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U.S.S. SAN JOSE
(AFS-7)THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Click to view crew list
The USS SAN JOSE (AFS-7), a Mars class combat stores ship, was commissioned on 23 OCT 1970. USS SAN JOSE served her country for 23 years and 10 days, until decommissioned on 2 NOV 1993. The last of the Mars class, USS SAN JOSE was initially home ported at Alameda, California after post commissioning shake down and qualifications. She began her service to the Pacific Fleet with a series of West Pac deployments to replenish US Naval units off the coast of Vietnam. As the US Navy's Pacific structure changed after Vietnam and Iranian Hostage Crisis highlighted the need for a continuing need for a US Naval force in the Indian Ocean, SAN JOSE's home port was shifted westward to Apra Harbor, Guam. From Guam, she supported the naval effort during the First Gulf War. She was decommissioned in November 1993 and transferred the Military Sealift Command, was redesignated USNS San Jose (T-AFS-7) and "crewed" by civilians under US Navy leadership. Retired by the MSC in early 2010, she is scheduled to be scrapped.
The USS SAN JOSE (AFS-7) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:
AFS-7 Deployments - Major Events
Add a AFS-7 Shellback Initiation | Add a AFS-7 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SEP | 1941 | - | JAN | 1960 | Awarded Meritorious Unit Commendation 1971-72 (input is broken! |
MAR | 1969 | - | Keel Date: 8 MAR 1969 at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | ||
DEC | 1969 | - | Launch Date: 13 DEC 1969 | ||
OCT | 1970 | - | Commissioned: 23 OCT 1970 | ||
AUG | 1971 | - | SEP | 1971 | Victoria/Vancouver BC Fleet Week - Seattle Sea Fair |
SEP | 1971 | - | Shellback Initiation - 10 SEP 1971 - Pacific Ocean | ||
SEP | 1971 | - | APR | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
AUG | 1972 | - | JUN | 1973 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
SEP | 1972 | - | JAN | 1974 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
NOV | 1972 | - | Shellback Initiation - 3 NOV 1972 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JAN | 1973 | - | JAN | 1975 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1973 | - | JAN | 1975 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1974 | - | Shellback Initiation - 1 JAN 1974 - Pacific Ocean | ||
APR | 1974 | - | JAN | 1975 | West Pac-Indian Ocean |
JUL | 1974 | - | JAN | 1975 | West Pac-Indian Ocean |
AUG | 1974 | - | Shellback Initiation - 24 AUG 1974 - Indian Ocean | ||
AUG | 1974 | - | Shellback Initiation - 28 AUG 1974 - Indian Ocean | ||
AUG | 1974 | - | Shellback Initiation - 28 AUG 1974 - Pacific Ocean | ||
AUG | 1974 | - | Shellback Initiation - 29 AUG 1974 - Indian Ocean | ||
NOV | 1975 | - | JUN | 1976 | West Pac |
FEB | 1976 | - | Shellback Initiation - 4 FEB 1976 - Indian Ocean | ||
JUN | 1977 | - | DEC | 1977 | West Pac |
DEC | 1977 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 DEC 1977 - Pacific Ocean | ||
AUG | 1979 | - | MAR | 1980 | West Pac-Indian Ocean |
OCT | 1979 | - | MAR | 1980 | West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
NOV | 1979 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 NOV 1979 - Indian Ocean | ||
OCT | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 24 OCT 1980 - Indian Ocean | ||
JUN | 1981 | - | SEP | 1983 | West Pac |
JAN | 1982 | - | DEC | 1983 | RIMPAC |
JAN | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 21 JAN 1982 - Indian Ocean | ||
JAN | 1982 | - | JAN | 1983 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
JAN | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 21 JAN 1982 - Indian Ocean | ||
JAN | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 21 JAN 1982 - Indian Ocean | ||
SEP | 1982 | - | DEC | 1982 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
OCT | 1983 | - | Shellback Initiation - 22 OCT 1983 - Indian Ocean | ||
OCT | 1983 | - | Shellback Initiation - 22 OCT 1983 - Indian Ocean | ||
MAY | 1984 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 MAY 1984 - Indian Ocean | ||
JUL | 1985 | - | Shellback Initiation - 22 JUL 1985 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JAN | 1986 | - | JAN | 1988 | North Atlantic |
JAN | 1986 | - | JAN | 1987 | Sea Trials |
JAN | 1986 | - | JAN | 1987 | West Africa |
JUN | 1986 | - | Shellback Initiation - 25 JUN 1986 - Indian Ocean | ||
JUN | 1986 | - | Shellback Initiation - 6 JUN 1986 - Indian Ocean | ||
JUL | 1986 | - | Shellback Initiation - 14 JUL 1986 - Indian Ocean | ||
AUG | 1986 | - | Shellback Initiation - 8 AUG 1986 - Indian Ocean | ||
OCT | 1986 | - | Shellback Initiation - 2 OCT 1986 - Pacific Ocean | ||
FEB | 1987 | - | MAR | 1987 | SEA OF OKHOTSK Anti-Submarine Operations Support |
DEC | 1987 | - | JUN | 1988 | West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
JAN | 1988 | - | JUN | 1989 | Awarded Battle Personal Records |
FEB | 1988 | - | MAY | 1988 | Awarded Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal |
FEB | 1988 | - | MAY | 1988 | Awarded MUC |
SEP | 1988 | - | OCT | 1988 | 1988 Korean Olympics Support |
DEC | 1988 | - | DEC | 1988 | Awarded Arliegh Burke Fleet Trophy -- PACFLT |
JAN | 1989 | - | JAN | 1993 | Desert Shield |
AUG | 1989 | - | JAN | 1990 | West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
SEP | 1989 | - | OCT | 1989 | Awarded Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal |
OCT | 1989 | - | Shellback Initiation - 16 OCT 1989 - Pacific Ocean | ||
APR | 1990 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 APR 1990 - Pacific Ocean | ||
APR | 1990 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 APR 1990 - Indian Ocean | ||
SEP | 1990 | - | MAY | 1991 | Desert Shield |
SEP | 1990 | - | MAY | 1991 | Desert Shield |
SEP | 1990 | - | MAY | 1991 | Desert Shield |
DEC | 1990 | - | AUG | 1991 | Desert Shield |
JAN | 1991 | - | MAR | 1991 | Desert Shield |
MAR | 1991 | - | Shellback Initiation - 21 MAR 1991 - Indian Ocean | ||
JAN | 1992 | - | NOV | 1992 | Desert Storm |
JAN | 1992 | - | NOV | 1992 | Desert Shield |
AUG | 1992 | - | Shellback Initiation - 18 AUG 1992 - Pacific Ocean | ||
OCT | 1992 | - | OCT | 1992 | Shellback Initiation - 06 OCT 92 - Indian Ocean |
MAY | 1993 | - | Shellback Initiation - 19 MAY 1993 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JUL | 1996 | - | Shellback Initiation - 14 JUL 1996 - Indian Ocean | ||
FEB | 2006 | - | Shellback Initiation - 18 FEB 2006 - Pacific Ocean |
AFS-7 General Specifications
Class: Mars-class combat stores ship
Named for: San Jose
Complement: 49 Navy and 124 Civilians
Displacement: 9843 tons
Length: 581 feet
Beam: 79 feet
Flank Speed:
USS SAN JOSE (AFS-7)
San Jose (AFS-7)
was laid down on 8 March 1969 by the
National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif.; launched on 13 December 1969; christened by Mrs. Robert Ellis, III, for the sponsor, her
mother, Mrs. George L. Murphy; and
commissioned on 23 October 1970,
Capt. James H. Morris in command.
Following commissioning
and fitting out, San Jose, the
first combat stores ship of the Pacific Fleet Service Force to receive the U-1500 computer system, conducted training drills; made a short cruise to
Acapulco out of San Diego; and carried
out ship's qualification trials out
of Long Beach before steaming to her home port, Alameda, in February
1971. Arriving on the 10th, she took on her
first PACFILL (Pacific Fleet Issue Load
List) stock, and, in March, completed final contract trials. Shakedown and availability followed. In July, she moved north to British Columbia to
participate in the observance of that
province's Centennial. August took
her to Seattle. On 10 September, she received
two UH-46 helicopters from detachment HC-3; and, on the 11th, she departed Alameda for her first WestPac deployment.
The stores ship arrived
at Subic Bay, Philippines, on 27
September; topped off her load; and, on 4 October, departed for the Tonkin Gulf and her first line
swing. On 6 October, she conducted her
first simultaneous vertical
replenishment and, on the 7th, her first underway replenishment of a carrier task
group. From the Tonkin Gulf, Sam Jose
delivered freight at Danang, Cam Ranh Bay, and Vung Tau; then
conducted underway replenishments off the
southern coast of South Vietnam before moving on to a port visit at
Singapore, whence she headed back to the Philippines
to take on more cargo.
San Jose returned
to Subic Bay on 23 October and, by
the end of November, had completed three more line swings. On 10 December, she completed her fifth
line swing, and, at mid-month,
commenced her sixth. The deployment to the western Pacific ended on 16
March 1972, when she departed Subic Bay to
return to the United States. Proceeding via Apra, Guam, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, she arrived in San Diego at the
end of the month.
San Jose resumed local operations out of San Diego until redeploying to the 7th Fleet in late August.
She arrived in Subic Bay on 12 September and, after nine months supporting the 7th Fleet in the Far East, departed Sasebo, Japan, on 11 June 1973 to return
to the United States. She arrived at
San Francisco on the 22d and resumed
local operations. Through June 1974, San Jose continues to cruise
the western coastline of the United
States, based at San Francisco.
San Jose earned three battle stars for service in the Vietnam War.
[Note: The above USS SAN JOSE (AFS-7) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS SAN JOSE (AFS-7), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]