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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USNS Mars (T-AFS-1)
ex
USS Mars (AFS-1) (1963 - 1993)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Mike - Charlie NFMC
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Lilac (B)ravo - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968 (circa 1973/74 - War Cry)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (17 September 1966)
Second Row Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (6) - Battle "E" Ribbon (3)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Iran/Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam, Korea, Op. Frequent Wind, Persian Gulf, Op. Restore Hope Somalia)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (11) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal (Frequent Wind, Boat People)
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (11) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Mars Class Combat Stores Ship:

Laid down, 5 May 1962, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA.

Launched, 15 June 1963

Commissioned, USS Mars (AFS-1), 1 December 1963, CAPT. Russell C. Medley USN, in command

During the Vietnam War USS Mars (AFS-1) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 8 to 10 January 1965 15 February to 23 March 1965 25 April to 10 June 1965 2 to 3 July 1965	Tet/69 Counteroffensive 17 to 24 March 1969 31 March to 16 April 1969 20 to 26 April 1969 2 to 8 June 1969
Vietnam Defense 12 to 15 July 1965 20 to 30 July 1965 1 to 7 September 1965 30 September to 7 October 1965 21 October to 3 November 1965 2 to 14 December 1965 22 to 24 December 1965	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 to 17 June 1969 23 to 30 July 1969 3 to 20 August 1969 14 to 27 October 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 25 December 1965 to 2 January 1966 5 to 17 February 1966 25 February to 1 March 1966 17 to 26 April 1966 4 to 14 May 1966 29 to 30 June 1966	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 3 to 19 December 1969 10 to 21 February 1970 26 to 27 February 1970 4 to 19 March 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 1 to 10 July 1966 16 to 25 July 1966 31 July to 2 August 1966 12 to 22 September 1966 29 September to 1 October 1966 19 to 24 November 1966 1 to 3 December 1966 24 January to 4 February 1967 14 to 19 February 1967 7 to 21 April 1967 8 to 13 May 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 17 to 28 December 1970 14 to 21 January 1971 6 February 1971 12 to 25 February 1971 7 to 16 March 1971 23 March to 1 April 1971 20 to 28 April 1971 7 to 11 May 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 25 June to 9 July 1967 16 July to 1 August 1967 10 to 21 September 1967 4 to 14-October 1967 17 November to 7 December 1967	Vietnam Ceasefire 11 to 21 May 1972 31 May to 7 June 1972 20- June to 6 July 1972 19 July to 4 August 1972 19 August to 2 September 1972 30 September to 12 October 1972 23 October to 3 November 1972 13 to 22 November 1972
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 24 September to 9 October 1968

Decommissioned, 1 February 1993, at Naval Station Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA., and placed in service by the Military Sealift Command MSC as USNS Mars (T-AFS-1)

Placed out of service, 19 February 1998, and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, HI., Maintenance Category B

Struck from the Naval Register, 24 May 2004, retained as a logistics support asset (Maintenance category "L") at Pearl Harbor

USS Mars received the Navy Unit Commendation and earned eleven campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Final Disposition, disposed as targets during RIMPAC 2006, sunk 15 July 2006

Specifications:
Displacement 9,200 t.(lt) 15,900-18,663 t.(fl)
Length 581'
Beam 79'
Draft 27' (max.)
Speed 20 kts.

Complement

(USS) 486

(MSC) 49 Navy, 125 civilian merchant seamen

Aircraft two UH-46 Sea Knight helicopters

Armament

USN (As Built) four twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

USNS unarmed

Propulsion

three 580 psi Babcock and Wilcox boilers

one De Laval Turbine

single propeller

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Mars (AFS-1)
09520131	124k	Mars (AFS-1) keel laying, 5 May 1962, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA. US Navy photo from Mars Decommissioning Program	Dale Hargrave
09520132	164k	Mars (AFS-1) christening and launching, 15 June 1963, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA. (1) Ready for launching on the builders ways (2) Christening - Ship's sponsor, Mrs. Clyde Doyle, widow of Representative Doyle of California, breaks the traditional bottle of Champagne across the ship's bow (3) Launching - *Mars* slides down the builders ways into San Diego Bay US Navy photos from Mars Decommissioning Program	Dale Hargrave
09520133	125k
09520134	133k
	423k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Charles Lamm
	128k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	CWO3 Kenneth J. Seaman USN Ret
	167k	Fast Combat Support Ship *USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) refuels USS Mars (AFS-1) and the Destroyer USS Walke (DD-723)** during a Western Pacific deployment, circa 1964. US Navy photo.	Mike Green and Robert Hurst
	59k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1) preparing for underway replenishment with USS Midway (CVA-41)**, November 1965. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	91k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** conducting a VERTREP (vertical replenishment) at sea in WESTPAC, circa 1966.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	325k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1) during a VERTREP underway replenishment with USS Coral Sea (CVA-43)**, November 1966 in WestPac.	Photos by Michael O'Brian USS Coral Sea
	272k
	294k
	301k
	221k	*USS Repose* (AH-16) receives vital supplies in Da Nang Harbor by vertical replenishment from a Navy CH-46A. Sea Knight helicopter attached to USS Mars (AFS-1)** circa 1967. US Navy photo.	Tommy Trampp
	46k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1) during an underway replenishment with USS Yorktown (CVS-10)*, date unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands"* magazine, August 1967	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	61k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1967.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
09520135	250k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	76k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** underway entering San Francisco Bay, date unknown. US Navy photo.	Tom Langford
	111k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** underway exiting San Francisco Bay, date unknown. US Navy photo.	Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr
	54k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** underway, February 1968. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	133k	Seventh Fleet ships replenishing in the South China Sea, May 1969. Ships present are (from front to back): *USS Wiltsie* (DD-716), USS Tappahannock (AO-43), USS Oriskany (CVA-34), USS Mars (AFS-1), and USS Perkins (DD-877)*. US Navy photo # USN 1139357* by PH1 Long USN, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	90k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** Change of Command program, CAPT Thomas O. Nutt, Jr. relieves Capt. P. A. Anderson, 3 October 1969, at Yokosuka, Japan.	Tom Nutt
	140k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** underway, departing San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©Marine Photos, San Diego, CA.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	26k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** moored pierside, at Broadway Pier, San Diego, CA., date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	113k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1) alongside USS Oriskany (CVA-34)** in the South China Sea during an underway replenishment, 9 December 1974.	Photo by PH3 Spence Spivey,USS Oriskany
	133k	Aerial view of *USS Mars* (AFS-1) (foreground), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) (center) and USS Midway (CV-41)** (top) underway in the Indian Ocean, 10 November 1980. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DNSC8402673).	Defense Visual Information Center
	1034k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1) conducting a Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) with USS Constellation (CV-64)**, circa 1981-82.	Photo by Paul Jarvis USS Constellation
	152k	An aerial view of the Kitty Hawk battle group under way in the Pacific Ocean, 2 March 1987. The ships are, left to right, front row: frigate *USS Stein* (FF-1065), guided missile cruiser USS Halsey (CG-23), frigate USS Barbey (FF-1088); second row, guided missile destroyer USS Callaghan (DDG-994), ammunition ship USS Mount Hood (AE-29), aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), combat stores ship USS Mars (AFS-1), and guided missile frigate USS Vandegrift (FFG-48). Fleet oiler USS Willamette (AO-180)** follows. US Navy photos by PH2 Hensley, available from the Defense Imagery Management Operations Center, id.: DN-SC-87-10327.	Museum of Military History, Kissimmee, FL
	179k
	104k
	151k	An aerial view of *USS Kitty Hawk* (CV-63) (CV-63) and her battle group underway in the Pacific Ocean, 2 March 1987. The ships are, left to right, front row: frigate USS Barbey (FF-1088) , guided missile cruiser USS Halsey (CG-23), frigate USS Stein (FF-1065)*; second row, guided missile frigate USS Vandegrift* (FFG-48), *USS Mars* (AFS-1), Kitty Hawk, ammunition ship USS Mount Hood (AE-29) and the guided missile destroyer USS Callaghan (DDG-994)** Defense Visual Information Center photo # DN-SC-87-10339), a US Navy photo now in the collections of Defense Imagery.mil.	Robert Hurst
	60k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** breaking away from an unidentified ship after completing an UNREP, date and location unknown	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	99k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** passing under the Golden Gate Bridge as she enters San Francisco Bay, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	73k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** plaque.	Tommy Trampp
	517k	*USS Mars* (AFS-1)** bell on display at Mars, PA. Photo taken by Mvincec, 16 August, 2007.	Robert Hurst
USNS Mars (T-AFS-1)
09520136	208k	*USNS Mars* (T-AFS-1)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	320k	*USNS Mars* (T-AFS-1) replenishes USS Antietam (CG-54) and USS Arkansas (CGN-41)** while underway, location unknown, circa 1993-1998	Wendell McLaughlin

For more photos and information about USS Mars, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Official Web Site of the USS Mars (AFS-1) Association

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Medley, Russell C.	21 December 1963 - 14 December 1965
02	CAPT. Watkins, George Clinton, USN (USNA 1944)	14 December 1965 - 12 December 1966
03	CAPT. Riley Jr., Horace (Rex)	12 December 1966 - 15 July 1968
04	CAPT. Anderson, Paul A.	15 July 1968 - 4 October 1969
05	CAPT. Nutt Jr., Thomas Owen	4 October 1969 - January 1971
06	CAPT. Knutson, Albert Eugene (Arlie E.)	January 1971 - 12 August 1972
07	CAPT. Adams, Richard C., USN (USNA 1948-B)	12 August 1972 - 8 August 1974
08	CAPT. McCrimmon, Douglas Robert	8 August 1974 - November 1976
09	CAPT. Bademan, Harold William	November 1976 - October 1977
10	CAPT. Ralph Jr., Steve	October 1977 - 28 June 1979
11	CAPT. Baumgardner, John Frederick, USN	28 June 1979 - 18 August 1979
12	CAPT. Hutchinson, Charles Kenneth	18 August 1979 - June 1981
13	CAPT. Brewton, Edward Allen	June 1981 - 19 April 1983
14	CAPT. Moriarty, John Alden :RADM	19 April 1983 - 25 January 1985
15	CAPT. Hipper, Ira Mark	25 January 1985 - June 1986
16	CAPT. Coonan Jr., John Joseph (JJ)	26 June 1986 - 25 February 1988
17	CAPT. Nordeen, Michael Brent	25 February 1988 - August 1989
18	CAPT. Pickavance Jr., William Wilson (Bear) :RADM	August 1989 - May 1990
19	CAPT. Ostertag II, Marc Alan	February 1991 - 1 February 1993


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves. Photos courtesy Bill Gonyo

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 22 July 2022

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Mars (T-AFS-1)ex USS Mars (AFS-1) (1963 - 1993)

USNS Mars (T-AFS-1)
ex
USS Mars (AFS-1) (1963 - 1993)