The Ksh55 billion warship dubbed USS Hershel “Woody” Williams grabbed international headlines when it docked at the Port of Mombasa back in February 2021.
The ship, an expeditionary sea base designed to carry Marines and special operations troops to hot spots or train with partners, is assigned to U.S. Africa Command but is also available to support other commands.
Williams docked in Kenya just a month after the U.S. Africa command launched an operation to pull U.S. forces out of Somalia.
However, due to security concerns, how many troops have already been moved or when the withdrawal will be completed is classified information.
“Kenya is a close U.S. strategic partner in Africa,” said Capt. Michael Concannon, commanding officer, USS Hershel “Woody” Williams. “Our visit to Mombasa confirms our resolve and commitment to the preservation of security and stability in Kenya and Africa.”
The 784-foot-long ship features a four-spot flight deck that helicopters can use. There is also living space for a crew complement of about 250.
It was named in honor of Hershel W. "Woody" Williams, a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Battle of Iwo Jima, during World War II.
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest medal for valor in combat that can be awarded to members of the armed forces. The medal was first authorized in 1861 for Sailors and Marines, and the following year for Soldiers as well.
It is described as a Puller-class expeditionary mobile base. The ship is also a sub-variant of the Montford Point-class expeditionary transfer dock.
It supports a variety of maritime-based missions and designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets.
The ship comes with four operating spots capable of landing V-22 and MH-53E equivalent helicopters, accommodations, work spaces, and ordnance storage for an embarked force.
Homeported in Souda Bay, Greece, the ship conducts U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) missions in the Mediterranean and the waters around East, South, and West Africa to include the southern Mediterranean, operating with regional partners.
The 250 souls on board abide by its motto ' Peace We Seek, Peace We Keep'.
“The visit of the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams is a mark of the deep and enduring relationship between the United States and Kenya,” said Eric Kneedler, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. “We are grateful for our close military cooperation.”
He further explained the Williams is currently deployed to the eastern coast of Africa to demonstrate growth in strategic partnerships and U.S. commitment to African countries through interoperability training, maritime security, and safety to allow for freedom of navigation in the region.
Williams is the first U.S. naval ship to enter the port of Mombasa in over a decade.
According to the U.S. Pentagon website, they have 716 military bases around the world.
The U.S. military has built a sprawling network of outposts in more than a dozen African countries.
This light footprint consists of a constellation of more than two dozen outposts that stretch from one side of Africa to the other, with 2 believed to be in Kenya.
According to the U.S. Congressional Research Service, a public policy research institute of the United States Congress, the U.S. Department of Defence has provided roughly $400 million (about Ksh40.4 billion) in counterterrorism aid to Kenya to help fight terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab.
In 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi said the U.S. had donated over Ksh11.5 billion in military equipment and assistance to the Kenyan military in that year alone.
The Kenyan Air Force received two of eight Bell Huey II helicopters donated by the US military. The helicopters – six delivered in December 2016 and two in 2017 – represented the largest security co-operation programme by the US in sub-Saharan Africa, the consulate said then.
