USS Plate AO-187

```html • USS Platte (AO-186) is the correct name for the Cimarron-class fleet oiler; there is no record of a USS Plate (AO-187) in US Navy history, but USS Platte (AO-186) served from 1981 to 2004. • Namesake: The ship was the fifth vessel to bear the name "Platte," named after the Platte River in the United States. • Class: USS Platte was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler, designed to replenish fuel for Navy ships at sea, extending their operational range. • Commissioning: She was commissioned on April 16, 1981, and built by Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana. • Operational Role: Platte’s primary mission was to provide underway replenishment of fuel, dry cargo, and ammunition, supporting carrier battle groups worldwide. • Gulf War Service: Platte served with distinction during Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991), supplying fuel and provisions to the US fleet in the Persian Gulf. • Length and Crew: At over 700 feet long, Platte had a complement of over 180 officers and enlisted personnel, plus Military Sealift Command civilian mariners after 1992. • Collision Incident: In 1989, Platte suffered significant damage in a collision with USS Trippe (FF-1075) during a refueling operation, but both ships were repaired and returned to service. • Women at Sea: Platte was among the first combatant support ships to integrate female sailors as part of its regular crew in the 1990s. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS Platte was decommissioned on June 30, 1999, transferred to the Military Sealift Command as USNS Platte (T-AO-186), and ultimately struck from the Navy list in 2004 and scrapped in 2006. ```