USNS GYSGT Fred W. Stockham (T-AK-3017)

USNS "GYSGT Fred W. Stockham" (T-AK-3017) is a "1ST LT Harry L. Martin"-class container & roll-on roll-off support vessel in the United States Navy's
Military Sealift Command (MSC).cite news
url=http://www.msc.navy.mil/N00P/pressrel/press01/press24.htm
title=Forgotten Marine is ship's namesake
publisher=Military Sealift Command
accessdate=2008-06-02
quote=] cite news
url=http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=160&type=ContainerRollonRolloffShip
title=Ship inventory: USNS GYSGT Fred W. Stockham (T-AK 3017)
publisher=Military Sealift Command
accessdate=2008-06-02
quote=] cite news
url=http://www.c7f.navy.mil/news/2007/april/24.htm
title=USNS Stockham Responds To Distress Call in Solomon Islands
author=Bill Gowdy
publisher=United States Navy
date=April 16 2007
accessdate=2008-06-02
quote=] The vessel is the second Navy ship named after Marine Gunnery Sergeant Fred W. Stockham (1881–1918), who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I.

The ship was originally built as MV "Lica Maersk", at the Lindovaerftet shipyard, in Odense, Denmark, and delivered for commercial service with the Maersk Line circa 1980. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy on 11 November 1997, and converted for MSC service as a Large, Medium Speed, Roll-On/Roll-Off (LMSR) sealift ship at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO), in San Diego, California.

The ship was renamed USNS "Soderman" (T-AKR-299) — the first Navy ship named after PFC William A. Soderman (1912–1980), who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during World War II's Battle of the Bulge.cite web
url= http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=1472
title= "USNS "Soderman" (T-AKR 299) Named After Medal of Honor Recipient"
date= October 24, 1997 |work= |publisher= United States Department of Defense
accessdate= 2008-06-09 ] "Soderman" was placed in service in 1998, operated by Bay State Management Inc. under the direction of the MSC. She was placed out of service in 2000 for conversion to an enhanced prepositioning ship. The ship was placed back in service as USNS "GYSGT Fred W. Stockham" (T-AK-3017) on 1 March 2001.Her new namesake, Gunnery Sergeant Fred W. Stockham, USMC, was awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for heroism at the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918."GYSGT Fred W. Stockham" is one of the Military Sealift Command's seventeen Container & Roll-on/Roll-off Ships, and one of the 36 ships in the Prepositioning Program. "Stockham" is assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Program Squadron Two which operates out of Diego Garcia.

On May 31 2008 "The Guardian" reported that the human rights group Reprieve named the "Stockham" and up to sixteen US Naval vessels may have been used to covertly hold captives.cite news
url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/02/usa.humanrights
title=US accused of holding terror suspects on prison ships
publisher=The Guardian
author=Duncan Campbell, Richard Norton-Taylor
date=June 2 2008
accessdate=2008-06-01
quote=] cite news
url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/02/terrorism.terrorism
title=Prison ships, torture claims, and missing detainees
publisher=The Guardian
author=Duncan Campbell, Richard Norton-Taylor
date=June 2 2008
accessdate=2008-06-01
quote=]

References

*cite web
url= http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/AK3017.htm
title= USNS "GYSGT Fred W. Stockham" (T-AK 3017)
date= 05/30/2007 | work= Naval Vessel Register | publisher= United States Navy
accessdate= 2008-06-09
*cite web
url= http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=160&type=ContainerRollonRolloffShip
title= USNS "GYSGT Fred W. Stockham" (T-AK 3017)
date= October 27, 2006 | work= Container & Roll-on/Roll-off Ship
publisher= Military Sealift Command, U.S. Navy
accessdate= 2008-06-09
*cite web
url= http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/133017.htm
title= T-AKR-299 "Soderman" / T-AK-3017 "GYSGT Fred W. Stockham"
last= Priolo | first= Gary P.
date= 16 November 2007 | work= Service Ship Photo Archive | publisher= NavSource Online
accessdate= 2008-06-09