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USS Black Hawk (MHC 58)

USS BLACK HAWK was the eighth OSPREY - class coastal mine hunter and the third U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. On January 1, 1997, the ship was transfered to the Naval Reserve Force. Decommissioned on December 1, 2007, BLACK HAWK was subsequently laid-up at Beaumont, Tx. On August 22, 2014, BLACK HAWK was recorded as having departed and been withdrawn from custody at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet.

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Crew List:

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

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally used by the Navy to reflect the sea and excellence. Black is indicative of strength and stability. Blue denotes loyalty and devotion. White is emblematic of integrity and is symbolic of sea foam and breakers. The two mines recall the two previous ships of the same name and underscore the BLACK HAWK's mine hunting capabilities. The stylized paddlewheel is reminiscent of the First BLACK HAWK (a sidewheel steamer which served as flag ship for Rear Admiral D.D. Porter and S.P. Lee, successive commander of the Mississippi Squadron). The paddle wheel further simulates a maritime compass suggesting leadership, guidance and alludes to navigation and the far reaching scope and mission of the past and present USS BLACK HAWK. The annulets incorporated into the paddle wheel suggest continual efforts. The paddle wheel, together with the two mines, symbolize the three ships bearing the name BLACK HAWK.

The Crest:

The waves of the sea denote the coastal waters, harbors, waterways and Navy theater of operations. The stylized black hawk reflects the continuous aggressiveness of the BLACK HAWK and its crew in carrying out their mission of minehunting, fueling, repairing and keeping combatant vessels in fighting trim. The name BLACK HAWK was derived from Indian Chief Black Hawk mentioned in history as the leader of the Sac & Fox tribes during the Black Hawk war. The star on the hawk's wing is commemorative of the battle star received by the Second BLACK HAWK for her service in World War II.

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USS BLACK HAWK History:

USS BLACK HAWK was built by Intermarine USA at Savannah, Georgia. Her keel was laid on September 3, 1992, and she was christened and launched on August 27, 1994. Mrs. E. "Kika" De La Garza, wife of U.S. Representative Eligio "Kika" de la Garza of Texas, was the ship's sponsor. Intermarine USA formally delivered BLACK HAWK to the Department of the Navy at Savannah on January 16, 1996. Lieutenant Commander Bruce W. Nichols was the prospective commanding officer. Delivery immediately began a Post Delivery Availability at the builder's yard that continued through April 6. During this period, the crew concentrated on familiarization with the ship's machinery and mine warfare equipment, watchstation qualification, maintenance procedures and the administrative and technical requirements necessary to bring a newly completed warship into active service.

BLACK HAWK went to sea for the first time on April 6, 1996, leaving Savannah for Mayport, Florida, to conduct work at the Shipboard Electronic Systems Evaluation Facility. She completed the initial evolution and returned to Savannah on April 9 for the closing phase of the Post Delivery Availability. On April 17, she left Savannah on her maiden voyage. Her first significant stop was Charleston, South Carolina, where ammunition was loaded and magnetic offload and degaussing work was carried out. Control of a minehunter's magnetic signature was particularly important because reducing magnetic influence was an integral part of operating safely around magnetic mines.

Continuing north along the Atlantic coast, BLACK HAWK arrived at New York City on April 29, 1996, and moored in the vicinity of the INTREPID Sea-Air-Space Museum. She remained in New York through May 2. She subsequently proceeded to Newport, Rhode Island, arriving there in preparation for commissioning.

BLACK HAWK was commissioned at Pier Two of the Naval Education and Training Center at Newport on May 11, 1996, with Lieutenant Commander Nichols in command. Rear Admiral Timothy Jenkins, Assistant Deputy Commander for Logistics, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, served as commissioning officer, and Representative Jack Reed of Rhode Island was the principal guest speaker. The ceremony formally placed the new coastal minehunter into active naval service.

BLACK HAWK departed Newport on May 13 and continued her maiden voyage toward her assigned home port in Texas. She made a brief fuel stop at Morehead City, North Carolina, before continuing south. She arrived at Nassau, Bahamas, on May 20, making Nassau her first foreign port visit after commissioning, and remained there through May 23. Key West, Florida, was the final scheduled stop before the Gulf of Mexico crossing. BLACK HAWK departed Key West on May 27 and arrived at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, on May 31. USS ROBIN (MHC 54), another OSPREY-class coastal minehunter, acted as host ship for the arrival. Ingleside, situated on Corpus Christi Bay, was the principal home port for the Navy's surface mine warfare force and would remain the center of BLACK HAWK's operations for the remainder of her career.

The ship spent the first weeks of June preparing for her Combat Systems Ship Qualification and Training program. On June 19, 1996, she departed Ingleside for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where acoustic testing was conducted. BLACK HAWK's acoustic signature was measured as part of the process of establishing that the newly built ship met the standards required for mine countermeasures operations. After completing the Fort Lauderdale work she proceeded to Panama City, Florida, where the more extensive phases of the Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials began on July 5.

The Panama City period continued through August 17, 1996, and provided intensive training in the operation, maintenance and tactical employment of the AN/SQQ-32 minehunting sonar and AN/SLQ-48 Mine Neutralization Vehicle. On July 10, BLACK HAWK temporarily shifted to Pensacola, Florida, during the weekend of a Blue Angels air show and subsequently resumed her qualification program from Panama City on July 16. Inspectors arrived on August 12 to conduct the Mine Warfare Readiness Certification Inspection. BLACK HAWK completed the required work and returned to Ingleside on August 20.

The remainder of 1996 was devoted largely to building the ship's readiness for fleet operations. An Engineering Command Assessment of Readiness and Training was conducted on October 1. BLACK HAWK subsequently participated in Joint Task Force Exercise 97. During her portion of the exercise, her official command history recorded that she located more mines and mine-like contacts than the other participating units. She returned to Ingleside on October 19. The exercise placed the new minehunter within a broader fleet-training environment rather than limiting her preparation to individual mine warfare certification.

Engineering Tailored Ship Training Availability phase I began on October 21. BLACK HAWK went underway on October 22, but deteriorating wind and sea conditions forced her back into port at approximately 1400, and the scheduled training continued alongside. The evaluation was completed on October 25. A series of senior visitors followed. Rear Admiral Garnett and Captain McMillian of the Canadian Navy visited on October 29, Rear Admiral Lippert, Commander Naval Inventory Control Point, toured the ship on October 30, and Captain Murphy from the Chief of Naval Operations mine warfare staff visited on October 31.

BLACK HAWK returned to sea from November 12 through November 15 for training connected with the next phase of the Tailored Ship Training Availability. On November 20, she sailed to conduct towing and astern-refueling training with USS INCHON (MCS 12), the Navy's mine countermeasures command and support ship, returning on November 21. From December 2 through December 6, the Board of Inspection and Survey conducted BLACK HAWK's Final Contract Trials. An Engineering Certification Inspection required another underway period on December 11. The ship spent the remainder of December in holiday stand-down while also preparing for her first overseas deployment. Ammunition was loaded and her communications and command-and-control capabilities were enhanced with satellite communications, INMARSAT and Joint Maritime Command Information System equipment.

Effective January 1, 1997, BLACK HAWK was transferred to the Naval Reserve Force while remaining a commissioned U.S. Navy warship. The arrangement combined an active-duty nucleus with reserve personnel and allowed the Navy to maintain operational mine warfare capability while increasing the role of the Naval Reserve in specialized surface forces.

From January 16 through January 26, 1997, BLACK HAWK participated in her Final Evaluation Problem and Gulf of Mexico Exercise 97-1. The participating force included USS INCHON, USS SCOUT (MCM 8), USS HERON (MHC 52) and USS AVENGER (MCM 1). Heavy fog affected portions of the exercise, but BLACK HAWK completed the required training. A Pre-Overseas Movement stand-down followed from January 27 through February 21.

On February 22, 1997, BLACK HAWK departed Ingleside for Mine Countermeasures Europe 97 together with USS DEVASTATOR (MCM 6), USS SCOUT and USS AVENGER. The deployment was a significant event in the development of the OSPREY-class because BLACK HAWK became the first ship of the class to undertake an overseas deployment. Lieutenant Commander Nichols was the senior commanding officer among the four deploying ships, and BLACK HAWK performed force-navigation duties.

The ships proceeded first toward Florida. BLACK HAWK reached Key West on February 25 for fuel and an overnight stop. She departed on February 26 with USS AVENGER and reached Mayport on February 28. BLACK HAWK remained there through March 7 for maintenance, deployment preparations and navigation training. She and USS AVENGER then sailed to Charleston, where magnetic offload and degaussing work was conducted before the Atlantic crossing. They departed Charleston on March 13.

BLACK HAWK subsequently rendezvoused with USS DEVASTATOR, USS SCOUT and USS AVENGER while proceeding toward Bermuda. Seas of approximately ten to twelve feet were encountered during part of the transit. The force arrived at Bermuda on March 17 for fuel, provisions and an overnight stop. After leaving Bermuda the ships began the North Atlantic passage to Europe. USS INCHON joined the force, and BLACK HAWK conducted her first operational astern refueling with the mine countermeasures support ship during the crossing.

BLACK HAWK arrived at Portsmouth, England, on April 6, 1997. USS INCHON had arrived at nearby Southampton the previous day. BLACK HAWK remained at Portsmouth through April 14, allowing maintenance and voyage repairs to be completed following the Atlantic crossing. She then departed with USS AVENGER for Denmark. The two ships transited the Kiel Canal on April 15 and reached Aarhus on April 19. At Aarhus, preparations began for NATO exercise Blue Harrier 97. An eight-man Canadian clearance-diving team embarked aboard BLACK HAWK. The exercise began on April 22 in the Kattegat approaches between Denmark and Sweden, a maritime area linking the Baltic Sea with the North Sea and therefore of longstanding strategic importance to NATO and the northern European states. The participating mine countermeasures force operated under Commander Mine Countermeasures Squadron Two.

During Blue Harrier, BLACK HAWK detected two live British Mk 9 ground mines remaining from the Second World War. The embarked Canadian divers neutralized the mines. The incident demonstrated that actual wartime ordnance remained a navigational and mine-clearance problem in European waters more than five decades after the conflict had ended.

Following completion of the exercise, BLACK HAWK returned to Aarhus and remained there from May 2 through May 5 for debriefing and post-exercise work. The Canadian diving team disembarked. BLACK HAWK and USS AVENGER then headed south and passed through the Kiel Canal on May 6. Adverse weather in the approaches to the English Channel led the ships to seek shelter and replenish at Portsmouth on May 8 before continuing toward the Mediterranean.

BLACK HAWK arrived at La Spezia, Italy, on May 19, 1997, and remained there through May 25 while preparing for bilateral mine countermeasures exercise Palmeria 97 with the Italian Navy. The exercise was conducted on May 26 and May 27. BLACK HAWK then returned to La Spezia for debriefing and ship visits. USS DEVASTATOR and USS SCOUT joined the group on May 28, and on May 29 the mine countermeasures force departed for Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

BLACK HAWK reached Palma on May 31 and prepared for NATO exercise Alcudra 97. USS INCHON rejoined the group. The exercise began on June 2 and continued through June 12. BLACK HAWK again operated under Mine Countermeasures Squadron Two. During the exercise, she located and recovered four exercise moored mines and ten decoys. Her official report recorded that this represented the largest number recovered by any participating unit. The exercise provided another opportunity to operate within a multinational mine countermeasures organization and to compare procedures and equipment with allied navies.

BLACK HAWK remained at Palma following the exercise for debriefing and preparations for the return Atlantic passage. She departed on June 17 and reached Rota, Spain, on June 20 for fuel and an overnight stop. BLACK HAWK left Rota on June 21 to begin the transatlantic return. Several additional astern refuelings with USS INCHON were conducted during the passage.

The return voyage developed into the most serious engineering casualty of BLACK HAWK's career. On July 10, 1997, while repairs were being performed on the number-one main propulsion diesel engine, the number-two main propulsion engine suffered a casualty. The ship was without effective propulsion for approximately two hours before USS AVENGER took her in tow toward Key West. Repairs restored the number-one engine sufficiently for BLACK HAWK to continue under her own power, and she reached Key West with USS AVENGER on July 11. Examination of the number-two engine revealed serious damage involving its main bearing and crankshaft, and it was declared unusable. BLACK HAWK was authorized to continue toward Ingleside using the remaining engine.

She departed Key West on July 12, but the temporary solution lasted only one day. On July 13, the number-one main propulsion diesel also suffered a catastrophic casualty. USS AVENGER again took BLACK HAWK in tow. On July 14, a commercial ocean-going tug operated by St. Philip Towing Service relieved USS AVENGER and continued the tow across the Gulf of Mexico. BLACK HAWK finally arrived at Naval Station Ingleside on July 19.

A post-deployment stand-down and upkeep period followed from July 20 through August 11. The Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity at Ingleside began the extensive task of replacing both main propulsion diesel engines. Maintenance continued during August and September. On August 19, Lieutenant Commander Mark H. Williams relieved Lieutenant Commander Nichols as commanding officer during a ceremony at Naval Station Ingleside.

After the propulsion repairs, BLACK HAWK became directly involved in operational evaluation of the OSPREY-class minehunting system. Earlier testing aboard USS OSPREY (MHC 51) had identified a difficulty with the variable-depth minehunting sonar during deeper-water operation. The problem was traced to an installation issue and corrected. BLACK HAWK was subsequently selected to perform the deep-water phase of Operational Test IIIA. Her testing extended from September 19 through October 1, 1997, and examined minehunting performance, mine neutralization, navigation accuracy and the operational suitability of the coastal minehunter design. The work contributed to completion of the Navy's principal operational evaluation of the class's minehunting capability.

BLACK HAWK remained based at Ingleside during 1998 as part of the Naval Reserve Force. In February, she participated in Squadron Exercise 98-1 with USS DEFENDER (MCM 2), USS SENTRY (MCM 3) and USS ROBIN. Squadron exercises were intended to develop coordinated mine countermeasures procedures among several ships rather than concentrating solely on individual-ship certification. BLACK HAWK continued through the year with the training, maintenance, reserve-support and readiness work associated with Mine Countermeasures Squadron Two at Ingleside.

The ship continued the same basic operational cycle into 1999. A change of command took place at Naval Station Ingleside on February 5, 1999, when Lieutenant Commander Bradley Smith relieved Lieutenant Commander Mark Williams. Captain H. L. Broughton, Commander Mine Countermeasures Squadron Two, served as the principal speaker. BLACK HAWK continued training as part of the Atlantic Fleet mine warfare organization while the Navy refined the operating doctrine and technical capabilities of the relatively new OSPREY-class. Her activities during the year included routine mine warfare readiness, engineering, maintenance and Naval Reserve training.

BLACK HAWK entered a more extensive operational period in 2000. On March 16, five Naval Reserve Force mine countermeasures ships departed Ingleside as Mine Warfare Readiness Group One. The group consisted of BLACK HAWK, USS DEFENDER, USS SENTRY, USS ROBIN and USS KINGFISHER (MHC 56). The deployment combined operational fleet training, multinational exercises and a later domestic outreach program and represented one of the larger coordinated deployments undertaken by Ingleside-based Naval Reserve Force mine warfare ships.

Among the group's early tasks was participation in Composite Unit Training Exercise 00-1 with the carrier battle group centered on USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73). The mine warfare force operated in the Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola operating areas, integrating surface mine countermeasures with a carrier battle group preparing for overseas deployment. The readiness group subsequently participated in a Joint Task Force Exercise off Virginia and North Carolina. Whereas the Composite Unit Training Exercise concentrated on bringing the components of a naval battle group together, the Joint Task Force Exercise placed them within a larger joint operational scenario intended to reproduce the demands of a developing overseas crisis.

BLACK HAWK and the other Mine Warfare Readiness Group One ships also participated in the Caribbean phase of UNITAS 2000. UNITAS was the long-established annual series of multinational exercises through which the United States trained with Latin American and other regional navies. The U.S. naval force involved in the Caribbean phase included USS HUE CITY (CG 66), USS ROBERT G. BRADLEY (FFG 49), USS ESTOCIN (FFG 15), USS DEFENDER, USS SENTRY, USS ROBIN, USS KINGFISHER and BLACK HAWK. Naval forces from Colombia, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands also participated in the wider exercise. For BLACK HAWK the event provided an opportunity to integrate specialized mine countermeasures procedures into a multinational naval force rather than operate only within the U.S. mine warfare community.

The deployment later entered a domestic outreach phase in which the mine warfare ships traveled through U.S. inland waterways and the Great Lakes. The mission combined training with recruiting, public visits and demonstrations of mine countermeasures capabilities in areas that rarely hosted active Navy warships. BLACK HAWK eventually returned to the regular Ingleside operating cycle after completion of the extended deployment.

BLACK HAWK continued operating as part of Mine Warfare Readiness Group One. From October 23 through November 2, 2001, she participated in Squadron Exercise 02-1 in the Corpus Christi area together with USS DEFENDER, USS SENTRY, USS ROBIN and USS KINGFISHER. The exercise formed part of the interdeployment training cycle and concentrated on the coordinated command, search, classification and neutralization procedures required of a multi-ship mine countermeasures force.

On April 1, 2002, BLACK HAWK departed Ingleside with USS ROBIN, USS KINGFISHER, USS SENTRY and USS DEFENDER. The group headed toward Florida and the U.S. East Coast for several weeks of mine warfare and fleet training. BLACK HAWK reached Key West with the group on April 6 and remained in the area until April 10, when the ships departed toward Mayport. By April 26, BLACK HAWK was underway with USS ROBIN, USS KINGFISHER and USS SENTRY toward the Cherry Point operating area off North Carolina to participate in Joint Task Force Exercise 02-2. The mine countermeasures ships supported a scenario in which exercise mines were laid and subsequently had to be detected and dealt with while the vessels operated as part of a larger joint force.

BLACK HAWK arrived at Morehead City, North Carolina, with USS ROBIN, USS KINGFISHER and USS SENTRY on April 29. The stop had initially been intended primarily for fuel, but severe weather in the operating area delayed the ships. They returned to sea on May 1 and resumed Joint Task Force Exercise operations. Training included minehunting and force-protection problems involving simulated low, slow-flying aircraft and small-boat attacks. Deteriorating weather again forced the ships back to Morehead City on May 4. When the exercise concluded on May 5, BLACK HAWK departed Morehead City with USS ROBIN, USS SENTRY and USS KINGFISHER and proceeded toward Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

BLACK HAWK continued the mine warfare training cycle during 2003. In October, she participated in Squadron Exercise RonEx 3-03. The exercise series ran from October 13 through October 22 and included force-protection drills, mine warfare training, towing procedures and underway replenishment practice. During the underway phase, USS KINGFISHER conducted a towing exercise with BLACK HAWK, giving both crews an opportunity to rehearse the procedures required if a small mine warfare vessel lost propulsion and had to be assisted by another ship.

A larger Gulf of Mexico Exercise followed in December 2003. The exercise, conducted from December 2 through December 17, involved BLACK HAWK, USS KINGFISHER, USS ROBIN, USS DEFENDER and USS AVENGER, together with USS WASP (LHD 1) and other elements associated with the amphibious force. The exercise placed mine countermeasures into a broader amphibious operating scenario.

BLACK HAWK undertook one of the longest operational periods of her later career in 2004. The ship deployed for approximately six months to the western Atlantic as part of Mine Warfare Readiness Group One and Mine Countermeasures Squadron Two. BLACK HAWK participated in Joint Task Force Exercise 04-2, continuing the practice of integrating specialized mine warfare forces into larger joint fleet exercises. She also participated in a mine exercise off the York River with the U.S. Coast Guard. This work emphasized the relevance of mine countermeasures not only to offensive and amphibious naval operations but also to protecting harbor approaches and maintaining access to important U.S. waterways. BLACK HAWK returned to Naval Station Ingleside on September 1, 2004, completing the approximately six-month western Atlantic deployment.

The ship was called upon for a very different type of mission in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane struck the northern Gulf Coast on August 29, causing extensive destruction in Louisiana and Mississippi and disrupting port facilities, channels, navigation aids and other maritime infrastructure. The Navy assigned mine countermeasures vessels and other specialized units to survey waterways and determine whether debris, underwater obstructions or other hazards prevented their safe use.

At the beginning of October 2005, BLACK HAWK was among a Navy mine countermeasures and survey force that included USS PIONEER (MCM 9), USS GLADIATOR (MCM 11), USS AVENGER, USS CHIEF (MCM 14) and USS CORMORANT (MHC 57). Their work supported the larger military and civilian effort to restore maritime access following the disaster. The task made use of capabilities normally associated with mine warfare - accurate navigation, sonar search and underwater investigation - for domestic disaster-recovery purposes. Official planning records indicate that the survey assignment was approaching completion at the beginning of October and that the participating mine warfare ships were preparing to redeploy as their assigned work was finished.

In April 2006, Commander Shanti Sethi assumed command of MHC Crew Bold while embarked aboard BLACK HAWK. The Navy's rotating-crew system allowed trained coastal-minehunter crews to serve aboard different ships rather than remain permanently associated with a single hull. During this period, Commander Sethi and Crew Bold trained Greek naval officers in the operation of OSPREY-class coastal minehunters in preparation for possible transfers of ships through the Foreign Military Sales and naval-vessel-transfer process. The training reflected the changing status of the class. Several OSPREY-class vessels had already been selected for retirement or potential transfer to allied navies, while the remaining U.S. ships continued to provide mine countermeasures training and operational capability.

BLACK HAWK herself was being considered for foreign transfer. During 2006, the Department of Defense sought statutory authority to provide the ship to Turkey on a grant basis. The proposal formed part of a wider plan to dispose of retired or soon-to-be-retired U.S. naval vessels through transfers to allied governments. BLACK HAWK nevertheless remained in U.S. Navy service while the legislative and administrative process continued.

Operational training continued during 2007, the final year of the ship's commissioned career. BLACK HAWK participated with USS DEVASTATOR and USS KINGFISHER in Gulf of Mexico Exercise 07-2 in the Panama City operating area. Mobile Mine Assembly Unit 15 supported the exercise, providing the mine shapes and technical support needed to create realistic mine warfare problems. The exercise demonstrated that, despite the approaching retirement of the class, the remaining coastal minehunters continued to conduct their principal operational training mission.

During 2006 and 2007, the Navy accelerated the retirement and transfer of OSPREY-class ships. By late 2007, only four remained in U.S. Navy service. BLACK HAWK entered the decommissioning process at Naval Station Ingleside together with the other remaining ships. On December 1, 2007, BLACK HAWK was decommissioned at Naval Station Ingleside in a joint ceremony with USS KINGFISHER, USS CORMORANT and USS SHRIKE (MHC 62). The four ships were the final OSPREY-class coastal minehunters remaining in U.S. Navy service, and their simultaneous retirement ended operation of the class by the United States Navy. BLACK HAWK was also struck from the Naval Vessel Register on December 1.

Following decommissioning, BLACK HAWK was transferred into inactive custody in Texas. Maritime Administration records document her entry into the Beaumont Reserve Fleet during December 2007 and an interim movement on December 27. The ship remained government property while possible transfer to a foreign navy continued to be considered. Congress formally provided authority for BLACK HAWK to be transferred to Turkey through the Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008, approved on October 15, 2008. The transfer was to be made on a grant basis. Authority to transfer the vessel did not, however, itself constitute delivery, and BLACK HAWK remained in U.S. custody. The contemplated transfer to Turkey was never completed.

The proposed recipient subsequently changed. The Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2010, enacted on October 8, 2010, authorized transfer of BLACK HAWK to Greece on a grant basis together with USS OSPREY and USS SHRIKE. Greece already operated former U.S. OSPREY-class vessels, making the contemplated transfer consistent with the earlier training of Greek naval personnel on the type. This transfer also was not carried out, and BLACK HAWK remained at Beaumont.

By February 29, 2012, BLACK HAWK was officially recorded at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet as a stricken Navy vessel awaiting disposal. As part of the disposal process, the Navy carried out a historical evaluation to determine whether the ship possessed sufficient significance to qualify for preservation under federal historic-property requirements. The final determination dated May 29, 2012, concluded that BLACK HAWK was not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Even after that determination, the ship remained useful as a source of equipment and parts. On November 20, 2012, BLACK HAWK was temporarily relocated from Beaumont to Port Arthur, Texas, for a harvesting project in which reusable material could be removed from the inactive vessel. The work continued into the following year. On February 19, 2013, BLACK HAWK was returned from Port Arthur to the Beaumont Reserve Fleet following completion of the harvesting project.

She remained at Beaumont through much of 2014. Federal reserve-fleet records continued to list BLACK HAWK in Navy custody during the summer. The final clearly documented movement in the federal reserve-fleet record occurred on August 22, 2014, when BLACK HAWK was recorded as having departed and been withdrawn from custody at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet.

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