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USS Dextrous (MCM 13)

USS DEXTROUS was the 13^th AVENGER class Mine Countermeasures Ship and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name. USS DEXTROUS was officially decommissioned on September 3, 2025, during a ceremony at Mina Salman Port in Manama, Bahrain.

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Crew List:

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

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• Click here to see which USS DEXTROUS memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS DEXTROUS Cruise Books:

• Crew Foxtrot Persian Gulf Cruise Book 1998

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USS DEXTROUS History:

USS DEXTROUS, the 13th AVENGER-class mine countermeasures ship and the second U.S. Navy ship to carry the name, was built by Peterson Builders in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Her keel was laid on March 11, 1991, and she was launched on June 20, 1992, with Mrs. Jacqueline E. Schafer serving as sponsor. After fitting-out, USS DEXTROUS got underway for the first time on March 31, 1994, for builder's trials, and during her initial movements she made a brief Canadian stop at Port Colborne from April 29-30. She continued down the St. Lawrence route and into the North Atlantic with a port visit to Quebec City from May 4-8, followed by Halifax, Nova Scotia, from May 11-12, and then a stop at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia, from May 20-23. Entering the U.S. Navy's degaussing pipeline that was standard for mine warfare ships, she arrived at Naval Station Charleston, South Carolina, on June 2 to offload magnetic material and then completed degaussing runs on the Cooper River range from June 3-15 before departing on June 16. She then visited Freeport, Bahamas, from June 17-20. USS DEXTROUS reached her homeport at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, on June 24, 1994, completing a 59-day transit from Sturgeon Bay, and was commissioned there on July 9, 1994.

In the months after commissioning, USS DEXTROUS quickly settled into the demanding early operational rhythm typical for new mine countermeasures ships. From July 14-17, 1994, she was underway in the Galveston Bay operating area conducting search-and-rescue operations in support of a downed helicopter, and later completed an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination from September 20-22. She departed Ingleside on September 23 for Combat Systems Ship's Qualification Trials in the Panama City, Florida, operating area, making a port visit at Naval Air Station Pensacola from November 3-7, returning to Panama City on November 16, and then returning to Ingleside on December 12.

A change of command on January 11, 1996, saw Lt. Cmdr. Antony E. Mitschell relieve Lt. Cmdr. Robert I. McGrath, Jr. By early 1997, USS DEXTROUS was operating from Mina Salman Pier in Manama, Bahrain - part of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed mine countermeasures presence in the Arabian Gulf region, shaped by the persistent strategic risk that sea mines posed to chokepoints and port approaches. On February 22, 1997, Lt. Cmdr. Clifford S. Sharpe relieved Lt. Cmdr. Thomas M. Clemous III as the 4th commanding officer (Echo Crew), and on August 6, 1997, Lt. Cmdr. Michael R. Arture relieved Lt. Cmdr. Sharpe during a change-of-command ceremony at Mina Salman Pier.

From late August 1997, USS DEXTROUS's operational tempo reflects the practical work of mine warfare in and around designated mine danger areas and key shipping routes. She departed Manama on August 28 for mine hunting operations in Mine Danger Area 6, with Kuwait City port stops from August 30-September 1 and September 8-10. She returned to Manama on September 12, got underway again on September 14, and made a port visit to Doha, Qatar, from September 15-17 before returning on September 18. She continued with mine countermeasures training in the Central Arabian Gulf on September 27, refueled briefly in Manama on September 29, and made an October 2 stop at Muscat, Oman, before arriving at Karachi, Pakistan, on October 5 for a three-day port call. She then visited Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from October 11-13 and returned to Manama on October 15. USS DEXTROUS conducted mine countermeasures operations in the North Arabian Gulf from October 22-29 (with a Kuwait City refuel stop on October 26), then entered Mina Rashid Port, Dubai, on October 31 for a 24-day Restricted Availability, returning to Bahrain on November 26. From December 7-18, she supported exercise Nautical Swimmer 98-1 with the Saudi Arabian Navy.

On January 20, 1998, Lt. Cmdr. David D. Bruhn relieved Lt. Cmdr. Arture (Foxtrot Crew). After routine training from January 29-31 and mine hunting in Mine Danger Area 6 on February 2, USS DEXTROUS received an operationally urgent tasking on February 7 to proceed to the North Arabian Gulf to assist USNS JOHN MCDONELL (T-AGS 51) in locating wreckage from two F/A-18Cs from USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) that had crashed the prior night. She refueled in Kuwait City on February 9, visited Doha from February 19-21, returned to Bahrain on February 22 for emergent repairs, and resumed mine hunting on March 1. She took fuel and supplies in Kuwait City on March 6-7, visited Sharjah on March 13-14, Dubai from March 14-18, and returned to Bahrain on March 20. She then participated in MCMEX '98 from March 21-25 and got underway again on April 5. On April 8, she moored at Berth 8 in Mina Qaboos for a five-day Muscat visit, returning to Mina Salman on April 16 and getting underway again on April 28. From April 30 she moored outboard USS SIMON LAKE (AS 33) in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, for a week-long Fleet Maintenance Availability. After a Jubail, Saudi Arabia, brief port call on May 9 linked to exercise Nautical Swimmer 98-2, she returned to Bahrain on May 13 and then conducted F/A-18C aircraft salvage operations in the North Arabian Gulf from May 14-17. On July 1, 1998, Lt. Cmdr. John B. Bowie relieved Lt. Cmdr. Bruhn (Golf Crew).

Through mid-to-late 1998, USS DEXTROUS alternated between training periods, maintenance windows, exercises, and operational tasking typical of forward-deployed mine warfare forces. She trained July 9-11 in the Central Arabian Gulf, conducted successive short underway periods in late August, completed an upkeep in Jebel Ali on August 27-28, returned to Bahrain on September 1, participated in MIREM 3 from September 3-9, recovered exercise mines from September 9-11, and completed an INSURV rehearsal (September 17-18) followed by an INSURV assessment (September 20-21).

After additional routine training September 25-27, she departed Bahrain on October 1 in support of exercise Red Reef '99, with Jubail port periods from October 3-5 and October 13. She arrived at Wudam, Oman, on October 17 for a two-day port call linked to exercise Safe Handling 3-98, returned to Wudam again from October 20-24, supported exercise Khunjar Hadd from October 24-26, and anchored off Wudam from October 26-27. She then visited Abu Dhabi from November 1-3 and returned to Bahrain on November 6, followed by Q-route surveys from November 14-19 and November 22-25, a tender availability from November 26-December 4, and routine training from December 5-9. On December 16, 1998, Lt. Cmdr. Brian J. Shanahan relieved Lt. Cmdr. Bowie (Alpha Crew). From December 18-27, USS DEXTROUS operated in support of Operation Desert Fox in the North Arabian Gulf, including operations inside Iraqi territorial waters in Mine Danger Area 10; she continued mine countermeasures operations from January 2-6, 1999.

A major maintenance milestone followed: on February 2, 1999, USS DEXTROUS entered dry dock at Bahrain Ship Repair and Engineering Co. (BASREC) for a three-month Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability, undocking on April 3 and returning to Mina Salman Pier on April 21. She conducted sea trials on May 19 and prepared for crew turnover from May 30-31. On June 2, 1999, Lt. Cmdr. William C. Harris relieved Lt. Cmdr. Shanahan (Delta Crew). USS DEXTROUS then ran through a sequence of exercise and port phases: she deployed June 5 in support of Nautical Swimmer 99-1, with Jubail calls June 6-7; operated in the Central Arabian Gulf June 11-18; returned June 20; conducted mine countermeasures operations June 26-29; trained July 8; visited Kuwait City July 14-17; then called at Jubail July 19-22 and Doha July 24-27 before returning to Bahrain July 31. From August 24-27 she conducted bottom mapping in Carrier Operating Area 1; conducted special search operations September 11-15 and September 20-28; supported Red Reef 10 beginning October 1; visited Jubail October 2-5 and October 12-14; and returned October 16. From October 23-November 4 she conducted mine countermeasures operations, including a Muscat port visit from October 28-November 1, and then supported exercise Nautical Sentry in Jubail from November 5-10. On November 17, 1999, Lt. Cmdr. Donald D. Hodge relieved Lt. Cmdr. Harris (Foxtrot Crew). USS DEXTROUS departed Bahrain on November 29 for MIREM 11 and Fleet Battle Experiment Foxtrot. She paused at Mina Salman to refuel on December 8, then conducted search-and-rescue operations for a downed S-3B Viking in the South Arabian Gulf, searched for a sunken EXTORP in the Central Arabian Gulf from December 12-14, and returned on December 15.

The year 2000 opened with sustained operations and port activity. USS DEXTROUS departed Bahrain on January 5, 2000, for mine countermeasures operations, visited Muscat January 15-18, refueled at Salalah January 22-24, and returned to Bahrain on February 3. She conducted Q-route surveys on February 10, visited Abu Dhabi February 12-15, entered Dubai for emergent repairs February 20-26, visited Doha February 29-March 2, and returned to Bahrain on March 3. After underway training March 16-21 (including a Kuwait City stop March 18-19), she got underway March 25-29, then supported exercise Arabian Gauntlet from April 4-10. On May 1, 2000, Lt. Cmdr. Gary R. Parriott relieved Lt. Cmdr. Hodge (Golf Crew). USS DEXTROUS then conducted mine countermeasures operations May 3-6; supported an emergent towing tasking May 10-13; conducted a Dubai port visit May 22-28; executed emergent maritime interdiction operations tasking in the North Arabian Gulf June 17-28; supported HM-14 sonar recovery August 1-4; attempted to proceed toward Abu Dhabi August 6 but turned back for emergent repairs; trained August 9-12; and searched for a lost sonar September 10-13. On September 20, 2000, Lt. Cmdr. Michael A. Hegerty relieved Lt. Cmdr. Parriott during a ceremony at Mina Salman Pier. USS DEXTROUS departed Bahrain on September 24 for mine countermeasures operations and, from September 30-October 3, conducted search-and-rescue operations in the North Arabian Gulf for a downed F/A-18C from USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72). She returned to Bahrain on October 5, emergency sortied on October 12 and operated in the Central Arabian Gulf through November 4, then conducted maritime interdiction operations in the North Arabian Gulf through November 10 before returning on November 12. She immediately followed with exercise Arabian Shark from November 13-15, then conducted local operations from December 10-11.

After a five-month Selected Restricted Availability, USS DEXTROUS resumed underway operations from June 28-July 3, 2001, then again from July 4-8. She anchored at Sitrah Anchorage for ammunition onload on July 18 and conducted mine countermeasures operations from July 19-22 and August 12-19, followed by local operations on August 30 and September 9-11. She emergency sortied from September 11-12 and then continued an extensive cycle of routine training and local operations through the remainder of 2001 (including multiple October, November, and December underway periods). In this period, the ship's day-to-day work - keeping minehunting systems, sweeping gear, and crews ready - aligned with a wider U.S. and partner focus on securing sea lanes and port approaches during a time of heightened regional tension and global counterterrorism operations.

By March 2003, USS DEXTROUS was directly tied to a major geopolitical inflection point. On March 19, 2003, USS DEXTROUS, commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Michael C. Sparks, departed Bahrain in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and by March 28 was conducting mine clearing operations in the Khawr Abd Allah waterway off Umm Qasr, Iraq - work central to restoring safe maritime access to Iraq's key southern port. Later, on November 7, 2003, USS DEXTROUS departed Manama to participate in Mine Warfare Readiness and Effectiveness Measuring (MIREM) Program 27, collecting and analyzing mine warfare data to support future system decisions. In 2004, she was underway for a Midshipmen Cruise on June 14, reflecting the continuing role that forward-deployed ships sometimes played in at-sea training while sustaining operational tasking.

A change of command on July 22, 2005, saw Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey A. Bennett II relieve Lt. Cmdr. Patrick T. Britt. On May 23, 2008, Lt. Cmdr. Vince W. Baker relieved Lt. Cmdr. Joseph D. Femino. USS DEXTROUS continued operating in the Arabian Gulf environment where multinational mine countermeasures training remained a recurring requirement: on September 4, 2009, she participated in mine countermeasures exercises alongside USS BATAAN (LHD 5), USS GLADIATOR (MCM 11), USS ARDENT (MCM 12), HMS GRIMSBY (M108), and RFA LYME BAY (L 3007). On September 29, 2009, USS DEXTROUS, commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer L. Forbus, moored at the Iraqi Navy pier in Umm Qasr for a routine port call - an illustration of how mine warfare forces operated in direct support of evolving Iraqi maritime security and port access after the 2003 conflict. From August 15-25, 2010, USS DEXTROUS participated in a training evolution in the Arabian Gulf alongside USS SCOUT (MCM 8), USS GLADIATOR, USS ARDENT, and four British mine countermeasures ships. On August 29, 2012, she participated in a mine countermeasures exercise with USS SENTRY (MCM 3) and USS PONCE (AFSB(I) 15), reflecting the integration of mine warfare units with broader Fifth Fleet mission sets.

Command climate issues surfaced publicly in late 2013: on November 6, 2013, a task force commander relieved Lt. Cmdr. Nathan S. Wemett of command due to loss of confidence, and Lt. Cmdr. Chavius Lewis assumed temporary command (Olympian Crew). On October 31, 2014, USS DEXTROUS departed Mina Salman Port to participate in the at-sea phase of International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2014, with a Muscat port visit from November 5-8. In 2015, regional instability again shaped tasking: on April 19, 2015, USS DEXTROUS arrived in the Gulf of Aden to increase naval presence amid instability in Yemen, and on May 19 she moored at Tanker Berth 10 in the port of Djibouti while conducting maritime interception operations in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb Strait-waters central to the Red Sea-Indian Ocean connection. She returned to Bahrain on June 3 after a two-month underway period. In another command event, on September 24, 2015, Lt. Cmdr. Linda H. McCauley was relieved due to loss of confidence; Lt. Cmdr. Michael J. Hellard subsequently assumed command, and in October 2016 Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey T. Chewning relieved Lt. Cmdr. Hellard.

Operational cooperation with allied mine forces remained a defining thread. On October 19, 2016, USS DEXTROUS, USS DEVASTATOR (MCM 6), and USS GLADIATOR conducted a PHOTOEX with RFA LYME BAY, HMS MIDDLETON (M34), HMS CHIDDINGFOLD (M37), HMS PENZANCE (M106), and HMS BANGOR (M109) at the start of a bilateral U.S./U.K. mine countermeasures exercise (MCMEX) 17-1. On February 19, 2017, USS DEXTROUS and a mixed U.S., French, and British group - including USS MONSOON (PC 4), USS SQUALL (PC 7), HMS DARING (D 32), FS FORBIN (D 620), HMS BANGOR, HMS MIDDLETON, and RFA LYME BAY - commenced participation in exercise Khunjar Haad with Royal Navy of Oman patrol vessels in the Gulf of Oman. She moored at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat from April 13-16, 2017, and then proceeded to Duqm for emergent repairs from April 23 into late April. USS DEXTROUS returned to Muscat again for a three-day visit beginning August 21, 2017. On October 2, 2017, Lt. Cmdr. Robert J. Toohig Jr. relieved Lt. Cmdr. Chewning during a change-of-command ceremony at Mina Salman Port, and in late 2017 USS DEXTROUS entered a floating dry dock at BASREC for a Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability, undocking in February 2018. After a prolonged pierside period, USS DEXTROUS departed for sea trials in late 2018.

The ship's 2019-2024 record shows a mix of readiness events, multinational exercises, and growing experimentation with new operational concepts in Fifth Fleet waters. On February 21, 2019, Lt. Cmdr. Jordan J. Stutzman relieved Lt. Cmdr. Toohig. On July 6, 2019, USS DEXTROUS participated in a PHOTOEX with USS MASON (DDG 87), USS SENTRY, USS DEVASTATOR, and USS GLADIATOR, and later, on November 4, 2019, departed to participate in International Maritime Exercise 2019 alongside USS DEVASTATOR, USS GLADIATOR, RFA CARDIGAN BAY (L 3009), JS BUNGO (MST 464), HMS LEDBURY (M30), and HMS SHOREHAM (M112). In 2020, USS DEXTROUS and USS SENTRY departed Bahrain on September 9 to participate in a combined U.S./U.K. mine countermeasures exercise (MCMEX) 20-1, and on November 11 conducted a PHOTOEX with HMS BROCKLESBY (M33) and RSNF AL-SHAQRA (MCMV 422) at the conclusion of a mine countermeasures exercise. On December 29, 2020, Lt. Cmdr. Frank M. McQuiddy relieved Lt. Cmdr. Stutzman. In 2021, USS DEXTROUS moored at BASREC for a Selected Restricted Availability, and on December 8, 2021, Lt. Cmdr. Erik M. Guiremand relieved Lt. Cmdr. McQuiddy during a ceremony at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

In 2022, USS DEXTROUS participated in a PHOTOEX at the start of International Maritime Exercise 2022 on February 9, moored outboard USS DEVASTATOR at Mina Salman in mid-February, and got underway again on March 2. On March 7, she took part in a PHOTOEX with USS DEVASTATOR, FS GUEPRATTE (F 714), USCGC CHARLES MOULTHTROPHE (WPC 1141), USCGC ROBERT GOLDMAN (WPC 1142), and British and Omani Royal Navy ships at the conclusion of exercise Khunjar Hadd. On December 11, 2022, USS DEXTROUS participated in another PHOTOEX following a joint patrol with Iraqi Navy and Kuwait Coast Guard ships - an indicator of increasingly routine trilateral and multilateral maritime security cooperation in the northern Arabian Gulf. On May 9, 2023, she participated in a PHOTOEX as part of exercise Khunjar Haad. On January 9, 2024, USS DEXTROUS participated in a PHOTOEX with a Bahrain Coast Guard ship and unmanned surface vessels from Task Force 59 as part of exercise Diamond Defender, reflecting the Fifth Fleet's growing integration of unmanned systems into maritime security and mine warfare-adjacent experimentation.

After more than three decades of service - much of it tied to the mine warfare mission in and around the Arabian Gulf - USS DEXTROUS was officially decommissioned on September 3, 2025, during a ceremony at Mina Salman Port in Manama, Bahrain.

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