USNS Kanawha returns to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on May 16, 2026, after a 204-day deployment, which included 156 days actively at sea. (LaShawn Sykes/Military Sealift Command)
Fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha will receive the military’s top award for valor by a unit in battle during a ceremony Friday at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Military Sealift Command announced Tuesday.
Kanawha will become the first MSC ship in the command’s 77-year history to be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, recognizing its performance during a seven-month deployment supporting operations Southern Spear and Epic Fury.
Another MSC ship, dry cargo and ordnance vessel USNS William McLean, will also be awarded the unit citation. A ceremony date has not yet been scheduled, according to the command.
“Combat Logistics Force (CLF) ships like USNS Kanawha and USNS William McLean are integral to the Navy’s logistics system. Acting as the backbone of sustained operations at sea, these vessels resupply the fleet with fuel, stores and ammunition, enabling combatant ships to remain forward deployed,” the command said in a news release.
Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, will present the award to Kanawha’s crew aboard the vessel in front of friends and family. Twenty civil service mariners from the ship will also receive individual honors.
Kanawha returned to Norfolk on May 16 after operating in the U.S. 4th, 5th and 6th Fleets. The crew delivered more than 17.6 million gallons of fuel and 3,103 pallets of supplies, and it performed 113 replenishments for 29 U.S. and coalition vessels.
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