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USS Blue Ridge will edge out USS Prairie as longest serving commissioned Navy ship
By Captain Todd Creekman (Ret)
In the early years of the US Navy, a ship would go into and out of commission regularly, as her operational commitments required active service in commission, followed by periods “in ordinary” when out of commission, undergoing repairs or simply waiting for the next mission.
In the modern era of the 20th and 21st centuries, Navy ships generally have remained in commission throughout their service lives, with a few exceptions when major combat systems, hull structure or engineering upgrades lasting many months have caused the Navy to decommission a ship for that shipyard period, then recommission the ship for active operations following successful completion of those upgrades.
Accordingly, from World War II to the present, a few Navy ships have accumulated many years of continuous active Navy service. Since 1980, (excepting a period from 2002 to 2019 to mark the Global War on Terrorism) the Secretary of the Navy has authorized the Navy ship still in commission with the longest total period of active service to display the First Navy Jack, also known as the rattlesnake jack, or “Don't Tread on Me” jack. The Navy ship, still operational, authorized to fly that First Navy Jack now is USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), commissioned on 14 November 1970.
While there is no formal recognition for the Navy ship that compiles the longest period of active, commissioned service, it's worth noting that this week, on 6 July 2023, USS Blue Ridge will surpass USS Prairie's longevity record of 52 years, 7 months and 22 days. (Prairie (AD-15) was in commission from 5 August 1940 until 26 March 1993).
Naval historians are quick to note the dangers of establishing “highest/fastest/first/oldest” designations, because there often have to be caveats for such designations--and there are two significant ones for Blue Ridge's achievement:
a. USS Constitution, our nation’s “Ship of State,” launched in 1797, bears the title of “oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world,” as she continues her mission for the US Navy at her berth in Charlestown, Massachusetts, crewed and commanded by active duty sailors;
b. USS Pueblo (AGER-2), originally launched in April 1944 as US Army Cargo Vessel FP-344, was transferred to the Navy in 1966 and converted to an intelligence gathering vessel. Commissioned on 13 May 1967, we recall that Pueblo, while on a mission off the coast of North Korea, was attacked and captured in international waters on 23 January 1968 by a North Korean vessel, with one crewmember killed and the remaining 82 imprisoned by North Korea. Though the crewmembers were released in December 1968, the United States has never been able to resolve this illegal international violation, and the ship, still considered by the Navy to be an active commissioned ship, remains on display in Pyongyang, North Korea.
With those qualifiers firmly in mind, congratulations this week to USS Blue Ridge, the Navy’s oldest operational warship, and the modern record holder for length of active service!
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