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USS Acadia (AD 42)

Named after the National Park in the state of Maine, a scenic, rugged coastal area on Mount Desert Island and the most prominent elevation on the eastern seaboard, the USS ACADIA was the second YELLOWSTONE - class destroyer tender. Decommissioned on December 16, 1994, and stricken from the Navy list on December 13, 2007, the ACADIA was laid-up at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Pearl Harbor, HI., until sunk as a target on September 20, 2010, in exercise Valiant Shield 2010 off Guam.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS ACADIA. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

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• Click here to see which USS ACADIA memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS ACADIA Cruise Books:

• WestPac Cruise Book 1985
• WestPac Cruise Book 1987
• WestPac Cruise Book 1992

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Early History of USS ACADIA:

ACADIA was laid down on 14 February 1978 at San Diego, Calif., by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 28 July 1979; sponsored by Mrs. Clarence R. Bryan, the wife of Vice-Admiral Clarence R. Bryan, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; and commissioned on 6 June 1981, Capt. Brenton P. Hardy in command.

ACADIA completed her outfitting at her builders yard on 6 July and then made the brief trip to the Naval Station, San Diego. After a month clearing details and getting ready, the destroyer tender embarked upon her shakedown cruise on 7 August. That voyage took her to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and back to San Diego where she arrived on 28 August. When the ship returned to her home port, her crew concentrated their efforts on honing their skills as repairmen; and, except for a few brief periods at sea for underway training and propulsion plant certification, ACADIA spent the rest of the year in port at San Diego.

The destroyer tender began 1982 as a fully operational mobile repair facility of the Pacific Fleet. She provided her services at San Diego until the beginning of February when she moved to Naval Air Station, Alameda. At the end of the month, she steamed back to San Diego. Late in May, the ship embarked Naval Academy and NROTC midshipmen for their summer training cruise. On 14 June, ACADIA stood out of San Diego on her way to Hawaii. The destroyer tender repaired ships of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor from 22 June to 25 July.

Returning to San Diego in August, she spent the remainder of the year in the immediate vicinity of her home port. Though she put to sea occasionally for training purposes, the majority of the time, she was in San Diego doing repair work for the fleet.

In December 1982, ACADIA began preparations for the first overseas assignment of her career. On 4 January 1983, the destroyer tender put to sea for a journey that took her not only to the Orient but into the Indian Ocean and to the east coast of Africa as well. ACADIA stopped at Pearl Harbor between the 12th and the 14th and, after another 10 days at sea, arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, on the 24th. ACADIA remained in Yokosuka for almost a month then visited Sasebo before setting a course for the Philippines on 23 February. The ship entered Subic Bay, Luzon, on 27 February and performed repairs until 3 March when she put to sea for duty in the Indian Ocean. She reached the American outpost on Diego Garcia Island on 13 March and worked at that location for 16 days. On the 29th, ACADIA headed for the east coast of Africa. She visited Mombasa, Kenya, from 4 to 11 April; called at Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, between the 13th and the 16th; and paused overnight at Al Masirah, an island off the coast of Oman near the Horn of Africa, on 22 and 23 April. The destroyer tender returned to the base at Diego Garcia on 29 April and spent the next month there repairing warships on duty in the troubled waters of the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.

On 2 June 1983, ACADIA departed Diego Garcia on her way to Pattaya, Thailand. The ship arrived at Pattaya on 11 June. For the rest of the deployment, she operated in the Far Eastern waters proper. From Pattaya, she steamed back to Subic Bay where she provided repair services to ships of the 7th Fleet during the latter part of June. During July, ACADIA called at Hong Kong, Pusan in Korea, and at Sasebo, Japan. On 16 July, the destroyer tender stood out of Sasebo on her way back to the United States. She took the usual break in the transpacific voyage at Pearl Harbor between the 27th and the 29th and reentered San Diego harbor on 4 August.

ACADIA remained at San Diego for about two months after her return from the Orient. Post-deployment standdown consumed the first month, but she got back to work providing repair services during the second. Near the middle of October, the destroyer tender voyaged north to Bremerton, Wash., where she carried on her duties until 4 November. Returning south by way of San Francisco, ACADIA reached San Diego again on 12 November. She resumed repair work at San Diego upon her return and remained so occupied through the end of 1983 and well into 1984. In fact, the ship did not get underway again until late in March 1984 when she put to sea for three days in the southern California operating area. She returned to port on 23 March and resumed repair work until June. During the week of 11 to 18 June, ACDIA made the round-trip to Monterey and back. In July, she participated in a midshipman summer training cruise and, in August, carried out refresher training in the local operating area. During the remaining months of 1984, the destroyer tender concentrated on repair work and preparations for her second deployment overseas.

ACADIA embarked upon the voyage to the Far East on 5 January 1985. She stopped in Pearl Harbor from the 12th to the 14th and then resumed her journey west. Steaming by way of Guam, the destroyer tender arrived in Subic Bay on 2 February. She conducted repairs there for about a week and voyaged to Hong Kong for a port visit. The ship returned to Subic Bay during the latter part of February and stayed there until 8 March. At that time, she headed for Japan. During March, she called at Sasebo and at the Korean ports of Pusan and Chinhae. On the 28th, the tender returned to Japan at Yokosuka. ACADIA spent the remainder of her tour of duty with the 7th Fleet at Yokosuka carrying out an extremely heavy schedule of repairs on warships assigned to that fleet. On 12 June, she set out upon the voyage home.

ACADIA stopped at Pearl Harbor as usual and pulled into San Diego on 3 July. After a month of leave and upkeep, the destroyer tender began preparations for her first regular overhaul. On 16 September, she moved to the yard of South West Marine in San Diego where she underwent repairs until mid-December.

Holiday leave and upkeep occupied the last half of December 1985, but ACADIA launched into a full schedule of repair services in January 1986. Except for occasional brief periods at sea and a port visit to San Francisco in June, she remained at San Diego until September. Early in the month she put to sea for refresher training and, on the 28th, embarked upon the passage to Alameda. ACADIA arrived at the Naval Air Station, Alameda, on 1 October and began a busy six weeks of repair work there. The destroyer tender returned to San Diego in the middle of November and spent the remainder of 1986 in preparations for overseas movement.

A new Western Pacific deployment had originally been planned for January 1987, but the sailing was postponed, and ACADIA continued providing repair services to ships in the San Diego area during the opening months of the year. Captain Gerald M. Grunwald assumed command on 3 April 1987. ACADIA departed San Diego on 14 April 1987 for a Western Pacific deployment. She called at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from 21 to 22 April before continuing westward. She arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines on 8 May and remained there until 18 May, carrying out fleet-support work before proceeding toward the Indian Ocean. Her planned itinerary was soon changed by events in the Persian Gulf. On 17 May, the guided-missile frigate USS STARK (FFG 31) was struck by two Exocet anti-ship missiles fired by an Iraqi Mirage F.1 aircraft while operating in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. Thirty-seven members of STARK's crew were killed, and the frigate sustained extensive structural, fire and systems damage. The incident occurred during the so-called Tanker War phase of the Iran-Iraq conflict, when attacks on commercial shipping and growing naval activity had made operations in the Gulf increasingly hazardous.

ACADIA, which had been proceeding toward the Indian Ocean, was diverted to Bahrain to assist STARK. The guided-missile cruiser USS FOX (CG 33) was involved in escorting the tender toward the Gulf. ACADIA reached Bahrain on 1 June 1987, and STARK was subsequently positioned alongside so that ACADIA's workshops, technical personnel and support services could be used directly in the battle-damage repair effort. From 1 to 27 June ACADIA provided berthing, messing, material and extensive repair assistance to the damaged frigate and her crew.

The work concentrated on stabilizing STARK, restoring essential systems and making the frigate sufficiently seaworthy to return to the United States under her own power. ACADIA's extensive machine, electrical, electronics, pipe, welding, sheet-metal, foundry and other specialized shops allowed repairs and fabrication work to be carried out without sending the damaged frigate to a major regional shipyard. The tender also provided the accommodation, logistical and technical support required while STARK's own spaces remained affected by the missile damage. The formal investigation into the attack was conducted in Bahrain during this period, initially aboard another Middle East Force command platform and subsequently aboard ACADIA while STARK remained alongside.

By 27 June 1987, sufficient temporary repairs had been completed for STARK to depart Bahrain and begin her long return voyage to the United States. ACADIA's work took place immediately before a major expansion of the American naval presence in the Persian Gulf. Kuwait had requested protection for its tanker traffic from Iranian attacks, and the United States began Operation Earnest Will in July 1987, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers through the Gulf. ACADIA's emergency assignment therefore occurred during the same rapidly developing regional crisis, although the STARK repair effort preceded the first Earnest Will convoys.

After completing the STARK assignment, ACADIA continued her overseas deployment and eventually returned to San Diego.

Back in San Diego, ACADIA resumed her normal Pacific Fleet tender duties. During 1988, she provided maintenance support from her homeport, maintained the readiness of her own propulsion and industrial systems and prepared for another extended Western Pacific deployment. By this time, the Iran-Iraq War was nearing its conclusion. A United Nations-sponsored cease-fire took effect in August 1988, but American naval forces remained in the region, and the effects of the Tanker War, including the continuing requirement for mine countermeasures and forward repair support, did not disappear immediately.

ACADIA departed San Diego on 4 November 1988 for a deployment that would last approximately six months. She first proceeded to Hawaii and then continued across the Pacific to the Philippines. From there, she moved westward across the Indian Ocean toward the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf support area. In December she reached Al Masirah, Oman, and subsequently operated from Bahrain. The cruise placed her repair facilities near ships assigned to the Middle East Force during the transitional period following the end of active hostilities between Iran and Iraq.

During December 1988, ACADIA was documented providing services to several ships at the same time. These included the guided-missile cruisers USS JOSEPHUS DANIELS (CG 27) and USS ENGLAND (CG 22), the ocean minesweepers USS FEARLESS (MSO 442) and USS CONQUEST (MSO 488), and other deployed units. The repair workload during the deployment was extensive. ACADIA's repair department ultimately completed more than 5,000 jobs involving more than 60,000 work-hours. These were not restricted to routine minor repairs. The tender's sheet-metal personnel handled hundreds of jobs and repaired collision damage aboard the ocean minesweeper USS INFLICT (MSO 456). Insulation specialists manufactured boiler pads for FEARLESS and the ocean minesweeper USS ESTEEM (MSO 438) and worked on damaged areas aboard INFLICT. ACADIA's foundry rebabbitted a line-shaft bearing for the fast combat support ship USS SACRAMENTO (AOE 1), while her inside machine shop performed work on a reduction-gear clutch brake for the destroyer USS LEFTWICH (DD 984).

The growing importance of gas-turbine-powered combatants was also reflected in the work performed aboard ACADIA. Gas-turbine specialists replaced an engine aboard the guided-missile frigate USS DOYLE (FFG 39) in less than 48 hours. The hydraulic shop repaired an emergency-diesel directional-control valve for the guided-missile frigate USS REID (FFG 30). Internal-combustion specialists worked on the main engines of INFLICT, repaired outboard motors for CONQUEST and performed shaft replacement and alignment work on small boats. ACADIA also provided highly purified demineralized water to minesweepers operating from Bahrain.

The deployment generated a substantial supply workload. During the Pacific crossing toward Subic Bay, supply personnel inventoried more than 44,000 line items carried aboard the tender. Such a large inventory was essential because many customer ships could not wait for replacement components to be shipped from the United States. Administrative personnel simultaneously processed transfers, receipts, reenlistments, identification documents and advancement examinations for ACADIA's crew and for sailors assigned to ships receiving tender support. ACADIA also conducted six underway replenishments during the cruise.

The ship spent the Christmas period of 1988 in Bahrain. Operations in the Persian Gulf region remained subject to increased security precautions even though the formal Iran-Iraq cease-fire was already in force. ACADIA subsequently returned to Al Masirah during January 1989. During the opening months of 1989, she operated principally between Al Masirah and Bahrain as repair requirements dictated.

On 13 March 1989, while ACADIA was anchored off Al Masirah, Captain Larry L. King relieved Captain Grunwald as commanding officer. The tender subsequently began moving eastward. She called at Singapore during March and crossed the Equator during this portion of the voyage. The return route then included another period in the Philippines followed by a visit to Hong Kong. ACADIA continued across the Pacific to Hawaii, where guests embarked for the final Tiger Cruise segment, before returning to San Diego in May 1989.

During the first half of 1990, ACADIA continued repair and readiness work from San Diego. During the summer, she sailed north to participate in Seattle's Seafair activities. While ACADIA was in Seattle, Iraq invaded Kuwait on 2 August 1990. The invasion immediately transformed American military requirements in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia requested assistance, and the United States began Operation Desert Shield, rapidly moving air, land and naval forces toward the region while multinational naval forces began enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq. ACADIA returned from Seattle to San Diego and was ordered to accelerate preparations for deployment. A Western Pacific deployment had originally been expected later, but the Gulf crisis reduced the preparation period to only a few weeks. More than 1,000 pallets of equipment, stores and repair material were received and loaded.

ACADIA departed San Diego on 5 September 1990 for the Middle East. Approximately 1,260 personnel were aboard, including about 360 women. The deployment became one of the most important operational tests to that time of a large United States Navy seagoing command with a permanently assigned mixed-gender crew. After crossing the Pacific and Indian Ocean, ACADIA reached the Gulf of Oman area in early October. During much of the remainder of 1990 she operated between Al Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and other support locations, repeatedly passing through or operating near the Strait of Hormuz as requirements changed. During approximately the first three months of her time in theater, ACADIA was the only destroyer tender available in the immediate operating area. Her repair facilities consequently supported a wide range of ships engaged in maritime interception operations, carrier and surface-group activities, amphibious preparations and the broader buildup of coalition naval forces.

From 21 to 25 October 1990 the frigate USS BREWTON (FF 1086) moored alongside ACADIA at Fujairah for upkeep. Only days later, a much more serious repair requirement developed. On 30 October, the amphibious assault ship USS IWO JIMA (LPH 2) suffered a catastrophic engineering casualty when a high-pressure steam valve failed. Ten sailors were killed and the engineering spaces sustained extensive damage. ACADIA's repair personnel became heavily involved in restoring IWO JIMA. More than 170 repairs were performed, and extensive technical work was required before the amphibious assault ship could resume operations. Within approximately four weeks, IWO JIMA had been returned to full operational status and remained available to the force preparing for possible combat against Iraq.

ACADIA also performed emergency work on the destroyer USS HARRY W. HILL (DD 986) after that ship suffered collision damage. Tender personnel completed sufficient repairs for the destroyer to return to operational duties within approximately three days. Numerous other American and coalition ships received assistance. ACADIA's repair organization worked not only on United States Navy vessels but also provided support connected with allied ships from several coalition navies. For the Kuwaiti naval vessel SAWAHIL, ACADIA personnel designed and fabricated a helicopter-control station that enabled helicopter operations in support of coalition requirements. The assignment demonstrated the range of fabrication work that could be completed by the tender without reliance on a major naval shipyard.

During November 1990, the destroyer USS OLDENDORF (DD 972) and the guided-missile frigate USS CURTS (FFG 38) were documented secured alongside ACADIA during the deployment. The tender also dispatched specialized technical teams away from the ship. One four-person repair team assisted mobile early-warning, detection and communications equipment in Saudi Arabia. These fly-away teams allowed ACADIA's technical capabilities to support forces that could not conveniently move to the tender.

Weapons handling became another important part of ACADIA's Gulf mission. At Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, the tender participated in the transfer of Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles between surface combatants, reducing the need for missile-equipped ships to leave the theater for established ammunition facilities. In early December 1990, 31 Tomahawk missiles were transferred between the destroyers USS FIFE (DD 991) and USS O'BRIEN (DD 975).

In early January 1991, the guided-missile cruiser USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53) moored alongside ACADIA while the tender was anchored off Masirah, Oman, for approximately four days of upkeep. By this time, the United Nations deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait was approaching and coalition naval forces were preparing for the possibility of combat. Operation Desert Storm began on 17 January 1991 with the opening of the coalition air campaign against Iraq. United States Navy carrier aircraft participated immediately, while cruisers, destroyers and submarines launched Tomahawk missiles against targets ashore.

From 27 January to 5 February 1991, the guided-missile destroyer USS CALLAGHAN (DDG 994) underwent a tender availability with ACADIA at Jebel Ali. Repair requirements continued as ships maintained the high operating tempo associated with the air campaign, sanctions enforcement and preparations for possible operations closer to Kuwait. In February, ACADIA again participated in the movement of Tomahawk missiles to ships requiring replacement weapons. LEFTWICH and the destroyer USS PAUL F. FOSTER (DD 964) were among the ships receiving missiles with tender assistance.

On 18 February 1991, the guided-missile cruiser USS PRINCETON (CG 59) struck two influence mines in the northern Persian Gulf. The explosions caused serious structural and propulsion damage, including damage around the stern, a jammed rudder and shaft-related problems. PRINCETON was initially stabilized and subsequently moved away from the mine-threat area for further support. ACADIA became involved in the repair and logistics effort associated with the damaged cruiser. One of the major tasks was the removal and redistribution of PRINCETON's ammunition so that the damaged ship could be handled more safely. The work involved large quantities of missiles, 5-inch ammunition and other ordnance. ACADIA provided intermediate-level repair capability during the subsequent support effort, although PRINCETON required additional repairs beyond those that could be completed by the tender alone before eventually returning to the United States.

The coalition ground offensive began on 24 February 1991. Iraqi forces were expelled from Kuwait within several days, and offensive operations were suspended on 28 February. The end of the main combat phase did not immediately end ACADIA's workload. Ships still required repairs, weapons redistribution and preparations for redeployment. In early March, ACADIA also assisted in reloading FIFE with Tomahawk missiles. Throughout the deployment, ACADIA's repair department completed 9,069 intermediate-maintenance jobs and provided assistance to more than 100 commands associated with the joint and coalition force.

On 9 March 1991, ACADIA completed turnover with the submarine tender USS McKEE (AS 41) and began her return passage across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The deployment had been extended by approximately two months beyond the period originally anticipated and had encompassed the transition from the defensive buildup of Desert Shield through the air and ground campaigns of Desert Storm and into the immediate postwar period. ACADIA returned to San Diego on 26 April 1991 after nearly eight months away from homeport. The homecoming received considerable public attention because of both the ship's Gulf War support work and the large number of women assigned to her crew. During the deployment, 36 female sailors had been transferred from the ship after pregnancies were identified, in accordance with Navy medical and personnel policy in force at the time. The issue became part of the broader contemporary debate concerning women serving at sea. ACADIA's operational record during the deployment centered on the large volume of maintenance, repair, weapons-handling and logistical work performed for the coalition fleet. The ship received the Navy Unit Commendation for her Gulf War service together with the applicable Southwest Asia campaign recognition.

Captain King was relieved by Captain Joseph F. Eckler on 30 April 1991, only a few days after the return to San Diego. Captain Grunwald again assumed command on 10 June, and Captain Charles H. Wilson became commanding officer on 30 September. These changes occurred while ACADIA was progressing through post-deployment leave, maintenance and restoration of readiness following the prolonged Gulf deployment. She subsequently resumed repair support for Pacific Fleet ships from San Diego.

The geopolitical environment continued to change during 1991. The Soviet Union dissolved in December, formally ending the confrontation that had shaped much of the United States Navy's Cold War force structure. The Persian Gulf, however, remained an active operating area. United Nations sanctions against Iraq continued, American naval forces remained in the region, and periodic crises concerning Iraqi compliance with the cease-fire ensured that substantial forces continued to deploy to Southwest Asia.

ACADIA returned to overseas duty during 1992. The deployment again took her through the Western Pacific toward the Arabian Gulf, where she provided forward intermediate-level maintenance to surface combatants operating far from their normal Pacific homeports. The cruise occurred while the United States was reducing some of its long-established Western Pacific infrastructure, including facilities in the Philippines, but was maintaining substantial naval commitments in the Middle East. By February 1992, ACADIA was operating in the Arabian Gulf. On 16 February, the guided-missile cruiser USS BUNKER HILL (CG 52) moored outboard at Jebel Ali for a six-day tender availability. The maintenance period allowed the cruiser to receive concentrated intermediate-level work without leaving the region.

ACADIA continued supporting ships operating in the Gulf during the following months. On 27 July, MOBILE BAY entered Jebel Ali for an eight-day upkeep period with the tender. The cruiser had already been operating for approximately two months in the region and later participated in operations associated with enforcement of the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. Operation Southern Watch formally began in August 1992.

After completing the 1992 deployment, ACADIA returned to San Diego and resumed normal Pacific Fleet support duties. During 1993 the Navy's post-Cold War drawdown accelerated. Numerous cruisers, destroyers and frigates were being retired, reducing the number of ships for which large traditional destroyer tenders had originally been designed. Forward requirements nevertheless continued in the Persian Gulf and, increasingly, around Somalia.

Captain Donato A. Liuzzi relieved Captain Wilson on 16 July 1993 and became ACADIA's final commanding officer. The ship subsequently prepared for what became the last major overseas deployment of her commissioned career. ACADIA departed San Diego on 23 October 1993 for her final Western Pacific deployment. The cruise would last exactly six months, ending with her return on 23 April 1994. Her crew numbered approximately 1,500 personnel and was by then much more evenly divided between men and women than it had been during the 1990-1991 Gulf deployment, reflecting the continuing expansion of sea-duty opportunities for women in the United States Navy.

ACADIA first proceeded westward across the Pacific, with Hawaii and Guam forming part of the logistical movement toward East Asia. The deployment subsequently took her through the western Pacific and Southeast Asian region before operational requirements redirected her toward Somalia rather than immediately concentrating all of her activity in the Persian Gulf. The situation in Somalia had deteriorated considerably during 1993. The earlier American-led Operation Restore Hope had been followed by United Nations operations and the associated United States mission known as Operation Continue Hope. The fighting in Mogadishu on 3-4 October 1993 had resulted in significant American casualties, and the United States subsequently decided to withdraw its remaining forces by the end of March 1994. Naval and support ships therefore continued operating off Somalia while personnel and material were sustained ashore and preparations were made for the eventual withdrawal.

ACADIA arrived off Mogadishu in December 1993 and provided support to American forces in and around the Somali capital. Her employment there differed from the normal destroyer-tender arrangement in which several surface combatants were moored directly alongside. Instead, ACADIA's extensive repair shops, supply facilities, medical and dental departments and other support capabilities were used as an offshore resource. Personnel and material moved between the ship and shore as required. ACADIA remained in the Mogadishu area through the Christmas period before subsequently proceeding toward the Arabian Gulf.

After leaving the Somali operating area, ACADIA resumed the more conventional role for which she had been designed and moved toward the United Arab Emirates. During January 1994, she operated from Jebel Ali, once again serving surface ships deployed in the Arabian Gulf. On 18 January 1994, BUNKER HILL moored outboard of ACADIA at Jebel Ali for a week-long tender availability. The cruiser had entered the Arabian Gulf shortly before the maintenance period and subsequently returned to regional operations. On 26 January, MOBILE BAY moored alongside ACADIA at Jebel Ali for a nine-day port period that included tender support. The guided-missile frigate USS McCLUSKY (FFG 41) was another ship receiving maintenance assistance from ACADIA in the area during this period.

After completing her principal Gulf support duties, ACADIA began the long eastward return passage. The homeward route included Hong Kong; Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan; Guam; and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. These stops combined logistical requirements, maintenance, crew rest and the normal needs of a trans-Pacific return voyage. ACADIA arrived back at San Diego on 23 April 1994, completing her final Western Pacific deployment. Her service connected with Somalia resulted in Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal eligibility for the applicable period, while her continued Southwest Asia service was reflected in the campaign recognition accumulated during her later career.

After returning to San Diego, ACADIA resumed local repair-support duties while preparations began for deactivation. The decision to retire the ship reflected wider changes in the post-Cold War Navy. The large crew required to operate a YELLOWSTONE-class tender also represented a considerable personnel and operating-cost commitment. Maintaining a vessel whose purpose was to provide hundreds of technicians, industrial shops and logistical services to numerous other ships became increasingly difficult to justify as the total surface fleet contracted.

ACADIA nevertheless remained an operational Navy ship through most of 1994. Her repair personnel continued supporting ships in the San Diego area while deactivation preparations progressed. USS ACADIA was decommissioned on 16 December 1994, with Captain Liuzzi as her final commanding officer. She had been in commissioned service since 6 June 1981 and had served for more than thirteen years, almost entirely with the Pacific Fleet.

After decommissioning, ACADIA was placed in the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She was initially retained rather than immediately selected for disposal, preserving the possibility of reactivation should future fleet requirements justify the return of a large destroyer tender to service. No such requirement developed. The Navy continued reducing the traditional tender force during the 1990s while moving toward different combinations of shore-based maintenance, mobile technical teams, commercial support and specialized logistics vessels.

ACADIA remained laid up at Pearl Harbor for many years. She was still present in the inactive fleet during the early 2000s and remained in Navy custody while the possibility of reactivation became increasingly remote. ACADIA was formally stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 13 December 2007. The former tender nevertheless remained at Pearl Harbor for several more years before being selected for disposal as a target during the major Pacific exercise Valiant Shield 2010.

On 20 September 2010, ex-ACADIA was positioned in waters off Guam for a sinking exercise. United States naval forces attacked the former tender during a day-long series of weapons engagements intended to provide realistic training against a full-size surface target. Aircraft and ships employed live ordnance against the vessel, progressively damaging the hull and superstructure. During the exercise the former ACADIA eventually rolled onto her starboard side and capsized. After the hull had overturned, an HH-60H Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 14 approached the target and employed a Mk 46 Mod 5A(S) torpedo. The former USS ACADIA sank off Guam on 20 September 2010, almost sixteen years after her decommissioning and more than twenty-nine years after she had entered commissioned service.

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USS ACADIA Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by me on July 29, 2006, and shows the ACADIA berthed at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Pearl Harbor, HI. The other ships are DULUTH (LPD 6) [behind the ACADIA] and the two amphibious cargo ships DURHAM (LKA 114) [front] and ST. LOUIS (LKA 116).

The photo below were taken by me on March 20, 2010, and show the ACADIA still laid-up at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Pearl Harbor, HI. The ship laid-up in front of ACADIA is CONCORD (T-AFS 5).

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