SS Equality State (T-ACS-8)

SS Equality State (T-ACS-8) was built 1961 as SS Washington Mail, a Maritime Commission type (C4-S-1s) hull by Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, California. She was launched on 11 May 1961 and delivered to American Mail Lines, 2 January 1962. She was subsequently lengthened and converted to a container ship in 1971 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., San Francisco, CA. Renamed SS President Roosevelt, 26 November 1975 and ultimately sold to Delta Lines, 7 September 1983 where she was renamed SS Santa Rosa. She was again sold to U.S. Lines in 1985, and renamed SS American Builder. Laid up in Hampton Roads, VA., 6 April 1987 and converted to a crane ship Maritime Administration type (C6-S1aq) hull under Maritime Administration contract (MA 86) in 1989 by Tampa Shipyards, Tampa, Florida and renamed SS Equality State. She was then assigned by the Maritime Administration to the Ready Reserve Force, (RRF), under operation control of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) and placed in service as SS Equality State (ACS-8). Equality State was berthed at Houston, TX. and assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three and was maintained in a four-day readiness status. Removed from MSC control, withdrawn from the RRF by reassignment to the National Defense Reserve Fleet (Beaumont, TX), 28 July 2006.