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SASEBO, Japan -- The rescue and
salvage ship USS Safeguard (ARS 50) was transferred from the U.S. Navy
to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Sept. 26 in a decommissioning
ceremony in Sasebo, Japan.
The ship became an asset of MSC and will remain in Sasebo continuing
its mission as a rescue and salvage ship. The difference is instead of
the ship being manned by active duty Sailors, civil service mariners
now operate it. The name also changed from USS Safeguard to USNS
Safeguard to reflect the change in operational management.
Civil Service Master Capt. Edward Dickerson and 26 civil service
mariners took charge of the ship from Lt. Cmdr. Doyle K. Hodges and
the 100 Sailors that served aboard the ship; Hodges lowered the ship’s
commissioning pennant as a final gesture in the ship’s decommission.
“I cannot be more proud to have served aboard USS Safeguard, alongside
such a professional and hard-working group of Sailors,” said Hodges.
“This ship has accomplished some incredible missions, ones that have
not only served the U.S. Navy but also the world. I have full
confidence that as a MSC ship, the legacy of Safeguard will continue
on proudly.”
MSC is the Department of Defense’s fleet support provider by
sustaining U.S. forces worldwide through the delivery of important
supplies such as food, fuel and ammunition.
The decommissioning of Safeguard as a United States Ship (USS) vessel
concludes 22 years of superior service in conducting the U.S. Navy
mission and building key regional partnerships to sustain peace and
stability in the region.
Commissioned August 17, 1985, Safeguard completed nine Republic of
Korea (ROK) Navy salvage exercises and five Cooperation Afloat
Readiness and Training (CARAT), Western Pacific deployments.
Among the ship’s milestones, Safeguard completed the first ever SALVEX
between the U.S. and Indian navies in 2005, which was highlighted by
the salvage of an Indian Seahawk aircraft, undiscovered for at least
30 years, in 165 feet of water. Conducting a similar salvage operation
with the ROK Navy, Safeguard participated in the recovery of a U.S.
Air Force F-16C fighter jet that had been downed in the Yellow Sea.
In its final long-term regional-engagement underway, Safeguard divers
and other crew members assisted the Naval Historical Center and the
international group for historic aircraft recovery in a scientific
survey of two submerged World War II aircraft in the waters of Jaluit
Atoll, Republic of Marshall Islands. The submerged aircraft, lost
since the early days of World War II, are two U.S. Douglas Torpedo
Bomber Devastators that have no presence in any museum to this day.
The ship’s awards include one Meritorious Unit Commendation, two
Battle “E” ribbons, two National Defense Service Medals, one Global
War on Terror Service Medal, 15 Sea Service Deployment Ribbons and
seven Overseas Service Ribbons.
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