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USS Badger (DE-1071/FF-1071)

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS Badger (DE-1071/FF-1071)

USS Badger (DE-1071) was laid down on 17 February 1968 at San Pedro, Calif., by Todd Shipyards, Inc.; launched on 7 December 1968; sponsored by Mrs. Oscar C. Badger; and commissioned at Long Beach, Calif., on 1 December 1970, Cmdr. William L. Britton in command.

USS Badger (DE-1071) completed fitting out at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in January 1971 and then spent most of the spring engaged in tests and shakedown training.  On 16 March 1972, she weighed anchor and stood out of Long Beach on her way to the Far East.  Along the way, USS Badger (DE-1071) stopped at Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guam before arriving in Subic Bay on 7 April. On the following evening, USS Badger (DE-1071) stood out of Subic bound for the Vietnam combat zone.  Following upkeep, USS Badger (DE-1071) headed back to the combat zone on 17 July 1972.  Two days later, she resumed gunfire support duties. 

On 18 March 1974, USS Badger (DE-1071) put to sea from Subic Bay for a series of port calls beginning with a stop at Hong Kong from 21 March to 1 April. on 1 July 1975, Badger was reclassified a frigate and redesignated FF-1071. During the first five months of 1976, USS Badger (FF-1071) alternated training operations at sea with periods in port at Pearl Harbor preparing for her first regular overhaul.  USS Badger (FF-1071) got underway for the west coast of the United States in company with DesRon 23 on 22 August 1977. On 26 September 1980, USS Badger (FF-1071) departed Pearl Harbor in company with the Ranger task group bound for an extended assignment with the 7th Fleet.  

Following an unusually brief standdown, USS Badger (FF-1071) resumed operations very early in 1985.  She put to sea on 10 January 1985 for a two-week cruise to conduct operations in an area in the eastern Pacific about two-thirds of the way from Oahu to the northern California coast. USS Badger (FF-1071) continued to carry out training missions in the Hawaiian operating area well into 1988. The warship returned to Pearl Harbor on 6 December 1988 and her post-deployment standdown lasted until 17 January 1989. USS Badger (FF-1071) took up active training again early in December 1990; but that lasted only about two weeks. Badger was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on 20 December 1991, and her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1995. 

For a complete history of USS Badger (DE-1071/FF-1071) please see its DANFS page.