exactly the point I was going to make..huge difference between USS and USNS..
Right.
The staterooms are bigger and the food is better.
Is the USNS today’s MSTS ?
The bigger question is why was the ship carrying the fuel and ammo for our entire squadron in the combat zone. Heck one RPG in to the jet fuel or ammo magazine and the ship goes away with a big flash/bang. And if it had to be forward deployed why wasn’t there an FFG providing escort. Those DDGs are fuel hungry b@stards and won’t be of much use with empty tanks. Take out a destroyer you loose one ship, take out the fuel and ammo and the entire squadron would be crippled due to lack of supplies. Isn’t the first thing you learn in the military to always protect your logistics?
USNS ships have civilan crews, though some carry military detachments on board.