1970s USS Badger (FF-1071)

1 1970s

1.1 1972
1.2 1973–1975
1.3 1976–1979

1970s

on following evening, badger stood out of subic bound vietnam war zone. arrived in danang, south vietnam, 2 days later and, after four-hour layover, again got underway, bound northern gunline near mouth of cua viet river. began gunfire support missions on 11th and, on 13th, received first counterbattery fire. 2 days later, suffered superficial damage communist shore battery after five-inch gun had been put out of action fouled bore , overheated barrel. later day, ship headed danang have five-inch (127 mm) gun barrel replaced repair ship uss hector (ar-7). returned sea on 16th , arrived on gunline. on 19th, badger switched plane guard duty aircraft carrier uss constellation (cv-64) in gulf of tonkin. assignment lasted 2 days short of month. on 17 may, destroyer escort uss albert david (ff-1050) relieved her, , badger shaped course sasebo, japan.

1972

following week of availability , liberty, badger departed sasebo on 29 may 1972 and, on 2 june, joined guided missile cruiser uss sterett (cg-31) on middle sea-air rescue (sar) station in gulf of tonkin. 4 days later, however, reassigned plane guard duty, time asw support carrier uss ticonderoga (cv-14) . after spending 20 days supporting carrier, badger returned gunfire support missions on 26 june. on 7 july, warship resumed plane guard duties, time carrier uss midway (cv-41), , departed vietnamese waters in company carrier. following day, ships moored in subic bay.

following upkeep, badger headed combat zone on 17 july 1972. 2 days later, resumed gunfire support duties. during assignment, ocean escort joined 5 other american ships in providing gunfire support operations carried out in military region ii south vietnamese army s 22d division. on 9 august, assigned duty interdicting communist waterborne logistics , remained engaged until 12 august when relieved guided missile frigate uss worden (cg-18) plane guard midway, once again headed subic bay. 2 ships reached destination on 14 august departed again next day bound hong kong. badger conducted upkeep , liberty period @ port 17 23 august , got underway on latter day return philippines. arrived in subic bay on 24 august repairs before putting sea on 30th, bound vietnamese waters.

upon return combat zone, warship took position escort guided missile cruiser uss long beach (cgn-9) on middle sar station. during tour of duty, kept eye on 2 chinese merchantmen in area. when guided missile frigate uss gridley (dlg-21) relieved long beach, badger continued on station until 10 september, when relieved of middle sar station escort duties sistership uss hepburn (ff-1055) , proceeded rendezvous carrier uss hancock (cv-19). badger provided plane guard services carrier made final air strikes of war , escorted hancock subic bay, arriving there on 15 september. after 4 days in port, destroyer escort put sea , shaped course yokosuka, japan, made overnight stop on 22 , 23 september before setting sail united states in company hancock. after nonstop voyage across pacific, highlighted several fueling-at-sea operations, badger arrived in long beach on 4 october. usual post-deployment stand-down ensued did restricted availability @ todd shipyard in los angeles, california. latter began on 8 january 1973 , included conversion of main propulsion system navy distillate fuel , installation of light airborne multipurpose system (lamps).

1973–1975

badger completed modifications on 18 may 1973 , put sea trials , single ship exercises in southern california operating area. normal west coast operations out of long beach occupied time until 9 july, day got underway new home port, pearl harbor, hawaii. warship made voyage in 6 days, entering pearl on 14 july. training in hawaiian operating area occupied until september. on 11 september, badger put sea participate in four-nation exercise rimpac 73. however, material casualty evaporators forced return port repairs on 15th. @ sea following afternoon; rejoined exercise; and, following conclusion, returned pearl on 21 september. 3 days later, set sail long beach , arrived there on 1 october. ship s crew enjoyed 16-day liberty call before ship began second deployment on 17th.

badger rendezvoused carrier uss oriskany (cv-34) form task group (tg) 37.4, , 2 ships shaped course western pacific. augmented en route remainder of destroyer squadron (desron) 35, tg 37.4 reached subic on 5 november 1973. on 9th, badger departed subic bay in company destroyer escort uss brewton (ff-1086) , ammunition ship kiska bound persian gulf , cento exercise midlink 73. on way, ships stopped @ singapore. arrived @ bandar abbas, iran, on 23d. port, participated in midlink 73 until conclusion on 2 december. after brief liberty call @ bandar abbas, badger got underway on 3rd return philippines, again in company brewton , kiska. voyage included visit singapore, , badger reentered subic bay on 21 december 1973. began repair , upkeep period lasted until 20 january 1974, when headed guam. 4 days later, destroyer escort arrived @ guam whence conducted special operations. badger remained in mariana islands until 13 february when departed guam return subic bay. warship steamed port on 17 february and, next month, conducted training operations in local waters.

on 18 march 1974, badger put sea subic bay series of port calls beginning stop @ hong kong 21 march 1 april. there, moved keelung, taiwan, visit between 3 , 8 april. on 9th, moored in harbor @ kaohsiung, taiwan, eight-day stay before returning subic on 18th. 22 27 april, operated in south china sea shadowing 2 soviet submarines. returned subic on 27th , remained there until 5 may when destroyer escort began voyage home hawaii. after stop @ guam, reached pearl harbor on 18 may.

following leave , upkeep, badger got underway tests on main propulsion plant , associated equipment on 21 june 1974. returned pearl night , remained in port until returning sea on 11 july final tests. during full power run, ship suffered casualty low pressure turbine , taken in tow large harbor tug uss waxahachie (ytb-814). later, uss reclaimer (ars-42) relieved waxahachie , pulled stricken destroyer escort pearl harbor on morning of 12th. warship underwent restricted availability @ pearl harbor naval shipyard lasting until late october , resumed normal operations in hawaiian operating area in november. employment occupied last 2 months of 1974 , first 2 months of 1975. on 11 march 1975, put sea participate in exercise rimpac 75, multifaceted combat readiness exercise brought units of american, australian, canadian, , new zealand navies. exercise concluded on 21 march, , badger returned pearl harbor prepare overseas movement.

badger being refueled carrier midway in south china sea in 1975.

badger put sea on 17 april rendezvous sistership uss harold e. holt (ff-1074) , guided missile destroyer escort uss schofield (ffg-3), , kiska voyage western pacific. task group stopped @ guam fuel on 28 april but, after completing operation, continued on subic bay where, after short diversion south china sea assist in evacuation of vietnam, arrived on 4 may. next day, badger @ sea escorting midway guam load of american aircraft removed vietnam. 2 warships arrived there on 11 may, unloaded planes, , returned sea on 12th. en route subic bay, received orders diverting assist in recovery of american containership ss mayagüez had been seized cambodians. merchantman, however, freed before badger s arrival on scene, , escort resumed original course , reentered subic bay on 17th. spent 2 days escorting hancock in local operating area before returning port on 22 may. after week of upkeep, put sea guam. arriving in apra harbor on 2 june begin period of upkeep, remained there until 13 june when put sea special operations in company brewton.

badger returned guam on 22 june, spent 3 days there, , headed subic bay on 25th. on last day of month, put sea unit of tg 75.1 begin 60-day training cruise indian ocean. 1 day out, on 1 july 1975, badger reclassified frigate , redesignated ff-1071. extended voyage brought exercises of types: refueling, replenishment, towing, communications, gunnery, , engineering. made port calls @ singapore, port louis in mauritius, mombasa in kenya, karachi in pakistan, , colombo in sri lanka. ship concluded voyage @ subic bay on 11 september. upkeep there, including period in drydock, lasted until 29 september. on 1 october, badger headed hong kong. arrived there on 3 october , exception of 2 days @ sea 5 7 october evade typhoon, remained in port until 9th when shaped course guam. warship arrived there on 15 october 2 weeks of upkeep , operations locally sea trials. on 29 october. set course pearl harbor , pulled home port on 8 november. post-deployment standdown period followed, in turn, holiday leave , upkeep period.

1976–1979

during first 5 months of 1976, badger alternated training operations @ sea periods in port @ pearl harbor preparing first regular overhaul. late in may, crew moved off ship quarters ashore; and, on 7 june, ship officially commenced overhaul @ pearl harbor naval shipyard. work occupied remainder of 1976 , through first few days of 1977. emerged yard on 11 january 1977 , conducted sea trials following day. further trials, inspections, , readiness ensued. in july, began refresher training lasted until first week in august when returned pearl harbor.

badger got underway west coast of united states in company desron 23 on 22 august 1977. throughout passage across eastern pacific, joined ships of desron 23 in number of exercises. arrived in san diego, california, on last day of august , remained in port until 9 september @ time put sea participate in local operations san diego-based units of fleet. badger returned san diego on 15th , stayed until 19th when returned sea exercise varsity spirit conducted along california coast. @ conclusion of exercise, headed pearl arrived on 1 october , began preparations overseas movement.

on 2 november 1977, badger departed pearl harbor in company uss kitty hawk (cv-63) , other units of desron 25 bound western pacific. warships arrived in yokosuka 3 weeks later after exercise-filled passage. throughout deployment, conducted exercises units of allied navies 7th fleet units. made goodwill visits singapore , various japanese , korean ports. frigate called @ subic bay upkeep , replenishment. concluded deployment @ pearl on 8 may 1978. post-deployment standdown lasted until mid-june @ time resumed local operations in hawaiian islands.

badger spent next 9 months engaged in exercises , drills conducted out of pearl harbor. on 17 march 1979, warship departed home port in company brewton, uss rathburne (ff-1057), uss ramsey (ffg-2), , uss lynde mccormick (ddg-8), bound tour of duty 7th fleet. after pausing @ guam fuel on 29 march, warships pulled subic bay on 4 april , spent rest of month alternating exercises in local operating area periods of upkeep in port. during first half of may, joined brewton , rathburne in round-trip voyage hong kong goodwill , liberty call. late in may , in june, badger operated task group in south china sea before returning subic bay on 11th. exception of three-day period @ sea in local operating area, spent remainder of june in upkeep , preparations extended cruise indian ocean.

badger departed subic bay on 1 july 1979 in company brewton, rathburne, , usns mispillion. task group stopped @ singapore four-day port visit before transiting strait of malacca on 8 july , entering indian ocean, intensive exercises , drills in facets of ship s operations highlighted periods @ sea punctuated visits colombo, sri lanka, , mombasa. latter stages of operation conducted in gulf of aden , in gulf of oman. task group exited indian ocean via strait of malacca on 29 august , headed gulf of siam joined units of thai navy exercise sea siamex x.

at conclusion of exercise on 7 september, ships made four-day visit pattaya beach, thailand, before shaping course philippines. en route, badger detached task group proceed luzon independently. however, before reaching port, further diverted on humanitarian mission: rescue of 14 vietnamese refugees adrift in small boat. arrived in subic bay on 15 september, refugees safe.