[1] The ship is named after Major Stephen W. Pless, an American Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.

[5] Maj. Stephen W. Pless was put into the Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron 3, based in the Indian Ocean.

A mariner fell from the ship which caused a US Navy search party to be sent on 11 February 2014.

[6] On 20 February 2016, Maj. Stephen W. Pless anchored off the Gulf of Thailand during Exercise Cobra Gold 2016.

Matej Kocak (T-AK-3005), USNS PFC Eugene A. Obregon (T-AK-3006) and Maj. Stephen W. Pless on 29 September 2020.