USNS Kanawha receives Presidential Unit Citation, a first for a Military Sealift Command ship

Fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha received the military’s top award for valor by a unit in combat, the Presidential Unit Citation, during a ceremony Friday at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

The rare honor was awarded for the ship’s extraordinary logistics support to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group during Operation Epic Fury.

“By serving as a vital lifeline in contested waters, the civil service mariners of Kanawha ensured the strike group remained fueled, armed and ready for combat,” Adm. Karl Thomas, the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said in a service news release. “By earning the first of two Presidential Unit Citations in Military Sealift Command’s 77-year history, these civilian mariners didn’t just support the fleet; they made history. Their courage, resilience, and unwavering dedication demonstrate what we already know: our civilian mariners are frontline warriors.”

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.

In addition to the unit award, 20 individual accolades were presented to crew members for their performance during the deployment.

Kanawha, a Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler, returned to Norfolk on May 16 after a 204-day deployment.

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.

The ship helped sustain two key missions: Operation Southern Spear, the Pentagon’s name for the campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America, and Operation Epic Fury.

There have been three other Presidential Unit Citation awards this year.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was part of the USS Gerald R. Ford welcoming committee in May, presented the citation to the Ford Carrier Group.

Also in May, the 66th Rescue Squadron and the 58th Rescue Squadron were awarded the military’s highest award for unit valor.