USS Hershel "Woody" Williams

USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4) (formerly USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams (T-ESB-4)) is a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base, currently in service with the United States Navy. The ship is also a sub-variant of the Montford Point-class expeditionary transfer dock (ESD).[10] The ESDs are operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command with predominantly civilian crews, while the ESBs, owing to the nature of their operations, have been commissioned and commanded directly by the U.S. Navy. The ship was named in honor of Hershel W. "Woody" Williams in an announcement by then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, on 14 January 2016. Williams is a Marine who earned the Medal of Honor in the Battle of Iwo Jima, during World War II.[11]

USS Hershel "Woody" Williams
Then-USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams in September 2019
History
United States
Namesake: Hershel W. Williams
Builder: GD/ NASSCO – San Diego, California
Laid down: 2 August 2016[1]
Launched: 19 August 2017[2]
Christened: 21 October 2017[3]
Acquired: 22 February 2018[4]
Commissioned: 7 March 2020[5]
Identification:
Motto: Peace We Seek, Peace We Keep
Status: in active service[6]
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Expeditionary Mobile Base
Length: 784 feet (239 m)[7]
Complement: 19 officers, 231 enlisted[8]
Sensors and
processing systems:		 SEA GIRAFFE AMB [9]
Aircraft carried: MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters[7]

The $498 million contract for the then-unnamed vessel was awarded to the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a division of General Dynamics, in December 2014.[12] Its keel was laid on 2 August 2016,[1][7] and it was scheduled to be completed in early 2018.[7] The vessel was christened on 21 October 2017, at NASSCO in San Diego.[3] The ship was delivered to Military Sealift Command on 22 February 2018,[4] and placed into service the same day.[6]

Hershel "Woody" Williams will be the first Navy ship other than the Littoral Combat Ship to deploy the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout rotary-wing UCAV.[13]

The ship was commissioned by the Navy in Norfolk, Virginia on 7 March 2020.[14][5] Williams was present for the ship commissioning ceremony.[15]

In September 2020 it was announced that the ship will be deployed to Souda Bay Naval Base.[16]

References
  1. "General Dynamics NASSCO Hosts Keel Laying Ceremony for future USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams" (Press release). NASSCO. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  2. "A Successful Float-Out for USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams" (Press release). NASSCO. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  3. "General Dynamics NASSCO Christens USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams" (Press release). NASSCO. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  4. "Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams" (Press release). United States Navy. 23 February 2018. NNS180223-22. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  5. Corillo, Todd (7 March 2020). "USNS Hershel 'Woody' Williams became "USS" in Norfolk commissioning Saturday". CBS 3 WTRK. Scripps Media, Inc. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  6. "ESB-4". nvr.navy.mil. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  7. "Keel Laid for USNS Hershel 'Woody' Williams". Marine Link. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  8. Naval Vessel Register - USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4)
  9. "Saab sjöradar Sea Giraffe Multi Mode Radar vald till fem av US Navy's fartygsklasser (Swedish)". cision.com. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  10. "2nd Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams Delivered to Navy". usni.org. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  11. "Secretary of the Navy Names Expeditionary Sea Base Ship". US Navy. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  12. "NASSCO Awarded $498 Million for Second Afloat Forward Staging Base". USNI News. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  13. Drew, James (24 January 2018). "U.S. Navy Fire Scout Fleet Needs More Ship Deployments". aviationweek.com. Penton. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  14. "Navy to Commission Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams". Defense.gov. U.S. Department of Defense. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  15. "Iwo Jima hero, 96, sees US warship commissioned in his honor". Marine Corps Times. Associated Press. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  16. "US to move giant floating sea base to Greece sparking doubts over Turkish port". The National. 30 September 2020.
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