USS Sierra (AD-18)

Sierra was deployed to the Western Pacific two more times in the next three years. Her last assignment terminated at San Diego, California on 8 April 1949; and, two months later, she sailed for Norfolk, Virginia, which was her new home port, arriving there on 29 July 1949. She serviced ships there until 6 January 1950 when she was deployed to the United States Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea as relief of the destroyer tender USS Shenandoah (AD-26), returning to Norfolk on 24 June. The tender was deployed to the Sixth Fleet again from 12 June to 6 November 1951.

Upon her return to Norfolk, Sierra moored at Pier 21, Destroyer Submarine Piers(D&S Piers). On 7 November, she was designated the flagship of Commander, Destroyer Flotilla 4 and retained this honor until 1 July 1962 when she was assigned as flagship for Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla 4. Sierra remained at Norfolk until 1959, aptly coping with the heavy demand by destroyers for repairs, which was her primary duty. For other than local operations, the longest period of time that she was away from the D&S Piers was when her services were required for Operation Springboard from 6 January to 2 March and again from 9 November to 4 December 1953.

Sierra sailed for the Mediterranean on 30 June 1959 for her third deployment with the Sixth Fleet and returned to Norfolk on 13 December to continue her work as destroyer tender. She was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from 23 October to 14 December 1961 to tend the reserve training ships recalled to active duty during the Berlin Wall Crisis.

Sierra entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 27 March 1962 for conversion under the FRAM II program. Sierra was out of the yard and able to resume her normal work routine on 15 September. From 1963 through December 1973, Sierra serviced ships of the fleet at ports along the United States East Coast, but primarily at Norfolk.

On 5 January 1974, she moved to Charleston, South Carolina, which became her home port for the next few years. During that time, Sierra made two peacetime Mediterranean cruises in 1977 and 1978/79 and visited Spain, Majorca, mainland Italy, Sicily, and the French Riviera. Her home port, for both cruises while in Italy, was Naples.

In September 1979, Sierra cruised one day behind Hurricane Frederic on her way to a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, for an overhaul. The overhaul included the addition of female berthing quarters for the first female officers that began serving on the ship. During the first several months in drydock, her crew assisted the City of Mobile to help in cleanup and relief efforts after Hurricane Frederic. The crew received the Humanitarian Medal for their efforts in Mobile.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Davidmobile%5B%5D after the hurricane

In 1981, Sierra returned to Charleston for a short visit prior to going to Guantanamo Bay for exercises to get the crew ready for service. During the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Sierra and her crew assisted the South Florida community with hurricane assistance including the reconstruction of Pine Lake Elementary in South Dade County.

This section needs expansion with: the ship's history from 1981 to 1993. You can help by adding missing information. (November 2012)

Sierra was the oldest active duty warship prior to her decommissioning on 15 October 1993. As such, she was entitled to fly the First Navy Jack flag denoting her as such.

Sierra was decommissioned on 15 October 1993 and was sold for scrapping.

• Sierra (AD-18) Archived 2008-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, DANFS Online.
• Photo gallery of USS Sierra (AD-18) at NavSource Naval History

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.