NORFOLK, Va. — A ship carrying more than 120 mariners left Naval Station Norfolk on Tuesday for a five-month deployment supporting warships in Europe.
The USNS William McLean will join up with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean, but will eventually travel to the North Sea, according to Capt. Jamie Murdock, Commodore for Military Sealift Command Atlantic.
Murdock says like other ships in the command, the USNS McLean is responsible for supporting combat-ready ships. In this case, the USNS McLean helps keep ships supplied.
The ship is crewed entirely by civilians, many of whom are U.S. Navy veterans.
"I say about 90-95 percent of the crew are veterans and most of them have been on the ship for quite some time," said Michael Brown, a retired sailor who is the Operations Chief for the USNS William McLean.
Capt. Murdock says that experience is critical to mission success.
"To know what each other is doing, to know what the fleet requirements are, to know what the fleet is asking of them and to fully understand it is key in having those veterans on board to fill those gaps," he told News 3.
The command hires non-veterans as well, including some as young as straight out of high school, Murdock says, adding that some positions pay over $100,000 a year.
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