, Catherine S. Schmidt (Copyrighted material)
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