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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012)
ex
 MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Romeo - Bravo
 NWRB
Maritime Prepositioning Force Containers, RO/RO and LMSR Ship:
  • Built by General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, MA.
  • Acquired by the Navy under a long-term charter, 22 May 1986
  • Placed in service under the direction of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) to be operated by American Overseas Marine Corporation
  • MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) is one of the Military Sealift Command's seventeen Container & Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 36 ships in the Prepositioning Program
  • MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) is assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Program Squadron Two under the operational control of MSC Far East and operates out of Diego Garcia.
  • Acquired by the US Navy's Military Sealift Command, date unknown, placed in service as USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012)
    Specifications:
    Displacement 19,588 t.(lt), 40.846 t.(fl)
    Length 673'
    Beam 105'
    Draft 34' 6" (max)
    Speed 17.7 kts.
    Cargo Capacity
    162,500 sq. ft. vehicle
    1,605,000 gallons petroleum
    81,700 gallons water
    522 TEU
    Container Capacity 578 (41 Refer)
    JP-5 Capacity 1.43 Million Gals/34,101 BBLS
    MOGAS 8,800 Gals
    Potable Water (storage capacity) 98,994 Gals/2,357 BBLS
    Crane Lifting Capacity
    one single FWD 39 Tons
    one twin center 39 Tons, each
    one twin aft 39 tons each
    Stern Ramp 60/39 Tons P/S
    Lighterage
    two LCM-8
    one SLWT
    four CSP
    four CSNP
    Fuel Hose Reels 2
    Water Hose Reel 1
    Bunker Capacity 23,206 BBLS
    RO/RO Capacity 152,185 SQFT
    Water Production (Daily) 25,000 Gals
    Armament none
    Aircraft helicopter platform only
    Complement
    Civilian Mariners, 7 officers, 30 crew
    Civilian Maintenance 25
    Endurance 11,107 NM
    Propulsion
    two Stork Werkspoor medium-speed Diesel propulsion engines, 26,400 bhp
    single shaft
    bow thruster 1,000 hp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    MV Sgt. William R,. Button (AK-3012) - MSC Charter
    Sgt. William R. Button 74k MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 MSC web site
    Sgt. William R. Button 75k MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    AMSEA photo.    		 Global Security
    Sgt. William R. Button 107k MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    AMSEA photo.    		 Global Security
    Sgt. William R. Button 55k MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) moored to a buoy, date and location unknown. Military Sealift Command
    Sgt. William R. Button 63k MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) getting underway, date and location unknown. MSC web site
    Sgt. William R. Button
    0913301214    		 223k The stern ramp of the MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK 3012) is lowered into place at Posco Port, Pohang Harbor, Republic of Korea, 13 October 1998, during the defensive Exercise "Foal Eagle '98".
    US Air Force photo by SSGT Steve Faulisi, USAF, US National Archives and Records Administration Identifier: (NAID 6603216) : Local Identifier Local ID: 330-CFD-DF-SD-03-09708.jpeg    		 Robert Hurst
    Sgt. William R. Button 270k MV Sgt. William R. Button (AK-3012) anchored off Singapore in September 1999. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012)
    Sgt. William R. Button
    0913301215    		 120k USNS Sgt. William Button (T-AK 3012) off the coast near Camp Pendleton, CA., 3 March 2011, during Exercise "Pacific Horizon 11".
    U.S. Marine Corps # 110303-M-0074F-056 by Sgt. Jason W. Fudge.    		 Robert Hurst
    Sgt. William R. Button 334k USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012) anchored off Camp Pendleton, CA., 3 March 2011, during Exercise Pacific Horizon 2011.
    US Navy photo # 110303-N-I786N-006.    		 Robert Hurst
    Sgt. William R. Button
    0913301213    		 157k A causeway ferry makes its approach to the beach after receiving vehicles from USNS Sgt. William Button (T-AK-3012) during roll-on/roll-off discharge facility operations off Camp Pendleton, CA., 4 March 2011, as part of Exercise "Pacific Horizon 2011".
    U.S. Navy photo # 110304-N-1786N-063 by MC2 Bryan Niegel.    		 Robert Hurst
    Sgt. William R. Button 151k USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012) moored at the NATO carrier pier at Naval Air Base Rota, Spain, to offload equipment capable of enabling crisis response to support Exercise Trident Juncture 15, the largest NATO exercise since 2002, Oct. 21. Prepositioning ships like the USNS Button provide quick and efficient movement of military equipment to operating areas anywhere in the world.
    US Marine Corps photo # 151019-M-PK171-532 ROTS, Spain, Oct. 19, 2015) by MSgt. Chad McMeen.    		 Lee Wahler
    Sgt. William R. Button 181k USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012) conducts offload operations as part of Operation Saber Strike 2017. Sgt. William R. Button delivered mission-critical equipment belonging to Marine Corps Combat Logistics Regiment 45, 4th Marine Logistics Group, to the Port of Ventspils, Latvia. Saber Strike is a long-standing U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise designed to improve joint interoperability through a range of missions that prepare participating nations to support multinational contingency operations.
    US Navy photo # 170523-N-YG116-001 BALTIC SEA (May 23, 2017) by LTjg. Rob Kunzig.    		 Lee Wahler
    Sgt. William R. Button
    0913301210    		 211k USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012) arriving at Alabama Shipyard, Mobile, AL., 19 July 2023. Photos by Brandon J. Varner
    Sgt. William R. Button
    0913301211    		 281k
    Sgt. William R. Button
    0913301212    		 221k USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012) moored pierside in the port of Mobile, AL., 2 May 2024. Photos by CAPT Chris Holley
    USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Sargent William R. Button United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor Citation
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Defense Video Imagery Distribution System - USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012)
    US Navy Fact File - Maritime Prepositioning Ships - T-AK
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 14 November 2025