This Relatively Young Military Sealift Command Ship Is Absolutely Caked In Rust

The War Zone ^ | December 5, 2020 | Tyler Rogoway

[PIF]

The Pentagon is pushing its naval fleet to the brink and this is manifesting itself in its vessels appearing run-down after sustained operations.

The Lewis and Clarke class dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11) pulled into San Diego Bay on Friday, December 4th, 2020

[PIF]

Having very expensive toys like the DDG-1000 and the LCS debacles, while throwing in a CVN Ford and the absolute need for 3 varieties of F-35s (itself something of a debacle), maintenance has gone by the board.

It the larger context, what does this say about the real readiness state of the Navy?

And in case anyone thinks this is an isolated example:

the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Stout (DDG-55)

can't make this image smaller for some reason - sorry

[blam]

[Andy from Chapel Hill]

Wasn’t there a scandal a few years ago about Kobe Steel falsifying the specifications of the steel they shipped? I think the CEO resigned over it.

I wonder if the steel for our ships was sabotaged?

[SharpenedEdge]

The USN is definitely undergoing hard times. PC personnel policies add to the dysfunction and malaise.

My first Captain would have had a coronary if his ship had ever looked like that.

[MSF BU]

Well at least they have the gals onboard for long term entertainment, the transgender modifications, the lowered physical fitness standards, etc., etc.

[itsahoot]

My first Captain would have had a coronary if his ship had ever looked like that.

He probably wouldn't have had a ship either. I guess things went down hill after Mary Sue's Side Cleaners were out of the picture.

[DoubleNickle]

Got me to thinking how old this photo is then it dawned on me that the entire crew are wearing covid masks so I would have to say pretty recent.

[Seruzawa]

It’s not just Justice and State that are corrupt beyond all reason. We aren’t talking incompetence or stupidity. We are seeing the personal organized looting by govt and rent seekers at epidemic levels. There is no thought of keeping it at sustainable levels. Criminals roam the halls stealing without restraint or fear of consequences.

[PIF]

nice distortion!

[gloryblaze]

It’s not just Justice and State that are corrupt beyond all reason. We aren’t talking incompetence or stupidity. We are seeing the personal organized looting by govt and rent seekers at epidemic levels. There is no thought of keeping it at sustainable levels. Criminals roam the halls stealing without restraint or fear of consequences.

Its a good thing all that crap will be the first to go if the Dems savage the defense budget!

/s

[misanthrope]

“Absolutely Caked In Rust...”

Hyperbole much??

[rlmorel]

That is astonishing. Even when I was in during the Seventies where budgets were tight, I never saw a US Navy vessel that corroded.

Breaks my heart. I know their operational tempos are high, but that is something else. That is what I would expect to see a ship in WWII in the Pacific going from campaign to campaign looking like, not in this day.

Discouraging.

[SgtHooper]

China is involved in some way (substandard steel, primers, paint, tools, etc.)

[reviled downesdad]

Rust at the waterline is most troubling. Divers should check the rest of her bottom.

[zek157]

Worked on ships many years ago. They looked like this every couple years without paint. Ran fine.

[Hootowl99]

The Stout did a double or triple deployment, forgot which, without touching a port once. Continuous at sea, Pacific and Indian oceans IIRC, with underway replenishment. COVID you know. The ships crew handled several repairs that normally would be a depot level job

The US is way low on stateside dry docks and time between out of the water maintenance keeps getting longer whether it’s scheduled or unscheduled. Dry docks aren’t sexy like a new ship so the funding has not kept up with the demand.

[rlmorel]

That was a bit of hyperbole regarding the level of rust, but NOT an exaggeration of the seriousness of seeing it there,IMO.

What is the consensus of other sailors on here who have been in the USN the last 10-15 years...anyone on the thread?

I lived my life born on a Navy base to the age of 21 as a Navy dependent and active duty (except fo the three years after my Dad retired) and spent years and long idle hours looking at ships...as a kid, I was a bit obsessive about being around them.

I simply don’t remember seeing ships that nasty looking even during Vietnam and the Seventies. I could be wrong, my memory likes to paint things a bit rosier.

I’ve seen vessels with lots of rust streaks, but not the areas of black, caked, rust, around fixtures and such.

For me, seeing that active duty vessel in that condition makes me think morale is in the tank in the USN. THAT doesn’t fill me with a warm fuzziness about readiness.

[rlmorel]

Okay, not just me then, right? Did you ever see ships that looked that slovenly?

Makes me sad to see.

[BluH2o]

Served in the Marine Corps back in the 1960’s attached to the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Atlantic. Deployed on several Navy ships during my enlistment and none of them were ever allowed to look anything but ship shape. Which meant chipping paint & rust off areas that were showing rust applying a rust preventative coat to the metal and painting over with standard Navy gray paint that was stored in the paint locker. Every ship I was on had a paint locker.
On one occasion after several weeks at sea our group of ships attached to the 6th Fleet in the Med were headed to Naples for a port call & liberty. Before docking, off shore & over the horizon we stopped for over a day to wash the ships down with fresh water then apply paint with rollers to all visible exterior surfaces … before entering Naples harbor.

[bk1000]

As long as sailors can identify as whatever gender they feel like, what difference does a little rust make? Who cares about paint when there is buggery to be done?