The Chief

USS CHIEF

MCM-14

Only the second US naval vessel named in honor of the service of the US Navy's Master Chief Petty Officers.

Back in 1994 I recall seeing the Chief illuminated in the early summer evening at her berth adjacent to the Michigan Street bridge in Sturgeon Bay - this was just prior to being turned over to the Navy in July of that year.

This is a Mine Countermeasures Ship (MCM) - the 14th of the Avenger Class lineage that were constructed and launched by Peterson Shipbuilders of Sturgeon Bay and Marinette Marine of Marinette, WI.

Navy blue and gold are the traditional colors of the United States Navy. The mine in the center of the shield represents the mine countermeasures mission of the CHIEF, while the crossed officer's sword and enlisted cutlass symbolize surface warfare excellence. The fouled navy anchor, insignia of a Chief Petty Officer, is further symbolic of the United States Navy's leadership. The three silver stars above the fouled anchor depict the leadership and service of the Master Chief Petty Officers of the Navy (MCPON) - past, present, and future, and honor the ship's sponsor. The stars are also arranged in the same manner about the anchor as the International Navigational Symbol for lights and shapes about the mast; signifying a vessel engaged in mine clearance operations.

There are 84 links in the fouled anchor chain, one for each Plankowner and the ship's Sponsor and Matron of Honor. The trident atop the crest denotes sea power. The blue and white surface from which it rises represents both the sea upon which the ship will serve, and the waters of Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan, upon which the ship was born.

Surrounding the trident are seven stars representing the seven Battle Stars won during the Second World War and the Korean War by the first ship to bear the name CHIEF, USS CHIEF AM-315. The five above the trident are for World War Two, and the two alongside for the Korean War.

Ships Motto: "HONOR, TRADITION, VALOR"

Yes, it is a wooden-hulled vessel.

Douglas Fir to be exact.

You begin with the framing for the hull.



Construction of the cold molded hull consists of laminating sheathing with multiple layers of planking laid up at different angles.

This is the strongest way to plank a hull.

At 224 feet (68m) the Avengers are the longest wooden hulls built for the Navy.

The hull is coated with fiberglass which adds more strength and stiffness.

Wood has surprisingly good impact strength however, making it suitable for damage control - and almost no magnetic signal.
If you're going to be a tourist and visit, be sure to check-out the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay. You'll learn more about the rich history of ship building in Wisconsin - including the latest and greatest wooden-hulled boats capable of plying the world's seas.
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Sources - Goatlocker.org and US Navy.mil