User:Maralia/USNS Algol (T-AKR-287)

USNS Algol (T-AKR-287) is the lead ship of her class of fast sealift ships in the service of the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command.

Originally Sea-Land Exchange, she was laid down on 1 November 1971 in Rotterdam, Netherlands by Rotterdamse DDM and launched on 1 September 1972. Sea-Land Exchange, and her seven sister ships subsequently built, were high-speed containerships operated by Sea-Land Service Inc. until they were all purchased by the United States Navy in 1981–1982. Sea-Land Exchange was acquired by the Navy in October 1981 and designated (T-AK-287), named Algol on October 15 1981, and redesignated T-AKR-287 on 10 September 1982. On 19 June 1984 she completed conversion to a fast sealift ship at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California.

Fast sealift ships are designed for rapid deployment of military equipment to sites around the world. All fast sealift ships are maintained at Reduced Operating Status 4 (ROS-4), with an activation turnaround of four days.

Algol became the first Military Sealift Command ship to participate in NATO exercises when she took part in Exercise Reforger in 1984.

During the Persian Gulf War, the eight fast sealift ships transported more than 14 percent of US military cargo going to the Persian Gulf. In 1992, during the US humanitarian relief effort in Somalia, six fast sealift ships were activated to transport vehicles and equipment to support US forces assigned to Operation Restore Hope. In October 1998, Algol was activated to carry disaster relief supplies and equipment to Puerto Rico and other nearby islands in the aftermath of Hurricane Georges. In early 2003 all eight fast sealift ships were activated to carry US Army and Marine Corps cargo to the Central Command area of operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.