USS Ardent (MCM 12)

- decommissioned -

USS ARDENT was the 12^th AVENGER - class Mine Countermeasures Ship and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. From the mid-1990s until 2013, the ship was forward-deployed to Manama, Bahrain. USS ARDENT held a decommissioning ceremony at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on August 20, 2020, and was officially decommissioned on August 27, 2020. In September 2023, Marine Group Boat Works of San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $9,351,700 firm-fixed-price contract for the dismantling of ARDENT along with her two decommissioned sisterships SCOUT (MCM 8) and CHAMPION (MCM 4).

General Characteristics:	Awarded: December 12, 1989
	Keel laid: October 22, 1990
	Launched: November 16, 1991
	Commissioned: February 18, 1994
	Decommissioned: August 27, 2020
	Builder: Peterson Shipbuilders, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
	Propulsion System: four diesels
	Propellers: two
	Length: 224 feet (68.28 meters)
	Beam: 39 feet (11.89 meters)
	Draft: 11,5 feet (3.5 meters)
	Displacement: 1,312 tons
	Speed: 14 knots
	Armament: Mine neutralization system, two .50 caliber machine guns
	Crew: 8 Officers, 76 Enlisted

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS ARDENT. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The crest of USS ARDENT was designed by a plankowner, a member of her first crew. The blue and gold of the outer border are colors that are traditionally synonymous with the United States Navy.

The two gold stars represent the two previous United States naval ships that proudly bore the name ARDENT. The shield signifies protection provided to the fleet, while the broken mine depicts the mine countermeasures mission of the ship. The shield contains the nations colors of red, white and blue representing patriotism and allegiance to country.

The flames behind the shield signify the fire and zeal the crew possesses. The four red stars above the ships silhouette commemorate the four battle stars awarded to the second ARDENT for her distinguished service in the Pacific theater during World War II. The crossed swords behind the shield, one gold and one silver, symbolize the teamwork and cooperation which exist between the officer and enlisted communities. The ship's motto is igneus et fervens (fiery and fervent).

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USS ARDENT History:

USS ARDENT, the 12th AVENGER-class mine countermeasures ship, was laid down on October 22, 1990, at Peterson Builders in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and christened on November 26, 1991. After first underway builder's trials from June 14-18, 1993, and acceptance trials from July 26-30, 1993, the ship was delivered on August 20, 1993. During the long transit from the Great Lakes to her Gulf Coast homeport, ARDENT visited Green Bay from October 30-November 2, 1993; Toronto from November 6-11; refueled at Rochester from November 11-12; made a brief stop at Quebec City on November 14; visited Halifax from November 17-21; and pulled into Little Creek on November 24 for four days to refuel and onload CL-3 cable. She then proceeded to Charleston on November 30, 1993, for magnetic-material handling and degaussing preparations, conducted degaussing runs on December 6-7, departed after onload on December 8, briefly refueled at Key West on December 11, and arrived at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, on December 15, 1993.

Early 1994 focused on technical checks and training in the Corpus Christi operating area (including TB-26/TB-27 checks on January 13, 1994), culminating in commissioning at Ingleside on February 18, 1994. Through spring 1994, ARDENT combined routine training with specialized evolutions, then departed Ingleside on July 6, 1994, for Combat Systems Ship's Qualification Trials off Panama City, Florida, with associated logistics stops that included Key West (September 11-13, 1994), acoustic trials at Port Everglades (September 14-21), Key West again (September 22-24), and Cozumel, Mexico (September 26-30), before returning to Ingleside on October 4, 1994. She completed at-sea final contract trial events from October 12-13, 1994, and began a post-shakedown availability on November 21, 1994. Lt. Cmdr. Richard B. Landolt relieved Lt. Cmdr. John T. Ririe as commanding officer on August 12, 1995.

The verified public chronology available is comparatively sparse for 1995-1996, before resuming in detail with ARDENT's forward-deployed operations in Bahrain.

From January 19-29, 1997, ARDENT participated in exercise Sharem 119 in the Arabian Gulf. Rotational crewing was documented on February 2, 1997, when Mine Countermeasures Rotational Crew Alpha relieved Rotational Crew Charlie at Mina Salman Port, followed by sea trials from February 4-8 and a selected restricted availability commencing February 12. Lt. Cmdr. Jeffery R. Howlett assumed command on March 13, 1997, and ARDENT's 1997 operations combined Gulf sea trials, Q-route surveys, mine countermeasures training, and a steady logistics loop through regional ports: Dubai (April 20-23, 1997), Kuwait City (April 25-26 and April 29-May 1), Abu Dhabi (June 13-16), Doha (late June 1997), and Jebel Ali (August 11-14 for engine repairs).

ARDENT entered Basrec shipyard on September 17, 1997, for emergent AN/SQQ-32 sonar repairs, returned to Mina Salman pier on October 16, and followed with sea trials from October 17-20 and Mine Danger Area operations on October 22, plus Kuwait City (November 1-3) and Dubai (November 10-12). Lt. Cmdr. Timothy T. Smith took command on December 8, 1997. ARDENT supported Saudi exercise Nautical Swimmer from December 14-18 and continued early-1998 clearance and training underways, including emergent tasking on February 15, 1998, to assist USNS CATAWBA (T-ATF 168) in locating and recovering an F/A-18C in the North Arabian Gulf, followed by additional mine clearance periods through spring.

Lt. Cmdr. James R. Boorujy assumed command on April 21, 1998, and ARDENT's mid-1998 schedule included a fleet maintenance availability outboard USS SIMON LAKE (AS 33) at Jebel Ali beginning May 15, subsequent at-sea mining and recovery work, and further training and inspection events through the fall. Lt. Cmdr. Christopher W. Grady assumed command on October 7, 1998, and ARDENT supported exercise Red Reef (departing October 8), called at Jubail (October 13-15), refueled at Kuwait City (October 17-18), and continued survey and port cycles that included Jebel Ali (November 11-15). From December 18-27, 1998, ARDENT operated in support of Operation Desert Fox, including work inside an Iraqi-territorial-waters mine danger area.

Lt. Cmdr. Curt W. Steigers relieved William C. Harris on September 9, 1999. In early 2000, ARDENT continued mine countermeasures operations with port calls including Dubai (January 16-22, 2000), Doha (January 22-23), and Abu Dhabi (February 3-6). Lt. Cmdr. Rodelio Laco, Jr., assumed command on February 18, 2000, and on March 1, 2000, ARDENT became permanently homeported in Manama with her first permanent crew, after which she sustained a high-tempo pattern of Gulf exercises and operations (including Arabian Gauntlet and Neon Falcon series events), plus repeated port visits to Jubail, Doha, and Dubai. In the immediate security reaction following the bombing of USS COLE (DDG 67), ARDENT emergency sortied from Mina Salman Port on October 12, 2000, returning November 12, and continued frequent underways into 2001.

Lt. Cmdr. Mark S. Manfredi assumed command on April 11, 2001, followed by exercise and training cycles and multiple emergency sorties from Manama during 2001. ARDENT began a planned maintenance availability at Mina Salman pier on September 6, 2001, conducted sea trials on December 10, and in 2002 executed repeated Q-route survey periods in the North Arabian Gulf (including Kuwait Naval Base from July 25-26, 2002). Lt. Cmdr. Scott J. Shepard assumed command on December 12, 2002. ARDENT made a brief Kuwait Naval Base refueling stop on March 8, 2003. Lt. Cmdr. Lance C. Esswein took command on August 15, 2004, and ARDENT continued regional mine warfare operations and exercises, including Nautical Union support cited on July 19, 2005.

On March 10, 2006, while conducting maritime security operations, ARDENT (Lt. Cmdr. Philip E. Sobec commanding) responded to and supported the distressed Iraqi commercial vessel GULF QUEEN for three days until towing could be arranged. ARDENT conducted minesweeping operations with USS SAIPAN (LHA 2) on September 19, 2006, and was reported underway on routine exercises on December 2, 2006 (Lt. Cmdr. Angel C. Cruz commanding). She concluded Nautical Union 2007 on June 2, 2007, participated in Gulf mine countermeasures exercises alongside USS BATAAN (LHD 5), USS GLADIATOR (MCM 11), USS DEXTROUS (MCM 13), HMS GRIMSBY (M108), and RFA LYME BAY (L3007) on September 4, 2009, subsequently completed a three-month selected restricted availability in a floating dry dock and departed it on May 23, 2010, and joined a multinational training evolution with USS SCOUT (MCM 8), USS GLADIATOR, and USS DEXTROUS (plus British MCM units) spanning August 15-25, 2010.

On March 30, 2011, ARDENT - along with USS SCOUT, RFA LYME BAY, HMS PEMBROKE (M107), and HMS MIDDLETON (M34) - participated in a mine countermeasures exercise in the Arabian Gulf with French units and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2. She departed Manama on May 13, 2013, for the at-sea phase of International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2013. ARDENT then transitioned to the U.S. West Coast via heavy lift: she departed Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Bahrain, on November 3, 2013, after loading aboard M/V EIDE TRANSPORTER on October 30, transiting the Basilan Strait on November 25 en route.

In San Diego, she entered a lengthy maintenance period, including a selected restricted availability contracted with completion expected by March 2015, and a change of command on June 15, 2015, when Lt. Cmdr. Jermaine B. Brooms relieved Lt. Cmdr. Jeffery J. Murawski. After an extended pierside stretch, ARDENT returned to sea for trials on March 9, 2017, and rebuilt routine proficiency through short SOCAL operating-area underways, refueling stops at the Navy Fuel Farm on Naval Base Point Loma, and minesweeping evolutions (notably May 8-12, 2017). She continued this pattern through late 2017. In December 2017, Lt. Cmdr. Catherine A. B. Reppert relieved Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Hoard, Jr.

In 2018 ARDENT conducted magnetic treatment at the Magnetic Silencing Facility on January 17-19, executed multiple short training underways, supported RIMPAC-related operations beginning July 6, 2018, and suffered an engineering casualty that led to emergent repairs beginning July 17, 2018. She completed a Mexico port visit to Cabo San Lucas from September 20-23, 2018, then resumed readiness events including a type commander material readiness inspection underway on October 24.

In 2019, ARDENT continued routine training and signature-management cycles, including deperming at Point Loma on April 18, and undertook an extended West Coast operating period with port visits to Alameda (May 31-June 3), Port Hueneme (June 7-10 and later returns), a refueling stop at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on July 24, visits to Naval Station Everett (July 29-August 1) and Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (from August 1 with multiple brief local underways through August 21), and a liberty visit in the port of Pichilingue, Mexico, from September 13-16. She moored at Naval Base San Diego on October 15, 2019, after a three-month period described as a deployment in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area.

On January 30, 2020, ARDENT returned from a one-day underway and later shifted within San Diego waterfront berths in early February. USS ARDENT held a decommissioning ceremony at North Mole Pier, Naval Base San Diego, on August 20, 2020, closing a career that spanned early Gulf Coast qualification work, many years of forward-deployed mine warfare operations from Bahrain (including major regional exercises, Q-route survey work, and maritime security responses), and a final U.S. Pacific Fleet period centered on maintenance recovery, training, and West Coast operations and port visits.

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USS ARDENT Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the ARDENT at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.

The photos below were taken by Sebastian Thoma and show the ARDENT at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 20, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the ARDENT at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 11, 2017.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the ARDENT returning to Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on September 28, 2018.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the ARDENT at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 2, 2019.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the decommissioned ARDENT (right) laid up at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 28, 2021.

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