USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE-2), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, is the third ship operated by the United States Navy to be named for Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who acted as guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and one of the few United States Navy ships named for women.

Bowditch is the third naval ship named for the American astronomer and navigator Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838) who published the first edition of his work, "The New American Practical Navigator," in 1802 -- which is to this day the standard reference for merchant marine navigation.

USNS Mary Sears is one of the seven survey ships of MSC's Special Mission Ships Program.Placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Mary Sears (T-AGS-65).