Robert Mcglew

Naval Air Station (NAS) Cubi Point was established in 1956 at Subic Bay, Philippines, and quickly became a vital logistical and operational hub for the United States Navy in the Western Pacific. Constructed by the U.S. Navy Seabees, the base featured a unique pier and airfield complex carved directly from mountainous jungle terrain. Throughout the Vietnam War and the Cold War, NAS Cubi Point provided critical support for carrier-based aircraft, serving as a major repair, supply, and rest-and-recreation facility. The station remained active until its closure in 1992, following the expiration of the U.S.-Philippines base agreement, marking the end of an era for American naval presence in the region.

The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), established in 1882, is the United States Navy’s oldest intelligence organization, dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and disseminating maritime intelligence. In 1966, the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) was formed as a branch of ONI to address criminal, counterintelligence, and security matters within the Navy and Marine Corps. Regional Office 0893 was one of several field offices under NIS, providing local investigative and counterintelligence support to naval installations in its assigned area. In 1992, NIS was reorganized and renamed the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), inheriting the responsibilities and regional structure, including the duties once performed by Regional Office 0893.

Mine Division 73 was a United States Navy mine warfare unit active during the Cold War, specializing in mine countermeasures operations. Among its ships was USS Conquest (MSO-488), an Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper commissioned in 1955. USS Conquest participated in training exercises, fleet maneuvers, and readiness missions along the U.S. East Coast, Caribbean, and occasionally in the Mediterranean as part of NATO operations. The ship and its division played a crucial role in ensuring safe passage for naval and commercial vessels by detecting and clearing naval mines until Conquest’s decommissioning in 1971.

USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship commissioned into the United States Navy on August 8, 1987. Named after the historic fort in Baltimore, Maryland, the ship was designed to transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with embarked Marines during amphibious operations. Throughout its service, Fort McHenry participated in numerous deployments, including Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and humanitarian missions such as tsunami relief in Indonesia in 2005. After over three decades of active service supporting global naval operations, USS Fort McHenry was decommissioned on March 27, 2021.

**Subic Bay, PI (Philippine Islands)** has a distinguished military history as a strategic naval base. Established by Spain in the late 19th century, Subic Bay was later developed by the United States after the Spanish-American War, becoming a major U.S. naval facility in the Pacific. During World War II, it was occupied by Japanese forces and subsequently recaptured by Allied troops in 1945. Throughout the Cold War, Subic Bay Naval Base served as a crucial logistics and repair hub for U.S. and allied naval operations until its closure in 1992, following the expiration of the U.S.-Philippines bases agreement. Today, the site is managed by the Philippine government and occasionally hosts joint military exercises.

USS *Tuscaloosa* (LST-1187) was a Newport-class tank landing ship commissioned by the United States Navy in 1970. Designed to support amphibious operations, she featured a unique bow ramp for rapid offloading of vehicles and cargo directly onto shore. Throughout her service, *Tuscaloosa* participated in numerous training exercises, humanitarian missions, and deployments in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, playing a vital support role during the Vietnam War and later Cold War operations. She was decommissioned in 1994 and subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register.