USNS Ponchatoula (T-AO-148)

USNS Ponchatoula (T-AO-148) was a Neosho-class fleet oiler launched in 1955 and commissioned into service with the United States Navy in 1956. Named after the city of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, she played a crucial role in providing underway replenishment of fuel and supplies to U.S. Navy ships at sea, supporting operations during the Cold War, Vietnam War, and other deployments. Ponchatoula was transferred to the Military Sealift Command and redesignated as USNS Ponchatoula (T-AO-148) in 1976, continuing to serve with a primarily civilian crew. After decades of service, she was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1992.