USNS Sgt. William R. Button

USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012), (former MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012)), is the fifth ship of the 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo-class cargo ship built in 1986.[1] The ship is named after Sergeant William Robert Button, an American Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor during United States occupation of Haiti.

USNS Sgt. William R. Button
History
United States
NameSgt. William R. Button
NamesakeWilliam Robert Button
Owner
BuilderFore River Shipyard
Laid downNovember 1984
LaunchedMay 1986
AcquiredJune 1986
Reclassifiedfrom AK-3012, 2007
HomeportDiego Garcia
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and type2nd Lt. John P. Bobo-class dry cargo ship
Displacement44,330 t (43,630 long tons), full
Length672 ft 6 in (204.98 m)
Beam106 ft 0 in (32.31 m)
Draft29 ft 5 in (8.97 m)
Installed power
  • 1 × shaft
  • 27,000 hp (20,000 kW)
Propulsion2 × Werkspoor 16TM410 diesel engines
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Capacity
Complement55 mariners
Aircraft carried1 × Sikorsky CH-53E
Aviation facilitiesHelipad

Construction and commissioning

The ship was laid down in November 1984 and launched in May 1986 at the Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts. Later acquired in June 1986 by the Maritime Administration for operation by American Overseas Marine.[2]

The ship unloaded equipments and supplies in Saudi Arabia during the Operation Desert Shield on 13 December 1990.[3] On 15 October 1998, William R. Button unloaded equipments and supplies in Pohang for Exercise Foal Eagle '98.[4]

On 17 January 2006, the ship was purchased by the Military Sealift Command and was put into the Prepositioning Program and the Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron 2.[5] The ship operates in the Indian Ocean, out of Diego Garcia. Later that year during Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) on the 28 May, sailors from USS Crommelin (FFG-37) and USS Hopper (DDG-70) conducted an inspection on board the ship.[6] Sailors from the KD Kasturi (F-25) also conducted simulated boarding on board the ship.[7]

The ship took part in Exercise Pacific Horizon 2011, off the coast of Camp Pendelton, California.[8] William R. Button was moored off the coast of Latvia for the Saber Strike 17 Maritime Prepositioning Force offload operations on 25 May 2017.[9] On 21 December 2021, mariners on board the ship and few others voluntarily donated toys and trinkets for residents of Guma’ Esperansa, Saipan.[10]

  • Sailors from USS Crommelin (FFG-37) and USS Hopper (DDG-70) performed an inspection on board the ship on 28 May 2006
    Sailors from USS Crommelin (FFG-37) and USS Hopper (DDG-70) performed an inspection on board the ship on 28 May 2006
  • View of Sgt. William R. Button from the aft on 3 March 2011
    View of Sgt. William R. Button from the aft on 3 March 2011
  • Sgt. William R. Button's cranes on 3 March 2011
    Sgt. William R. Button's cranes on 3 March 2011
  • Sgt. William R. Button on 4 March 2011
    Sgt. William R. Button on 4 March 2011

References
  1. "USNS SGT WILLIAM R BUTTON (T-AK 3012)". Naval Vessel Register. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  2. "USNS SGT William R. Button (T-AK 3012)". www.navysite.de. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  3. "The vehicle cargo ship SGT. WILLIAM R. BUTTON (T-AK-3012) offloads cargo during Operation Desert Shield. The vessel is part of Maritime Pre-positioning Squadron 1". The U.S. National Archives. 13 December 1990. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  4. "An LAV is driven off of the MV Sgt. William R. Button in Pohang for Foal Eagle '98". www.defense.gov. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  5. "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  6. Limited, Alamy. "060528-N-3392B-015 South China Sea (May 28, 2006) - U.S. Navy Sailors from USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and USS Hopper (DDG 70) begin an inspection of the main deck of the Military Sealift Command prepositioning ship MV Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK 3012). The team conducted a thorough search of the ship, including the main deck, cargo holds, bridge, and living spaces as part of exercise Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism. The U.S. Navy team located a cache of smuggled weapons in the ship's cargo hold. SEACAT is a weeklong exercise designed to highlight the value of information sharing and Stock Photo - Alamy". www.alamy.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  7. Limited, Alamy. "060524-N-3392B-008 Strait of Malacca (May 24, 2006) - Personnel designated as ship's crew members are isolated for questioning by Sailors from the Royal Malaysian Navy frigate KD Kasturi, during simulated boarding of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) maritime prepositioning ship MV Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK 3012), during Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) 2006. Each crew member was required to show identification and questioned about the ship's cargo content. As part of the exercise, Button is suspected of smuggling contraband goods. SEACAT is a weeklong at-sea exercise Stock Photo - Alamy". www.alamy.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  8. "American Maritime Officers - AMO". www.amo-union.org. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  9. "Civilian Mariners File Grievance Over Military Sealift Command COVID-19 Restrictions". USNI News. 1 May 2020. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  10. "Military Sealift Command Contracted Mariners Share Holiday Cheer in Saipan". DVIDS. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.


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