| Career (United States of America) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) |
| Ordered: | 6 December 1989 |
| Awarded: | 15 January 1993 |
| Builder: | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company San Diego, California |
| Laid down: | 2 August 1994 |
| Launched: | 24 August 1996 |
| Commissioned: | 5 August 1998 |
| Decommissioned: | 29 June 2004 |
| In service: | 29 June 2004 |
| Homeport: | Bremerton, Wash. |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | approx. 48,800 tons (49,600 t) |
| Length: | 754.6 ft (230.0 m) |
| Beam: | 107 ft (33 m) |
| Draught: | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Propulsion: | 105,000 hp (78 MW), Two Propellers |
| Speed: | 26 knots (48 km/h) |
| Complement: | 176 civilians, 30-45 military |
| Aircraft carried: | A combination of two MH-60S or SH-60 |
USNS Bridge is the fourth ship in the Supply class of fast combat support ships and the second ship in the Navy named after Commodore Horatio Bridge. BRIDGE was commissioned on 5 August 1998. Her commissioning CO was CAPT Robbie Williams (a SWO). The second CO was CAPT (now RADM) Rick Wren. In June 2001, CAPT (now VADM) Carol Pottenger relieved CAPT Wren. In October 2002, CAPT Richard Stockton relieved CAPT Pottenger. BRIDGE made four deployments as a commissioned warship. On 29 June 2004, BRIDGE was formally decommissioned and transferred from the United States Navy to the Military Sealift Command. Although the transfer to MSC officially occurred on 29 June 2004, the ceremony actually took place on 24 June 2004 (which is why the two dates are often interchanged). BRIDGE no longer carries the weapons systems she previously was equipped with. As a commissioned warship, BRIDGE was equipped with two Phalanx Block 1 CIWS mounts, one NSSM launcher (with two Mk 91 directors), two Mk 38 25-mm chain guns, six .50 cal machine gun mounts, two M-60 mounts (on the bow) and two GAU-38 Gatling guns (in addition to the M9 Berettas, M-14's, and 12-gau Mossbergs issued to the watch standers).
In March 2011, in company with the carrier Ronald Reagan, the ship was deployed off northeastern Honshu, Japan to assist with relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[1] During that time, the ship may have been exposed to leaking radiation from the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.[2]In total, Bridge conducted 25 underway replenishment operations, delivering more than 1.8 millions gallons of fuel in support of Operation Tomodachi.[3]
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