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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia About the Ship's Coat of Arms History Image Gallery end of page |  |  |
USS KINGFISHER was the sixth OSPREY - class coastal mine hunter and the fourth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. The ship was delivered to the Navy on July 24, 1996. On July 1, 1997, KINGFISHER transfered to the Naval Reserve Force and subsequently served as training ship for naval reservists. Decommissioned on December 1, 2007, KINGFISHER was subsequently laid-up at Beaumont, Tx. On May 8, 2014, she was sold by the U.S. General Services Administration for scrapping.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: March 29, 1991 |
| Keel laid: February 12, 1993 | |
| Launched: June 18, 1994 | |
| Commissioned: October 26, 1996 | |
| Decommissioned: December 1, 2007 | |
| Builder: Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, La. | |
| Propulsion System: two diesels (800 hp each) | |
| Propellers: two | |
| Length: 188 feet (57.3 meters) | |
| Beam: 36 feet (11 meters) | |
| Draft: 9,5 feet (2.9 meters) | |
| Displacement: 895 tons | |
| Speed: 12 knots | |
| Armament: Mine neutralization system, two .50 caliber machine guns | |
| Crew: 5 Officers, 46 Enlisted |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS KINGFISHER. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Ship's Coat of Arms:
The Shield:
Dark blue are the colors traditionally used by the Navy and reflect the sea and excellence. The belted Kingfisher, a tenacious hunter, is the ship's namesake. This graceful bird jealously guards its fishing rights, constantly patrolling its stretch of shoreline. The blue and gray border commemorates the courage and valor displayed by the first USS KINGFISHER during the Civil War and alludes to a coastline and the littoral maritime area where an MHC operates.
The Crest:
The horned contact mine underscores the North Sea mine barrage clearance of the third USS KINGFISHER during World War I. The stars honor the battle star that the ship earned rescuing a downed aviator during World War II. The life ring also highlights this lifesaving act. The four lightning bolts represent the four ships that have been named KINGFISHER; their radiating configuration underscores the ship's modern electronic mine hunting capabilities in the search and clearing of enemy mines.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS KINGFISHER History:
The construction contract for KINGFISHER was awarded on March 29, 1991. Her keel was laid on February 12, 1993, at Gulfport, Mississippi, by Avondale Shipyards. She was launched on June 18, 1994, sponsored by Elizabeth M. Fisher, wife of philanthropist Zachary Fisher of the INTREPID Museum Foundation. KINGFISHER was delivered to the U.S. Navy on July 24, 1996. Following completion of her acceptance and precommissioning preparations, she was commissioned in New York City on October 26, 1996, with Lieutenant Commander Bradley D. Martin as her first commanding officer. After commissioning she joined the U.S. Navy's mine warfare force centered on Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, which became her home port.
KINGFISHER transferred to the Naval Reserve Force on July 1, 1997, thereafter combining operational mine-countermeasures responsibilities with the training and integration of Naval Reserve personnel. She remained a commissioned warship and continued to participate in fleet exercises and readiness cycles alongside active-force mine warfare units.
KINGFISHER began 1998 at Naval Station Ingleside as a unit of Mine Countermeasures Squadron One. Much of the opening part of the year was devoted to readiness assessments. She underwent Tailored Ship Training Availability phase III from February 9 through February 13. On February 18, Lieutenant Commander David F. Eastwood relieved Lieutenant Commander Martin as commanding officer. The change of command was followed by a Final Evaluation Problem from February 23 through February 25. A safety survey was conducted from March 2 through March 6, and on March 18, KINGFISHER got underway in the Corpus Christi operating area for a navigation check ride before returning to Ingleside.
Her training program moved into larger fleet exercises during the spring. KINGFISHER was underway from April 14 through April 17, 1998, as part of Joint Task Force Exercise 98-1 together with USS OSPREY (MHC 51), USS FALCON (MHC 59) and USS HERON (MHC 52). The minehunters practiced clearing Q-routes, amphibious staging areas and boat lanes in support of an amphibious landing scenario involving the battle group centered on USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) and USS ESSEX (LHD 2). Rather than requiring the Gulf-based minehunters to operate physically alongside the Pacific battle group, the exercise used geotranslation through the Joint Maritime Command Information System to integrate the mine warfare scenario with the larger force operating off California.
After returning to Ingleside, KINGFISHER participated in Squadron Exercise 98-2 from May 6 through May 15 with USS OSPREY, USS HERON and USS FALCON. The exercise emphasized coordination between the surface minehunters and explosive-ordnance-disposal divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units 3, 6 and 11. Among the evolutions was an underway replenishment demonstration involving an OSPREY-class ship and the loading of a replacement mine-neutralization vehicle. Gulf of Mexico Exercise 98-1 ran concurrently from May 11 through May 22, further integrating the mine warfare units into a broader series of surface, airborne and underwater countermeasures activities.
From June 1 through June 22, 1998, KINGFISHER served as a support platform for an activity identified in the ship's records as Aviation Exodus. She then resumed the larger exercise schedule. On July 6, she got underway for Gulf of Mexico Exercise 98-2, conducted in conjunction with Mercury 98-3. Participating surface units included USS OSPREY, USS HERON, USS FALCON, USS PELICAN (MHC 53), USS CORMORANT (MHC 57), USS CHIEF (MCM 14) and USS GLADIATOR (MCM 11). Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 provided an airborne mine-countermeasures component, while detachments from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units 3, 6 and 11 provided the underwater element. Training included responses to simulated small-boat attacks, small-unit amphibious landings and a simulated terrorist threat in the Corpus Christi area. Representatives of the Royal Australian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy observed portions of the exercise.
Following several days back at Ingleside, KINGFISHER was underway again from July 27 through July 30 for maritime cooperative activity. August was largely spent in port and included a composite-duty-section or "nesting" initiative conducted in conjunction with USS HERON. A safety stand-down occupied August 4 and August 5, followed by a combat-management-system inspection on August 6. KINGFISHER also served as a test platform for OE-82/Joint Maritime Command Information System satellite-communications equipment and commercial off-the-shelf power supplies associated with the SQQ-32 minehunting sonar. A NATO Secret inspection was conducted on August 11, and on August 15 the ship got underway in the Corpus Christi operating area for a dependents' cruise.
From August 16 through September 15, KINGFISHER entered a pre-overseas-movement period. Command Assessment of Readiness Training phase I overlapped this period from September 1 through September 11. On September 10, the ship was placed in heavy-weather mooring configuration as Tropical Storm Frances approached the Texas coast. Frances made landfall north of Corpus Christi on September 11, bringing strong winds and heavy precipitation to the region but causing no reported damage to the ships at Ingleside.
KINGFISHER participated in a type-command exercise on September 23 and then entered Fleet Exercise 99-1 from September 28 through October 4 together with USS OSPREY, USS HERON, USS PELICAN, USS FALCON and USS CORMORANT. The minehunters used Joint Maritime Command Information System geotranslation to integrate their mine warfare activity with the battle group centered on USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65), whose larger fleet exercise was taking place off the North Carolina coast.
On October 6, 1998, KINGFISHER began Highlander Exodus, a six-week cruise that represented the first force-package deployment of the coastal minehunter class to the Caribbean. The participating minehunters first proceeded north along the Texas coast and were at Beaumont from approximately October 7 through October 11 for the city's Navy Days celebrations. The force subsequently made calls along the Mexican coast, including Isla Mujeres, before continuing into the Caribbean.
The weather became an operational consideration as a tropical system south of the ships developed into Hurricane Mitch. The minehunter group moved eastward through deteriorating weather under the lead of USS OSPREY and reached Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the ships remained from October 27 through October 29. Other calls made by KINGFISHER's force package during Highlander Exodus included Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman. After completing the Caribbean portion of the cruise, KINGFISHER returned to Ingleside during November. She underwent an inspection of her diesel systems from December 14 through December 21 and also observed a safety stand-down on December 17.
On October 5, 1999, KINGFISHER joined USS OSPREY, USS HERON, USS PELICAN, USS CORMORANT and USS FALCON for another movement to Beaumont in connection with Navy Days and observances surrounding the U.S. Navy's 224th birthday. KINGFISHER was photographed on the Neches River on October 7 while proceeding toward Beaumont. On November 5, Lieutenant Commander Michael A. Hall relieved Lieutenant Commander Eastwood as commanding officer.
One of the most extensive voyages of KINGFISHER's career began on March 16, 2000. She departed Naval Station Ingleside as part of Mine Warfare Readiness Group One with USS DEFENDER (MCM 2), USS SENTRY (MCM 3), USS ROBIN (MHC 54) and USS BLACK HAWK (MHC 58). The deployment combined fleet training, multinational mine-warfare activity and a Great Lakes public-outreach cruise. During the initial transit through the Gulf of Mexico, the ships conducted maneuvering, engineering, general-quarters and other underway training. KINGFISHER also participated in a connected-replenishment evolution with USS ROBIN.
The mine warfare group first supported a Composite Unit Training Exercise in the Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola operating areas during the latter part of March. Larger Navy units associated with this phase included USS NORMANDY (CG 60), USS HAWES (FFG 53) and USS BRISCOE (DD 977), while USS DEFENDER, USS SENTRY, USS ROBIN, KINGFISHER and USS BLACK HAWK represented the surface mine-countermeasures component. The exercise formed part of the Atlantic Fleet interdeployment training cycle and was intended to integrate the individual warfare elements of a carrier battle group before the more demanding Joint Task Force Exercise.
The group then moved into the Caribbean and participated in the Caribbean phase of Unitas 41-00. Unitas was the long-running series of multinational naval exercises conducted between the United States and Latin American navies to develop interoperability and common procedures. U.S. Navy units involved in this phase included USS ROBERT G. BRADLEY (FFG 49), USS HUE CITY (CG 66), USS ESTOCIN (FFG 15), USS DEFENDER, USS SENTRY and KINGFISHER. Minehunting and maritime-interception-related training formed part of the multinational scenario.
Mine Warfare Readiness Group One subsequently participated in a Joint Task Force Exercise associated with the battle group centered on USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73). The advanced exercise, conducted in the waters off Virginia and North Carolina, tested the ability of the participating forces to respond to a simulated crisis and operate as an integrated joint force. The mine-countermeasures ships provided the specialized capability needed to identify and clear simulated mine threats that could restrict access by the larger naval force.
After completion of the major fleet-training portion, KINGFISHER continued north for the Navy's 2000 Great Lakes Cruise. The cruise combined Naval Reserve training and public outreach with an effort to increase public awareness of the Navy in areas far removed from the principal fleet home ports. On May 19, 2000, KINGFISHER entered the Maumee River on her way to Toledo, Ohio. On May 22, she was moored at International Park in Toledo and opened to visitors. By May 28, she had reached Mackinaw City, Michigan, where she approached the city dock as part of the continuing Great Lakes itinerary.
KINGFISHER subsequently visited additional Great Lakes communities. During the first week of June, she was among the Navy ships participating in activities at Navy Pier in Chicago. The cruise involved ship tours and other public events intended both to explain the Navy's missions and to support recruiting. The ships eventually proceeded eastward through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence system. On July 2, KINGFISHER and USS DEFENDER were at Clayton, New York. During a day sail on the St. Lawrence River, KINGFISHER demonstrated the lowering and operation of her remotely controlled mine-neutralization vehicle for civilian guests.
The Great Lakes Cruise was particularly unusual for a small coastal minehunter normally based on the Gulf Coast and demonstrated the ability to move an OSPREY-class ship through the inland-waterway system for an extended series of public visits. KINGFISHER subsequently returned to the normal Ingleside mine-warfare training cycle. She received a Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation for 2000.
Lieutenant Commander James E. McGovern relieved Lieutenant Commander Hall as commanding officer on May 4, 2001. Later that year, KINGFISHER joined another coordinated mine-countermeasures training event. From October 23 through November 2, 2001, Mine Warfare Readiness Group One conducted Squadron Exercise 02-1 in the Gulf of Mexico near Corpus Christi. KINGFISHER operated with USS DEFENDER, USS SENTRY, USS ROBIN and USS BLACK HAWK. The exercise emphasized coordinated multi-ship mine-countermeasures operations and formed part of the interdeployment readiness cycle.
Squadron Exercise 02-1 took place only weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and after the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom on October 7. Those developments had changed the wider strategic and force-protection environment in which the Navy operated.
On May 22, 2002, KINGFISHER steamed up the Hudson River past Battery Park in New York City as a participant in the Parade of Ships opening the 15th annual Fleet Week New York. USS SENTRY was among the other mine-warfare ships participating. More than 6,000 sailors, Marines and Coast Guard personnel aboard more than 20 vessels took part in Fleet Week that year. The event occurred in a city still dealing with the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and included several warships that had recently returned from operations connected with the broader campaign against terrorism.
By the end of 2002 and beginning of 2003, KINGFISHER was undergoing an extensive three-month maintenance availability at Gulf Copper near Corpus Christi. The work included resealing elements of the Voith-Schneider propulsion system, resealing major bulk-equipment-removal panels, installation of the Mk 94 fire-control system, refurbishment of mess-deck ventilation and replacement of the waveguide assembly associated with the SPS-64 navigation radar. She completed the availability and was back at Naval Station Ingleside in February 2003.
KINGFISHER began February with engineering-training-team drills in preparation for an Initial Assessment and later underway demonstration. The Initial Assessment was completed on February 5, and the ship was underway from February 25 through February 27. On March 21, she became the first ship attached to Mine Warfare Readiness Group One to complete the scheduled underway demonstration. Command Assessment of Readiness Training phase II followed.
April 2003 included force-protection and antiterrorism certification work as well as underway periods from April 2 through April 4, April 24 through April 25 and April 28 through April 29. May was used for additional minehunting-system training while the ship remained at Ingleside. KINGFISHER went to sea again on June 10. On June 12 Lieutenant Commander Timothy F. Sparks relieved Lieutenant Commander McGovern as commanding officer.
During Tailored Ship Training Availability phase II from June 16 through June 19, KINGFISHER suffered an engineering casualty while transiting the Corpus Christi ship channel. A failure of the No. 1 uninterruptible power supply, traced to a faulty inverter and battery charger, caused the loss of control of the starboard propulsion unit. The crew retained sufficient control to return the ship safely to Ingleside, where repairs were carried out. KINGFISHER subsequently resumed training, conducting independent type training from June 20 through June 24, including an underway portion from June 22 through June 24.
From July 7 through July 10, KINGFISHER participated in an inclining and stability experiment off Ingleside. The vessel was moved into deeper water and weights were shifted to different positions aboard ship so that engineers could measure changes in stability. The resulting information was intended to support both future design work and damage-control calculations. From July 11 through July 13, the ship was placed in special hurricane moorings as Hurricane Claudette approached the Texas coast. The center of the storm passed approximately 100 miles northeast of Ingleside; the base experienced heavy weather, but the ships there escaped damage.
The second half of July included force-protection certification and detailed assessments of KINGFISHER's electronic, electrical and auxiliary systems. Repairs were made to the Global Command and Control System, SPS-64 radar, X-Y plotter, Doppler radar, SYQ-13 navigation system and digital networks. Other work involved the ship's multipurpose craft, anchor windlass, electrical fittings and boat crane. The modernization and repair effort continued into August. Mission Package 3 was installed to improve KINGFISHER's ability to deal with moored mines while reducing risks associated with drifting mines, and more than 3,000 pounds of ammunition were loaded. A Fleet Maintenance Availability included inspection of the diesel machinery and additional repairs to navigation, radar and ship-service diesel-generator equipment. After completion of much of this work, KINGFISHER proceeded into a concentrated training period, completing Tailored Ship Training Availability phase I from August 25 through August 28 and phases II and III during early September.
She was underway from September 2 through September 5 and again on September 9. Further periods at sea from September 19 through September 26 were devoted to preparation for the Final Evaluation Problem. During one of these evolutions, the mine-neutralization vehicle lost system power and had to be recovered using emergency procedures. KINGFISHER nevertheless continued her scheduled operational training and was underway again from September 29 through October 8.
Squadron Exercise 3-03 occupied much of October. KINGFISHER's underway periods included October 10 through October 16, October 17 through October 21 and October 24. The exercise incorporated force-protection drills, security-alert-team and backup-alert-force training, towing and underway-replenishment procedures, as well as the ship's primary mine-warfare mission. KINGFISHER conducted a towing exercise with USS BLACK HAWK and carried out mine-warfare training with instructors from Afloat Training Group Ingleside embarked.
After returning to port, KINGFISHER underwent installation of the Combat System Operational Sequencing System from October 27 through November 14, accompanied by a supply-management assist from October 28 through October 31. Underway periods from October 27 through October 31 supported system testing. Additional underway periods followed on November 3-5, November 11-12 and November 13. Later sorties on November 19-21, November 24 and November 26 included magnetic offload work, a run through the electromagnetic range and participation in Mine Countermeasures Squadron Two's junior-officer shiphandling competition. KINGFISHER also completed her Final Evaluation Problem during this period.
December brought another major fleet exercise. KINGFISHER was underway during December 1-9 and December 13-19, with Gulf of Mexico Exercise running from December 2 through December 17. Participating ships included USS BLACK HAWK, USS ROBIN, USS DEFENDER, USS AVENGER (MCM 1) and USS WASP (LHD 1), together with other elements of the USS WASP Amphibious Ready Group. The exercise integrated dedicated mine-countermeasures ships with an amphibious force whose freedom of movement in an actual operation could depend upon the clearance of mines from approach routes and operating areas. KINGFISHER successfully completed three nighttime mine-neutralization-vehicle missions during the exercise.
KINGFISHER entered the year 2005 in a Continuous Maintenance Availability at Ingleside from January 10 through January 28. Radio-navigation training was conducted from January 18 through January 20, while a system-calibration period extended from January 18 through February 4. The ship carried out a magnetic offload on February 3 and February 4 and ran the local electromagnetic range on February 15.
Engineering limited-team training followed from March 1 through March 4, with additional Afloat Training Group instruction extending from March 7 through March 31. Another engineering limited-team-training period took place from April 4 through April 8, followed by force-protection training from April 11 through April 15. Underwater hull cleaning was carried out on April 21 and April 22.
From May 2 through May 13, KINGFISHER participated in Hurricane Exercise 2005, which trained Navy commands in preparations for the approaching Atlantic hurricane season and included practice procedures for securing ships at Ingleside. Another engineering limited-team-training period followed from May 17 through May 19. KINGFISHER underwent an Initial Assessment from June 1 through June 3 and Command Assessment of Readiness Training phase II from June 6 through June 10.
The minehunter force was by this stage changing to a rotational-crewing system. Rather than each ship retaining the same permanently assigned crew, designated MHC crews could transfer from one coastal minehunter to another. On June 13, 2005, Lieutenant Commander Todd A. Braynard of MHC Crew Detector assumed command from Lieutenant Commander Sparks. Engineering Tailored Ship Training Availability phase I followed from June 20 through June 24. Shipboard team training was conducted from June 27 through June 30, while a midshipman training period began on June 27 and continued through July 22.
Engineering Tailored Ship Training Availability phase II took place from July 5 through July 8, followed by force-protection limited-team training on July 14 and July 15. Phase III ran from July 18 through July 22. The crew then completed a physical-fitness-assessment period from July 25 through July 29. Phase IV of the engineering training program occupied August 1 through August 5, and force-protection certification followed on August 8 and August 9. Radio-navigation certification was conducted from August 15 through August 18. Phase V of the engineering Tailored Ship Training Availability and damage-control limited-team training ran concurrently from August 22 through August 26. KINGFISHER completed an underway demonstration on August 29 and another force-protection certification event on August 30.
Damage-control training continued from September 6 through September 9 and again from September 12 through September 16. KINGFISHER entered another Continuous Maintenance Availability from September 26 through October 7, which included system calibration from September 26 through September 30. Communications-readiness certification followed on October 14.
Mine-warfare Tailored Ship Training Availability phase I was carried out on November 8 and November 9, with phase II extending from November 14 through November 21. Underwater hull cleaning took place on November 28 and November 29 while integrated-team and Final Evaluation Problem training ran from November 28 through December 2. Phase III of the mine-warfare training program followed from December 5 through December 9, completing a year dominated by maintenance, certification and preparation of the rotational crew for mine-countermeasures operations.
KINGFISHER began 2006 with MHC Crew Detector embarked. Mine-warfare certification phase I took place on January 17 and January 18, followed by phase II on January 25. A communications-readiness certification was conducted on January 30, and the Final Evaluation Problem ran from January 31 through February 2. Underwater hull cleaning followed from February 6 through February 10 in conjunction with supply-management certification. The ship subsequently conducted two port visits away from Texas. KINGFISHER visited New Orleans from February 23 through February 28 and Key West from March 6 through March 9. After returning to Ingleside, she entered a Continuous Maintenance Availability from March 20 through March 31. An inspection of diesel-engine components ran concurrently throughout the same period, while maintenance and material-management training was conducted from March 27 through March 30.
From April 21 through April 27, KINGFISHER participated in Squadron Exercise 06-2 in the Corpus Christi operating area. The exercise required the mine-warfare ships to demonstrate their ability to perform their primary mission in an integrated multi-unit environment. This was followed almost immediately by Gulf of Mexico Exercise 06-2 from May 1 through May 9 off Panama City, Florida. The exercise brought together surface, airborne and underwater mine-countermeasures elements and therefore represented the full range of capabilities employed by the Navy to locate, classify and neutralize a simulated mine threat.
After returning to Ingleside, KINGFISHER underwent another inspection of her No. 1 main-propulsion diesel engine from May 22 through June 9 and carried out mine-warfare training from June 20 through June 22. The ship then entered a pre-overseas-movement stand-down for the entire month of July. The terminology surrounding this period requires an important distinction. MHC Crew Detector was preparing for an overseas deployment, but KINGFISHER herself did not accompany that crew overseas. Instead, the rotational-crewing system was used. During early August, Crew Detector relinquished KINGFISHER and transferred to USS RAVEN (MHC 61), completing the crew swap by August 7. Crew Force transferred from USS CORMORANT to KINGFISHER and completed additional takeover work from August 14 through August 17. The subsequent overseas activity of Crew Detector aboard USS RAVEN must therefore not be attributed to KINGFISHER.
With Crew Force embarked, KINGFISHER entered post-deployment stand-down status from August 18 through September 15. From September 16 through the end of 2006, she remained at Naval Station Ingleside except for a family-appreciation day on November 16. The period was used for maintenance and correction of material deficiencies. The ship entered Christmas stand-down from December 19 through December 31.
MHC Crew Detector returned to KINGFISHER in January 2007. A post-overseas-movement stand-down ran from January 22 through February 22 and included system calibration from January 29 through February 9 and underwater hull cleaning from January 31 through February 1. Unit-level training followed on February 27 and February 28, while the first phase of search-and-rescue limited-team training was conducted on February 28. Search-and-rescue training continued on March 5 and March 12. Maintenance and material-management training ran from March 5 through March 9, while KINGFISHER was simultaneously in Continuous Maintenance Availability from March 5 through March 23. Search-and-rescue certification was completed on March 19. A command, control, communications, computers and combat-systems readiness assessment was conducted from March 19 through March 23.
KINGFISHER departed Ingleside for Key West and was there for a port visit from April 5 through April 9, 2007. During the visit, on April 7, Lieutenant Commander Shanti R. Sethi relieved Lieutenant Commander Braynard as commander of MHC Crew Detector and consequently as the commanding officer embarked in KINGFISHER. Following the return to Ingleside, a maintenance and material-management inspection was conducted from April 30 through May 4.
Another Continuous Maintenance Availability followed from May 7 through May 29, including underwater hull cleaning from May 8 through May 11. KINGFISHER then prepared for what became the last major underway operation of her career. On June 21, 2007, KINGFISHER departed Ingleside for Composite Training Unit Exercise 07-3 associated with Combined Task Force 29 and the carrier strike group centered on USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75). The minehunter was assigned an opposing-force role in the Jacksonville operating area. During the transit from Texas, she spent one night at Key West to refuel and replenish before reaching Naval Station Mayport on July 3.
The exercise continued through August 1. Rather than functioning solely in her normal minehunting role, KINGFISHER was used to portray several neutral and hostile vessels within the exercise scenario and served particularly as a target for maritime-interception operations. Visit, board, search and seizure teams from USS HUE CITY and USS WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG 81) boarded KINGFISHER during the exercise. The evolutions allowed the carrier strike group to practice identification, approach, boarding and control procedures against vessels with differing simulated intentions while also incorporating mine-warfare considerations into the wider training environment.
Composite Training Unit Exercise 07-3 proved to be KINGFISHER's final significant underway operation. After returning to Ingleside, she spent August in another Continuous Maintenance Availability and underwent additional underwater hull cleaning. She remained in port throughout September. In October, KINGFISHER entered her formal decommissioning availability. Contractors blanked sea openings and ventilation openings, while ship's force removed degradable material, classified equipment and other items that were not to remain aboard after decommissioning. The work continued during November as the ship was prepared for transfer to inactive status and possible future disposal through the Foreign Military Sales program.
On December 1, 2007, KINGFISHER was decommissioned during a joint ceremony at Naval Station Ingleside together with USS CORMORANT, USS BLACK HAWK and USS SHRIKE (MHC 62). The four ships were the final OSPREY-class coastal minehunters remaining in U.S. Navy service. All four were also struck from the Naval Vessel Register that day. Their retirement completed the Navy's withdrawal of the 12-ship OSPREY-class as mine warfare planning increasingly shifted toward other surface mine-countermeasures ships, airborne systems, unmanned vehicles and the modular mine-countermeasures capabilities then planned for the Littoral Combat Ship program.
The December 1 ceremony took place at Naval Station Ingleside. Following the ceremony, KINGFISHER completed the maintenance necessary for inactive storage and was subsequently towed to the Beaumont Reserve Fleet. Maritime Administration records list her as entering the Beaumont Reserve Fleet on December 29, 2007, in Navy custody. The Navy initially retained the former KINGFISHER for possible transfer to a foreign government. In 2008, Congress authorized the President to transfer ex-KINGFISHER and ex-USS CORMORANT to Lithuania on a grant basis, but that transfer was not carried out. Two years later, the Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2010 authorized transfer of the same two minehunters to India. That proposed transfer likewise did not take place, and both vessels remained in the Beaumont Reserve Fleet.
By 2012, KINGFISHER was listed as a stricken Navy-owned vessel awaiting disposal. KINGFISHER consequently remained at Beaumont until final disposal. On May 8, 2014, she was sold by the U.S. General Services Administration for scrapping.
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