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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8)
ex
 RFA Lyness (A-339) (1966 - 1981)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Golf - Alpha
NPGA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation (6) - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Lebanon, 1-Libya) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (5) - Southwest Asia Service Medal (2) - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Sirius Class Combat Stores Ship:
  • Laid down, 1 April 1965, at Swan, Hunter and Wingham, United Kingdom for the Royal Navy as RFA Lyness (A-339)
  • Launched, 1 April 1966
  • Purchased by US Navy, 1 January 1981,
  • Renamed USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8), 18 Jan 1981.
  • USNS Sirius was a unit of the MSC Naval Auxiliary Force, MSC Atlantic
  • De-actived, by the Military Sealift Command 1 July 2005
  • Struck from the Naval Register the same day and transferred to the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD)
  • Custody assigned to the Texas Maritime Academy to serve as training ship TS Texas Clipper III replacing TS Texas Clipper II ex-USNS Chauvenet (T-AGS-29)
  • Conversion to a school ship canceled, custody returned to MARAD, 14 January 2009
  • Downgraded to non-retention, 28 April 2009
  • Current Disposition, 14 August 2009, retained for fleet support
    Specifications:
    Displacement 10,205 t. (lt), 16,680 t. (fl)
    Dead Weight 6475 t.
    Length 523' (ov)
    Beam 72'
    Draft 26 ft. Maximum Navigational
    Speed 18 knots
    Aircraft Two UH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
    Armament None
    Complement 123 Civilian, 47 Navy
    Propulsion one Diesel engine, 11,520 brake horsepower, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    RFA Lyness (A-339)
    Sirius 126k RFA Lyness (A-339) ships crest. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 59k RFA Lyness (A-339) getting underway after a refit at the Cammell Laird Yard, Birkenhead, England in August 1969. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius, courtesy RFA Association, Plymouth & District Branch, The Mortimore Gallery
    Sirius 51k RFA Lyness (A-339) underway, date and location unknown. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius, courtesy RFA Association, Plymouth & District Branch, The Mortimore Gallery
    Sirius 41k RFA Lyness (A-339) underway in June 1970, and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Sirius 70k RFA Lyness (A-339) background with Royal Navy fleet replenishment tanker RFA Olwen (A-122), the general-purpose (A/S) frigate HMS Juno (F-52) foreground, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8)
    Sirius 92k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) and USNS Rigel (T-AF-58) underway in the Mediterranean, circa 1981.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 44k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) moored pierside at Port Canaveral, FL. Sirius was in port to load supplies that were offloaded at Salvador, Brazil for UNITAS XXXIII. In the background is the USNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM 22). Photo by T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 58k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) downloading to USS San Diego (AFS-6) while underway, circa 1983. USNS Sirius was returning to the US to undergo a yard period at Braswell Shipyard in South Carolina, at which time she was converted to a fully capable AFS, receiving her helo hanger and enhanced unrep capabilities.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 74k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) downloading to USS San Diego (AFS-6) while underway, circa 1983, prior to entering Braswell Shipyard, South Carolina to improve her unrep capabilities.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 80k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) downloading to USS San Diego (AFS-6) while underway, circa 1983, prior to entering Braswell Shipyard, South Carolina to improve her unrep capabilities.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 73k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) downloading to USS San Diego (AFS-6) while underway, circa 1983, prior to entering Braswell Shipyard, South Carolina to improve her unrep capabilities.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 53k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) downloading to USS San Diego (AFS-6) while underway, circa 1983, prior to entering Braswell Shipyard, South Carolina to improve her unrep capabilities.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 67k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) enroute to Norfolk, VA. from Braswell Shipyard in South Carolina after her AFS conversion, 1983.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 55k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) enroute to Norfolk, VA. from Braswell Shipyard in South Carolina after her AFS conversion, 1983.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 64k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) enroute to Norfolk, VA. from Braswell Shipyard in South Carolina after her AFS conversion, 1983.
    US Navy photo    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Emory S. Land 352k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) (background) and USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) (foreground) underway, date and location unknown. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius, courtesy of CAPT. David Volonino.
    Sirius 56k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) moored pierside at Naval Station Norfolk, VA., October 1983
    Department of Defense Visual Imaging Center photo    		 Fred Weiss
    Sirius 71k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) moored inboard of USNS Saturn (T-AFS-10) while at Malaga, Spain circa 1984-85.
    US Navy photo    		 Photo by T.J. Tropea RM1 USN USNS Sirius
    Sirius 99k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) and USNS Saturn (T-AFS-10) moored together at Toulon, France, 4 April 1990. T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius with permission from Hans Rosenkranz, SW Germany.
    Sirius 54k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 MSC web site
    Sirius 132k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Sirius 61k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway off NAS Norfolk. USNS Sirius was returning to port on 19 September 1999 after riding out Hurricane Floyd off the east coast of the United States.
    Department of Defense Visual Imaging Center photo    		 Fred Weiss
    Sirius 2069k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) departing Genoa, Italy, 31 May 2000. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Sirius 1241k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) moored to a buoy at Málaga, Spain, 24 June 2000. TJ Tropea, courtesy Javier Bueno Iturbe
    Sirius 61k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway at Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta, in June 2001. Robert Hurst
    Sirius 78k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway at Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta, in June 2001. Robert Hurst
    Sirius 37k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway, off the Horn of Africa, circa April 2002. Photo taken from USS Hue City (CG-66). Photo by Lt. Steve Dundas, CHC USNR USS Hue City
    Sirius 41k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) and USNSWalter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) during a replenishment, 19 June 2002, with USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), seen from USS Hue City (CG-66), during Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo by LT Steve Dundas, CHC USNR
    Sirius 576k BM2 Tanya Forbes prepares for the arrival of USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8), 16 July 2002, at Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. Petty Officer Forbes is a U.S. Naval Reservist recalled to active duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
    US Navy photo # 020716-N-6369D-003 MANAMA, BAHRAIN (16 July 2002) by LTjg. Mark Duehmig.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Sirius 1626k SA-330 “Puma” helicopters transport cargo, 21 July 2002, from USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) (center) to USS George Washington (CVN-73), while the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60) steams in parallel. Washington and her battle group on are a regularly scheduled deployment conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
    US Navy photo # 020721-N-7340V-002 ARABIAN SEA (21 July 2002) by PH1 James Vidrine.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Sirius 164k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) moored pierside at Grand Harbor,Malta in July 2003. TJ Tropea, courtesy Judi & Lee Brown. Glossop, Derbyshire, U,K.
    Sirius 72k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway at Dubai, March 2004. Photo by Laurent LaMarche
    Sirius 73k USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) moored pierside Naval Supply Depot pier, Norfolk, VA., date unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    TS Texas Clipper III
    Sirius 59k Ex-Sirius (T-AFS-8) prior to being placed in service as TS Texas Clipper III underway in Galveston Harbor, date unknown. T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 33k TS Tresas Clipper III alongside ex-USNS Chauvenet (T-AGS-29) in service as TS Texas Clipper II at Galveston, date unknown. T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 53k TS Texas Clipper III moored pierside at Galveston, date unknown. T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
    Sirius 141k TS Texas Clipper III moored pierside at Galveston, 2 February 2008 while being converted to a training ship. T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius courtesy Captain Peter of Sicilia, Italy
    Sirius 136k TS Texas Clipper III moored pierside at Galveston, 7 March 2008. T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius courtesy Captain Peter of Sicilia, Italy
    Sirius AirDet Patches
    Contributed by T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Sirius
    		 Sirius
    USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) history at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Navy Fact File - Combat Stores Ships - T-AFS
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    Last Updated 10 February 2012