History of the USS ARCTIC (AOE 8)
USS ARCTIC was named for the region north of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region derived itsname from the Greek word “arktos”, meaning “bear”. Celestial bears appear frequently in the northern sky as the constellations Ursa Major (larger bear), Ursa Minor (smaller bear) and the navigational star, Arcturus (the bear’s guard). USS ARCTIC (AOE 8) is the fifth logistics ship to bear the name.
The first ARCTIC was a steamer built by the Philadelphia Navy yard in 1855. Her primary mission was to make soundings in preparation for the laying of the first trans-Atlantic cable. In 1859, her machinery was removed and for twenty years, she did duty as a lightship off the coast of North Carolina.
The second ARCTIC was a side-wheel steamer built in 1873 to serve as a commercial iceboat. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the ship was leased to the Auxiliary Naval Force. The ship served as a refrigerator ship, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until being decommissioned and returned to civilian service in 1898.
The third ARCTIC was a wooden-hulled steam tug built in 1913 and enrolled by the Navy in October 1917. During the remainder of World War I, she served as an escort vessel for the submarine chasers and convoys. Following the war, she towed targets for gunnery exercises and transported ammunition. The ship was decommission in July 1919 and returned to civilian duty.
The fourth ARCTIC was a steel-hulled freighter built in 1920 and acquired by the Navy for use as a stores ship in 1921. Homeported in San Diego, California for the next twenty years USS ARCTIC (AF-7) served throughout the Pacific. Assigned to the pre-war fleet built up in Hawaii, she was only oneday out of Pearl Harbor enroute to San Francisco on the morning of December 7, 1941. During World War II, she earned the nickname “The Beef Boat” as she supplied ships, shore stations and island forces throughout the Pacific theater. USS ARCTIC (AF-7) was decommissioned in 1946.
USS ARCTIC (AOE 8) was constructed at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California. On October 30, 1993, Mrs. J. Bennett Johnston christened AOE 8 as ARCTIC and the proud heritage embodied in the four previous ships to bear her name was continued. The fast combat support ship was commissioned on September 11, 1995 and homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. Her primary mission was to conduct prompt and sustained under replenishment (UNREP) operations at sea in support of a Carrier Battle Group. Capable of cruising for sustained periods at battle group speeds, USS ARCTIC replenished the entire battle force with petroleum products, ammunition, provisions, and stores. USS ARCTIC (AOE 8) was decommissioned on June 14, 2002.
Since decommissioning, USNS ARCTIC (T-AOE-8) is operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC), homeported in Earle, New Jersey. As a U.S. Naval Ship, ARCTIC is civilian manned, and like the other fast combat support ships, she is part of the MSC Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force.
COAT OF ARMS USS ARCTIC (AOE 8)
The polar bear and the polar star are the central figures in the ship’s coat of arms. The polar bear represents the Arctic region and the constellation Ursa Major. The North Star (Polaris), the northern most star in the constellation Ursa Minor, symbolizes navigation accuracy and steadfast leadership. The Navy Blue and Gold in the shield represent the oceans upon whichUSS ARCTIC carries out her underway replenishment mission and the honor with which those who sail her serve. The white in the polar bear and ice represents purity and integrity. The flared palm fronds of the crest represent victory, and honor the service of the fourth USS ARCTIC in the Pacific during World War II. The Bowen knot honors the four ships that previously bear the name ARCTIC.
