About this Unit
USS *Kawishiwi* (AO-146) was a Neosho-class fleet oiler commissioned by the United States Navy in 1955. Throughout her service, she played a crucial role in refueling and replenishing ships at sea, primarily supporting the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the Cold War. The *Kawishiwi* participated in operations during the Vietnam War, ensuring sustained naval presence and combat readiness through underway replenishment missions. After more than three decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1986, marking the end of her vital logistical contributions to naval operations.
Historical Facts
•
Namesake: USS Kawishiwi (AO-146) was named after the Kawishiwi River in Minnesota, continuing the Navy tradition of naming oilers after rivers.
•
Class and Type: She was a Neosho-class fleet oiler, designed to provide underway replenishment of fuel and supplies to U.S. Navy ships at sea.
•
Commissioning: Kawishiwi was launched on December 11, 1954, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, and commissioned on July 6, 1955.
•
Pacific Service: The ship was homeported in Pearl Harbor for much of her career, supporting the U.S. Pacific Fleet throughout the Cold War.
•
Vietnam War Support: Kawishiwi played a crucial logistical role during the Vietnam War, making numerous deployments to provide fuel and supplies to combat ships on "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tonkin.
•
Record-Setting Replenishments: During her service, Kawishiwi set records for the number of underway replenishments conducted, once servicing as many as 10 ships in a single day.
•
Humanitarian Missions: Beyond combat support, she participated in humanitarian relief, such as Operation New Life (1975), aiding South Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon.
•
Modernization: Kawishiwi underwent several modernizations, including the addition of helicopter platforms to allow for vertical replenishment, increasing her operational flexibility.
•
Decommissioning and Later Service: She was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy in 1979, but later served with the Military Sealift Command as USNS Kawishiwi (T-AO-146), operated by a civilian crew until final deactivation.
•
Final Fate: The ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1992, and after several years in the reserve fleet, she was sold for scrapping in 2014, ending nearly 60 years of distinguished service.
