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USNS Shughart (T-AKR 295)

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Built as commercial container ship LAURA MAERSK in Denmark in 1980, the ship was lengthened by Hyundai in 1987 and in the early 1990s, the Navy purchased the LAURA MAERSK. The ship subsequently underwent conversion to a large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship (LMSR) at NASSCO and was delivered to the Military Sealift Command in 1996 where the ship entered service as USNS SHUGHART becoming the first ship in the Navy named after US Army Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart . The USNS SHUGHART is operated by Bay Ship Management, Inc. under US Navy Military Sealift Command charter, and is manned by US Merchant Marine personnel.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USNS SHUGHART. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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About the Ship's Name:

USNS SHUGHART is named in honor of US Army Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart of Newville, PA, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 3, 1993.

Citation:

Sergeant First Class Shughart, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as a Sniper Team Member, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. Sergeant First Class Shughart provided precision sniper fires from the lead helicopter during an assault on a building and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. While providing critical suppressive fires at the second crash site, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the site. Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader unhesitatingly volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site. After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader were inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. Sergeant First Class Shughart pulled the pilot and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position. Sergeant First Class Shughart used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers while traveling the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot's life. Sergeant First Class Shughart's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.

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USNS SHUGHART Image Gallery:

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