SS Cape Girardeau (AK-2039)

 military, ship, cargo, United States Navy

SS Cape Girardeau is one of two members of the Cape G Class of Breakbulk Cargo Ships operated by the Maritime Administration as part of the Military Sealift Command's Emergency Sealift Fleet.

Built as a commercial breakbulk cargo ship for the American Mail Lines at Newport News Shipyard in 1968 and entering service as the SS Alaskan Mail, she plied the commercial trades for over fifteen years before being turned over to MARAD by her then-owners American President Lines (APL) for a newbuild as commercial shipping moved away from breakbulk to containerized freight. Joining her sistership SS Indian Mail in MARAD ownership, she was formed into the two-ship Cape G Class and renamed SS Cape Girardeau and entered government service in MARAD's Ready Reserve Fleet in 1988. Seeing periodic deployments for training during the next few years, the Cape Girardeau was activated for military duty during Operation Desert Storm and transported ammunition and other modular palletized cargoes to the Persian Gulf throughout the conflict.

Returning to the Reserve Fleet following her action in the First Gulf War, she remained with the Ready Reserve Fleet stationed at Alameda through 2008, when she was downgraded to Emergency Sealift Status and relocated to the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet where she remains today.

www.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/741
www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/132039.htm
www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/AK2039.htm