USS Bulwark MSO425

• USS Bulwark (MSO-425) was an Agile-class minesweeper of the United States Navy, designed for clearing mines to ensure safe passage for fleets and merchant convoys. • Launched on 14 August 1952 by the Stamford Shipbuilding Company in Stamford, Connecticut, and commissioned on 12 May 1954. • Her primary mission was to detect, sweep, and destroy naval mines in both coastal and deep-sea areas, using advanced mine-countermeasure technologies of her era. • Homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, Bulwark participated in numerous training exercises and readiness operations along the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean. • Deployed to the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet, Bulwark took part in NATO exercises and strengthened alliances during the Cold War period. • She was constructed with a wooden hull and non-magnetic metals to reduce the risk of triggering magnetic mines—a unique feature of her class. • Bulwark and her crew assisted in search and rescue missions, including aiding ships in distress and supporting hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean. • The ship earned the Navy Expeditionary Medal for her participation in special operations and deployments outside the continental United States. • Decommissioned on 6 December 1971, Bulwark was struck from the Navy list and later sold for scrapping in 1973, marking the end of nearly two decades of service. • Throughout her service, Bulwark was known for exemplary seamanship, crew camaraderie, and a strong safety record in the often dangerous task of mine countermeasures.