SS Maj. Stephen W. Pless

USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless (T-AK-3007), (former SS Maj. Stephen W. Pless (AK-3007)), is the third ship of the Sgt. Matej Kocak-class cargo ship built in 1983.[1] The ship is named after Major Stephen W. Pless, an American Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.[2][3]

USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless
History
United States
NameMaj. Stephen W. Pless
NamesakeStephen W. Pless
Owner
BuilderSun Shipbuilding
Launched24 October 1982
Completed1983
Acquired1983
RenamedCharles Carroll (1983–1985)
Reclassifiedfrom AK-3007
Stricken21 March 2023
Identification
StatusStricken
General characteristics
Class and typeSgt. Matej Kocak-class cargo ship
Displacement
  • 26,125 t (25,712 long tons), light
  • 48,754 t (47,984 long tons), full
Length821 ft 0 in (250.24 m)
Beam105 ft 6 in (32.16 m)
Draft33 ft 10 in (10.31 m)
Installed power
  • 1 × shaft
  • 30,000 hp (22,000 kW)
Propulsion
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Capacity
Complement34 mariners and 10 technicians
Aviation facilitiesHelipad

Construction and commissioning

The ship was built in 1983 at the Sun Shipbuilding, Chester, Pennsylvania. She was put into the service of Waterman Steamship Corp. as Charles Carroll.[4]

In 1985, she was acquired and chartered by the Navy under a long-term contract as SS Maj. Stephen W. Pless (AK-3007). The ship underwent conversion at the National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego.[4]

On 13 December 1990, she unloaded cargos during Operation Desert Shield.[5]

Maj. Stephen W. Pless was put into the Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron 3, based in the Indian Ocean. She was later transferred to the Military Sealift Command Surge Sealift as USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless (T-AK-3007). A mariner fell from the ship which caused a US Navy search party to be sent on 11 February 2014.[6] On 20 February 2016, Maj. Stephen W. Pless anchored off the Gulf of Thailand during Exercise Cobra Gold 2016.[7][8]

Crowley Government Services Inc. was awarded $14,513,105 to maintain USNS LCPL Roy M. Wheat (T-AK-3016), USNS Sgt. Matej Kocak (T-AK-3005), USNS PFC Eugene A. Obregon (T-AK-3006) and Maj. Stephen W. Pless on 29 September 2020.[9]

On 21 March 2023, Maj. Stephen W. Pless was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.[1]

References
  1. "MAJ STEPHEN W PLESS (AK 3007)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. "SS Maj. Stephen W. Pless (T-AK 3007)". www.navysite.de. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. "Capt Stephen Wesley Pless". United States Marine Corps University. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  4. "Cargo Ship Photo Index". Navsource. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  5. Defense Visual Information Center photo # DM-ST-92-00102, SSGT. J. R. Ruark
  6. Matanane, Sabrina Salas (28 February 2011). "Merchant marine falls from ship". KUAM-TV. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  7. "USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless". Military Sealift Command. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  8. "Military Sealift Command delivers essentials, rolls-out Exercise Cobra Gold". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  9. Keller, Katie (29 February 2020). "Palantir Awarded $91 Million Contract R&D for the US Army Research Laboratory". ClearanceJobs. Retrieved 12 February 2022.


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