Civil Service Mariners Aboard USNS Richard E. Byrd Critical

PACIFIC OCEAN (June 22, 2009) Civil Service Mariner (CIVMAR) Andrew Strosahl, the cargo mate aboard USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4), discusses his role aboard the Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship. Strosahl is a CIVMAR with the rank of second mate. While others his age are just starting out in their careers, Strosahl, 25, is already well established in his field and in his role as the cargo mate aboard Military Sealift Command (MSC) dry cargo/ammunition ship. He happens to be one of the ship's more senior officers despite being one of the ship's youngest crew members. Richard E. Byrd is deployed as part of Pacific Partnership 2009, a humanitarian and civic assistance mission. As the enabling vessel, Richard E. Byrd will carry humanitarian civic assistance equipment and supplies and a multi-specialized team of preventive medicine personnel, veterinarians, a medical and dental team and multi-skilled engineering personnel to Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands