About this Unit
USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) was a Mars-class combat stores ship commissioned by the United States Navy in 1967. Designed to provide underway replenishment of food, ammunition, and general stores, she played a vital logistical role during the Vietnam War, supporting fleet operations in the Western Pacific. Throughout her service, Niagara Falls participated in numerous exercises and operations, including deployments to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. After nearly three decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1994 and subsequently transferred to the Military Sealift Command before being retired from naval service.
Historical Facts
• Commissioning and Class: USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) was a Mars-class combat stores ship commissioned on April 29, 1967, designed to provide underway replenishment of food, spare parts, and other supplies to U.S. Navy ships at sea.
• Namesake: She was named after the famous Niagara Falls, symbolizing power and natural wonder, and was the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name "Niagara Falls."
• Vietnam War Service: Niagara Falls played a crucial role in the Vietnam War, supplying the 7th Fleet and sustaining forward-deployed ships with vital logistics support.
• Helicopter Operations: The ship was equipped with helicopter decks and carried CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, enabling vertical replenishment (VERTREP) operations while underway.
• Humanitarian Missions: In 1975, Niagara Falls participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of American and South Vietnamese civilians during the fall of Saigon.
• Cold War Patrols: Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, she supported fleet operations during the Cold War, including deployments in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
• Desert Shield/Desert Storm: USS Niagara Falls deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991, supplying U.S. and coalition naval forces during the Gulf War.
• Decommissioning: The ship was decommissioned on September 12, 1994, after 27 years of service, and transferred to the Military Sealift Command where she served as USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3).
• Final Fate: After her service as a civilian-manned supply ship, Niagara Falls was eventually stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and sunk as a target during a RIMPAC exercise in July 2012.
• Legacy: The ship and her crew were awarded multiple commendations, including the Navy Unit Commendation and Meritorious Unit Commendation, for outstanding service in both combat and peacetime operations.
