Subscribe
Military Sealift Command rescue and salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS 51) successfully delivered the decommissioned Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) to the Navy Inactive Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., yesterday. The ex-Bunker Hill was the third ship in its class to be towed by Grasp to the Pugent Sound, following ex-Mobile Bay and ex-Lake Champlain in August and September.
The journey, of the two ships began in San Diego Sept. 29. In the San Diego Bay, Grasp connected to Bunker Hill and began the tow journey that would conclude in Bremerton.
The Navy decommissioned Bunker Hill at Naval Base San Diego, on Sept. 22, after more than 37 years of service. The decommissioning ceremony drew a large crowd of former officers and crew of the ship, all wanting to say farewell to the ship and the formative memories they enjoyed from their time aboard.
“While bittersweet to watch the vessel depart San Diego Bay for the last time; it was comforting to see the USNS Grasp stewarding her to sea,” said Briede Charbonnet MSC Supervisory Port Engineer; who served as the US Navy Port Engineer for the USS Bunker Hill for 8 years. “It makes me proud to have assisted Grasp in her efforts to accomplish all of these critical moves for the Navy.”
Bunker Hill, which was originally commissioned in 1988, was a participant in the Gulf War and deployed off the Somali coast for counter-piracy operations. The ship was forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan and performed missions in the Pacific
“I am very proud of the professional and dedicated crew of Grasp,” said Capt. Micah Murphy, commander Military Sealift Command Pacific. “Capt. Joel Bruce and his amazing crew delivered ex-Bunker Hill to Washington under some difficult weather conditions during the transit. They scored a towing hat trick, successfully completing three back-to-back missions. Their performance is an example of the high level of dedication and experience that our civilian mariners display every day. Bravo Zulu to the Grasp crew!”
With its arrival at the Inactive Shipyard, ex-Bunker Hill will be in a Logistic Support Asset (LSA) status. Grasp remains in the Pacific Northwest for a brief maintenance period before receiving follow-on tasking.
| Date Taken: | 10.12.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.12.2023 16:11 |
| Story ID: | 455654 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 227 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USNS Grasp Successfully Completes Tow of Decommissioned Bunker Hill, by Sarah Cannon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
