U.S. Afloat Prepositioning Force (General)

The U.S. maritime prepositioning forces are forward-deployed cargo ships -- some chartered and some built for purpose. They carry equipment and supplies for troops who are flown to forward areas where they "marry up" with the material in time of crisis or war. The Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) operates the ships -- including a Near-Term Prepositioning Squadron (NTPS) in the Indian Ocean, based at the island of Diego Garcia, and two Maritime Prepositioning Squadrons (MPS)....