Mars (AFS 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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SUPPLY DEPARTMENT 16 SUPPLY

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SHIPS HISTORY USS MARS (AFS-1) IS THE FIRST OF THE COMBAT STORES SHIP CLASS OF U. S. NAVY VESSEL. SHE WAS BUILT BY THE NATIONAL STEEL AND SHIPBUILDING COMPANY IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. THE USS MARS TAKES ON THE WORK OF TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHIPS. SHE FULFILLS THE REPLENISHMENT MISSION OF TWO ANCESTOR VESSELS: THE AF (STORES SUPPLY SHIP) AND THE AKS (GENERAL STORES ISSUE SHIP). USS MARS REPLACED THESE SHIPS IN SUPPLYING THE FLEET WITH GENERAL STORES AS WELL AS FRESH AND FROZEN FOOD. IN REPLENISHING THE THIRD AND SEVENTH FLEETS, USS MARS REGULARLY COVERS 1, 500 MILES IN TEN DAYS. THE UNITED STATES SHIP MARS HAS THE CAPABILITY TO FULLY SUSTAIN BATTLE GROUP LOGIS- riCS FAR FROM LOGISTICS BASES. THE MANY COMMODITIES CARRIED BY MARS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TOTAL SUPPORT TO THE BATTLE GROUP. WHEN FULLY LOADED, MARS CARRIES 900,000 POUNDS OF FROZEN FOOD; 1,000,000 POUNDS OF DRY FOOD; AND 275,000 POUNDS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. WITH FIVE CARGO HOLDS, MARS HAS OVER 47,000 INDIVIDUAL BINS AND DRAWERS FOR GENERAL SUPPLIES. SHE CARRIES 50, 000 GALLONS OF PAINT (ENOUGH FOR 2,500 HOUSES) AND 175,000 ENVELOPES (ENOUGH FOR EACH OF THE MEN FROM MARS TO WRITE HOME FOR THE NEXT FOURTEEN MONTHS). WITH THE PROVISIONS ABOARD, MARS COULD FEED THE 1,700 CITIZENS OF MARS, PENNSYLVANIA FOR SIX YEARS. DEPLOYMENT 1990 1991 HISTORY 15

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SUPPLY 17