Maj. Bernard F. Fisher (T-AK-4396)
1997–
The first U.S. Navy ship named for Maj. Bernard F. Fisher, USAF (11 January 1927-16 August 2014) who was the first Air Force member to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in the Vietnam War.
(T-AK-4396; displacement 48,000; length 652’; beam 105’; draft 34’; speed 19 knots; complement 24 civilians; class Buffalo Soldier).
Capt. Steven L. Bennett (T-AK-4296) was built in 1984 by Samsung Shipbuilding, South Korea as Sea Pride; acquired on 21 May 1997 by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) on a 59-month time-charter contract to Ultra Maritime, Inc. (a subsidiary of Sealift, Inc.), Oyster Bay, N.Y.; in 1998 re-named Capt. Stephen L. Bennett; chartered by MSC, listed as part of the U.S. Navy Ship Forces effective 9 September 1999.
Capt. Steven L. Bennett is owned and operated by Sealift, Inc., and are under charter to Military Sealift Command and carries U.S. Air Force cargo.
On 2 August 2015 Typhoon Soudelor, a Category 2 storm, devastated the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Maj. Bernard F. Fisher (T-AK 4396) left Guam on 21 August transporting a group of U.S. Army divers slated to assist the U.S. Coast Guard in ensuring the approach channel and harbor are clear of any hazards.
Detailed history under construction.
Christopher B. Havern Sr.
15 December 2015
