USS Hershel “Woody” Williams Maintenance Completed in Croatia

MarineLink February 26, 2024

The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) undocks during its first Regular Overhaul (ROH), a planned maintenance period, in the European area of operations at Palumbo Shipyard Malta. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) completed its routine planned maintenance in Rijeka, Croatia Feb. 8, 2024 at Viktor Lenac Shipyard.

Military Sealift Command, Europe and Africa (MSCEURAF) and Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) executed the ship’s planned Mid-Term Availability (MTA), a depot-level maintenance period, to maintain safety and mission-essential equipment and ensure the ship will reach its planned service life.

Maintenance work during the MTA included Safety of Life At Sea equipment such as communication, fire safety, and navigation, as well as upgrading decking and coatings to increase safety, especially in adverse operating conditions. Modernization efforts included renovating crew storage spaces and upgrading systems to comply with updated MARPOL standards.

“Thanks to the combined FDRMC/MSC team, the ship’s crew and our industry partner Viktor Lenac, Hershel “Woody” Williams successfully completed its forward-deployed maintenance period,” said Capt. Brian Karosich, FDRMC commanding officer. “Keeping the ship fully mission-ready requires well-planned and executed maintenance periods like this MTA. Assigned full-time to the AFRICOM area of responsibility, we know the ship’s enormous impact on the Sixth Fleet mission and are proud to get her back on station fully mission ready!”

Built by General Dynamics NASSCO and commissioned in March 2020, Hershel “Woody” Williams is forward deployed to Souda Bay, Greece and serves as the first U.S. Navy ship assigned to the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) area of responsibility. The ship is capable of conducting expeditionary missions, counter piracy, maritime security, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations. Hershel "Woody" Williams’ unique capabilities are part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces and supplies to support global missions. The ship operates with blue and gold crews, allowing it to remain continually deployed throughout AFRICOM.