USS Badger (FF-1071)

• Namesake: USS Badger (FF-1071) was named in honor of Commodore Oscar C. Badger, a distinguished officer in the U.S. Navy who served during the American Civil War. • Class and Type: She was a Knox-class frigate, originally designated as a destroyer escort (DE-1071) before being reclassified as a frigate (FF-1071) in 1975. • Commissioning: USS Badger was commissioned on December 1, 1970, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. • Cold War Service: She served extensively during the Cold War, conducting patrols, training exercises, and surveillance operations in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. • Vietnam War Operations: The ship participated in operations off the coast of Vietnam, including search and rescue missions and naval gunfire support. • Rescue Missions: USS Badger was involved in the rescue of Vietnamese refugees ("boat people") in the South China Sea during the late 1970s and early 1980s. • Arabian Sea Deployment: In response to the Iran Hostage Crisis, Badger was deployed to the Arabian Sea as part of the U.S. presence in the region in the late 1970s. • Homeport: Throughout her career, her homeport shifted, but she was primarily based out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which allowed her rapid deployment throughout the Pacific. • Decommissioning: She was decommissioned on December 20, 1991, after over 20 years of active service, and was later sunk as a target during a training exercise in July 1998. • Legacy: USS Badger earned multiple awards, including the Navy Expeditionary Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal, highlighting her diverse range of missions and contributions.