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Fast Combat Ships

A revolutionary combination of fleet oilers, storage and ammunition ships, fast combat vessels were first designed during World War II by Admiral Arleigh Burke, who would become the Chief of Naval Operations following the war. Admiral Burke wanted to design a vessel that would be able to serve multiple functions, and his idea led to the creation of one of the most efficient naval ships.

There were two shipyards that emerged as the major fast combat ship producers – the Puget Sound Naval Yard and New York Shipbuilding. The USS Sacramento was one of the first fast combat ships, and was built in 1961. The Sacramento served in the Vietnam War, patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin, and was referred to as “the floating supermarket” because she carried such a large amount of goods and supplies. Another fast combat ship, the USS Seattle, has served all over the world during both times of international conflict and times of peace. Fast combat ships are now operated by the Military Sealift Command, rather than the U.S. Navy.

The crewmembers who served aboard fast combat ships that were built prior to the advent of asbestos-usage regulations in the 1980s were most likely exposed to harmful levels of this toxin, which was present in the insulation that lined extensive ship piping. Exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, a fatal type of cancer that has no cure and continues to affect countless veterans long after the have retired from military service.

Fast Combat Ship Listing

• USS Rainier AE-5

Last modified: December 09 2009.