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USNS MOUNT BAKER was the seventh ship in the KILAUEA - class of Ammunition Ships and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name. Mount Baker, a peak 10,778 feet high, is located in the Cascades Mountain Range in the State of Washington. Having erupted as late as 1854, fumes and smoke can still be seen emanating from the peak today. On April 30, 1792, Lieutenant Joseph Baker, III, Royal Navy, aboard the HMS DISCOVERY, sighted the mountain which bears his name.
Decommissioned on December 18, 1996, USS MOUNT BAKER was transferred to the Military Sealift Command (MSC), Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force the same day and her hull number was changed to T-AE 34. Base at the US East Coast, she continued service as USNS MOUNT BAKER until deactivated on August 2, 2010. MOUNT BAKER was subsequently laid up at Philadelphia, Penn., and was scheduled to be sunk as a target. However, in mid-2012 she was sold for scrapping and towed to Brownsville, Tx., for dismantling in July 2012.
General Characteristics: | Awarded: March 8, 1968 |
Keel laid: October 5, 1970 | |
Launched: October 23, 1971 | |
Commissioned: July 22, 1972 | |
Decommissioned: December 18, 1996 | |
MSC "in service": December 18, 1996 | |
Deactivated: August 2, 2010 | |
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, MS | |
Propulsion system: 3 Foster-Wheeler boilers; 600 psi (42.3kg/cm²); 870°F (467°C); 1 turbine, 22,000 hp (16.4 MW); Automated Propulsion System (APS) | |
Propellers: one (six bladed) | |
Length: 564,3 feet (172 meters) | |
Beam: 81 feet (24.7 meters) | |
Draft: 28 feet (8.5 meters) | |
Displacement: approx. 20,000 tons full load | |
Speed: 20 knots | |
Aircraft: two CH-46 helicopters | |
Armament: none | |
Crew: 125 civilians, 55 naval personnel (including a helicopter detachment) |
Crew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS / USNS MOUNT BAKER. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
USS / USNS MOUNT BAKER Cruise Books:
Early History of USS / USNS MOUNT BAKER:
Since commissioning on 22 July 1972, the MOUNT BAKER has operated along the East Coast of the United States, the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian Ocean.
On 15 November 1975, MOUNT BAKER took part in NATO Exercise DEVIL's FOIL, which allowed the ship to participate with various NATO Allied ships: HMS ARIANDE (British), TGG CAYRET (Turkish), and ITS CARABINIERRE (Italian).
In 1976, the Chief of Naval Operations authorized the testing of the LAMPS MK III System aboard her flight deck. Later that year, MOUNT BAKER gave support to rescue operation of the Navy's nuclear-powered submersible (NR-1).
The MOUNT BAKER won the Battle Efficiency "E" Award in mid-1977 for excellence as the best ammunition ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
In 1982 and 1983, during the explosive conflicts at Beirut, Lebanon, MOUNT BAKER received many "kudos" from Commander Service Force, U.S. Sixth Fleet and Commander U.S. Sixth Fleet for support to American and Multi-national Forces in the Beirut-Eastern Mediterranean area.
After refresher training in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1983, the MOUNT BAKER made a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Operations included Fleet support; Lebanese contingency evolutions; Masirah, Oman resupply operations; and service to both the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea Battle Groups.
In February 1984, MOUNT BAKER entered Charleston Naval Shipyard for a regular overhaul. With completion in November 1984, the MOUNT BAKER became the most capable AE in the Atlantic Fleet.
Until 1986, MOUNT BAKER has made the following deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean as a Service Force Unit of the Navy's Sixth and Seventh Fleets:
USS / USNS MOUNT BAKER Image Gallery:
The photos below were taken by me on October 26, 2010, and show the MOUNT BAKER laid up at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, Penn. At the time, the MOUNT BAKER was scheduled to be sunk as a target.