RFA Stromness (A344) was a fleet stores ship which served the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...

 until sold to the United States Military Sealift Command

Military Sealift Command

The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...

 in 1983.

Construction

Originally known as RFA Stromness (A344), the vessel was built at Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 2017, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, for the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. She was laid down on 5 October 1965 and launched on 16 September 1966.

RFA operational history

In 1973 she brought the expedition members of the Joint Services Egmont Islands Expedition (JSEI) from the Egmont Atoll back to Gan, Addu Atoll after their mission was over. Led by Sqn Leader “Dickie” Bird RAF, it was the first scuba diving

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....

 expedition in the Chagos Archipelago

Chagos Archipelago

The Chagos Archipelago , is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands in the Indian Ocean; situated some due south of the Maldives archipelago. This chain of islands are the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge a long submarine mountain range...

. Following its success, a second expedition was undertaken to Danger Island

Danger Island

Danger Island is the westernmost and the southernmost island of the Great Chagos Bank, which is the world's largest coral atoll structure, located in the Chagos Archipelago.-Description:...

 the following year.

In 1982 "STROM" saw service during the Falklands War

Falklands War

The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

, where she carried over 400 troops of 45 Commando

45 Commando

45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....

 Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...

 to the beach landing in San Carlos Water

San Carlos Water

Not to be confused with the San Carlos River.San Carlos Water is a bay/fjord on the west coast of East Falkland, facing onto the Falkland Sound.-Name:...

.

Sale to the U.S. Military Sealift Command

In 1983 Stromness was sold to the United States Military Sealift Command. She was renamed Saturn and placed into service.

USMSC mission

Saturn was one of five combat stores ship

Combat stores ship

Combat stores ships, or Storeships were originally a designation given to captured ships in the Age of Sail and immediately afterward, used to stow supplies and other goods for naval purposes. Modern combat store ships are operated by the United States Navy...

s operated by Military Sealift Command. She provided fuel, food, ammunition and ocean towing services to U.S. Navy ships around the world. Saturn carried virtually every type of food and supply needed by Navy ships. Saturn carried spare and repair parts for other ships and aircraft and also had a limited capability to transfer fuel to other Navy ships at sea. Supplies and fuel are transferred to other ships using lines and hoses suspended above the water to another ship as the ships move forward at the same speed and sometimes less than 50 feet apart.

Saturn was capable of replenishing two ships at the same time, one on either side, using this side-by-side technique. Dry stores were also transferred by using helicopter

Helicopter

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

s to lift large cargo nets and pallets loaded with supplies and parts. Saturn had elevators and mobile equipment for handling stores internally on the ship. Helicopters were not assigned to Saturn on a full-time basis, but flew aboard for extended periods of time while the ship was at sea.

Civilian Mariners (CIVMARS) on board USNS Saturn were a vital part of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Fleet. Their areas of expertise encompass a wide variety of occupations ranging primarily from the engineering, deck and supply departments. Final compliment was approximately 120 personnel. Tour lengths were 4 months in duration with an extension option available.

Enlisted ratings on board included Operations Specialists, Information Systems Technicians, Electronics Technicians, Personnelmen and Storekeepers. Final tour length for enlisted military members aboard Saturn was 12 months. Officers served up to a two-year tour.

Saturn operational history

The Saturn was deactivated on April 6, 2009 and sunk in a sinking exercise (SINKEX

SINKEX

SINKEX or Sink Exercise is a US military term for the test of a weapons system usually involving a torpedo or missile attack of an unmanned target ship. The US Navy sometimes refers to this type of exercise as a HULKEX...

) by sea and air assets of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group off the coast of North Carolina on October 27, 2010.

Honors and awards

Qualified Saturn personnel are authorized the following medals:

• Navy Unit Commendation
  Navy Unit Commendation
  The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
  
  
• Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)
• Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (4)
• National Defense Service Medal
  National Defense Service Medal
  The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
  
  
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
  Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
  The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
  
  
• Armed Forces Service Medal
  Armed Forces Service Medal
  The Armed Forces Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created on January 11, 1996 by President Bill Clinton under...
  
  (4)