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Competent (AFDM-6) was decommissioned in August of 1997 after serving the fleet for more than fifty years. Yard Floating Dock (YFD) 62, as she was originally designated, was built by the Everett Pacific Company in June 1944 as part of an effort to build one hundred and fifty-five dry docks to serve the growing United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific theater from 1944 through the end of the war when she was re-designated Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium (AFDM) 6. It wasn't until 1979 that she received a name. The Secretary of the Navy designated her Competent after the original Competent, a highly decorated mine sweeper that served during W.W.II and Korea.

After spending twenty-three years in Pearl Harbor, Competent moved to Subic Bay, Philippine Islands to continue to serve the Pacific Fleet providing docking services. Upon successful completion of her duty in the Philippines, she underwent a complete overhaul at the shipyard in Guam, M. I. When Los Angeles (SSN-688) visited Guam during WESTPAC 79, the dry dock's familiar shape could be seen across Apra Harbor. Competent made her last at sea deployment in 1980 when she left the shipyard at Guam, her overhaul complete, to return to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Los Angeles (SSN-688) was just one of a hundred submarines that docked within Competent from 1980 through 1987. Competent was one of the many ships throughout the Navy that participated in the Navy-wide gender integration efforts of the 1970's and 1980's. By the time she was decommissioned she had serviced thousands of ships and submarines while serving through World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

In June 1999 the Secretary of the Navy was authorized to transfer to the Government of Greece the medium auxiliary floating dry dock COMPETENT (AFDM 6). Such transfer shall be on a sales basis under section 21 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2761).

The surplus drydock, donated by the Navy to Tanadgusix, was intended to be used for the economic benefit of the natives at St. Paul Island, Alaska, however, she has been put to work in competition with private enterprise in Hawaii. Marisco is using the dock for ship repair work at Kalaeloa, formerly the Barbers Point Harbor. The dock was to be located in Hawaii for the training of St. Paul Island natives in shipbuilding skills. The future of the drydock is now the subject of litigation between the government and Tanadgusix

Source, Global Security.com

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