USNS John Lenthall Returns Home in Time for the Holiday Season (2024)

by LaShawn Sykes

16 December 2021

NORFOLK, Va. --

Military Sealift Command’s Combat Logistics Force (CLF) fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189) returns to Naval Station Norfolk December 16, after completing a five-month deployment overseas.

Lenthall’s Operation Chief Lewis S. Montague said he is super proud of the crew. “We all worked tirelessly around the clock to get the vessel ready for a last minute-emergent deployment overseas. Now that we are back at NAVSTA, I know everyone is looking forward to the holiday season. Being home is a great way to ring in the New Year.”

MSC’s fleet replenishment oilers play a vital role in the U.S. Navy’s logistics system, making it possible for combatant ships to stay forward deployed in order to protect America’s interests worldwide.

Steaming 35,000 nautical miles over 150 days, stretching from the Eastern Atlantic Ocean to the wide and very rough seas of the Indian Ocean with just 72 civil service mariners (CIVMARS), Lenthall served as the sole fleet replenishment oiler, providing multi-mission capable combat logistic tanker support in both U.S. Fifth and U.S. Sixth Fleets’ areas of operation.

Lenthall’s flexibility and commitment enabled the safe delivery of 4.5 million gallons of fuel and 48 pallets of critical cargo and supplies during 23 underway replenishments with 15 U.S. Navy and allied surface combatant ships at-sea.

In addition to being the sole replenishment oiler for two Navy fleets, Lenthall served as an ambassador during Task Force 65’s Aegean Sea and Black Sea operations, providing timely logistic services to USS Porter (DDG 78) as she conducted interoperability exercises with regional Navy ships from Turkey, Georgia, and Romania.

Likewise, while in the Mediterranean Sea, Lenthall supported Porter’s participation in a French-led multilateral maritime war at sea exercise, Polaris 21, that involved the participation of a 6,000-strong workforce, 65 aircraft, one submarine, and 23 ships from across NATO’s alliance, creating opportunities for NATO and partner nations to work together to integrate and validate lessons learned in order to improve real-world operations.

Lenthall is the third ship of the U.S. Navy’s 15 Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oilers. Her motto is “Shaft of the Spear.” Although retired on Nov. 11, 1996, the vessel was placed back in service with MSC on Dec. 7. 1998.

CLF ships provide logistics support to deployed U.S. Navy combatants and coalition force ships to include fuel, ordnance, food, stores and repair and spare parts. These ships enable combatants to remain on station and continue their primary mission, without having to resupply at a port. They are particularly important when combatants are unable to receive supplies from local ports in theater due to force protections measures. CLF ships are U.S. Government-owned and are operated by U.S. Government CIVMARS. All CLF ships are capable of integrating rotary-wing aircraft operations.

MSC operates approximately 120 non-combatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, and strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world while moving military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.