Gem State (T-ACS-2)
1985–
The first U.S. Navy ship named Gem State, a nickname for the state of Idaho.
(T-ACS-2: displacement 31,500; length 669'; beam 76'; draft 33'; speed 20 knots; complement 64; armament none; class Keystone State)
Breakbulk-container ship President Monroe (MA-165) was laid down on 30 May 1964 at San Diego, Calif., by National Steel & Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 22 May 1965; entered service with American President Lines, Inc., on 9 February 1966; subsequently laid-up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Calif.; began conversion to an auxiliary crane ship (T-ACS-2) in October 1984 at Continental Marine, San Francisco, Calif.; renamed Gem State on 7 November 1984; and was placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) on 31 October 1985.
Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman Jr., defined Gem State’s initial mission as to “be taken, as needed, from the Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve Fleet and operated by the Military Sealift Command.” When the ship was thus activated she was to “provide unique support to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force.”
Detailed history pending.
Mark L. Evans
4 January 2016
