The USS Ranger underway on her final cruise. Thank you Ranger alumni for your service.

2015-03-07T01:48:42-05:00

USS Ranger towed from Bremerton; next stop Texas scrap yard

BREMERTON, Wash. — The mothballed aircraft carrier USS Ranger was towed out of Bremerton Thursday, starting a 16,000-mile trip from Puget Sound, around South America to a scrap yard in Texas.

The USS Constellation completed the same five-month journey in January to International Shipbreaking at Brownsville, Texas.

The Ranger was commissioned in 1957 and was active from the Vietnam War to Operation Desert Storm, the first Persian Gulf War. The carrier was decommissioned in 1993 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

USS Ranger leaving Puget Sound for Texas scrap yard
The Kitsap Sun reports the Ranger's departure will leave two carriers in the Bremerton mothball fleet, the USS Independence and the USS Kitty Hawk.

The Independence goes to Texas later this year. The Navy is holding Kitty Hawk in reserve until the supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford becomes active in 2019.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2015 2:07 AM

2015-03-07T02:07:07-05:00

She was my last Navy home. Loved watching flight ops...never got old.

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made Mar 7 at 2015 2:30 AM

2015-03-07T02:30:32-05:00

Shouldn't that be steamed rather than sailed. ;-)

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2015 4:03 AM

2015-03-07T04:03:36-05:00

I am going to ask the ignorant question. Why are we going around the Cape Horn vice going through the Panama Canal?

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made Mar 7 at 2015 6:52 AM

2015-03-07T06:52:29-05:00

USS Ranger in 1975 (the year I joined the Marines) ...

Response by TSgt Brian Herman made Mar 7 at 2015 7:06 AM

2015-03-07T07:06:26-05:00

That is very, very sad. Even though I retired from the Air Force, I have always had a lot of respect for the ability of the Navy to project air power.
And of course, there is no plan to replace the tired, aged deserving of retirement vessel, because the cold war is over, and the 80's want their policy back...

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Mar 7 at 2015 9:39 AM

2015-03-07T09:39:30-05:00

This just makes me feel old. My best friend from HS was on the Ranger during DS/DS. Which means I was at OBC at the time, which means.... damn.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Mar 7 at 2015 12:38 PM

2015-03-07T12:38:58-05:00

The old girl really earned her keep!

Response by CPO Emmett (Bud) Carpenter made Mar 7 at 2015 1:06 PM

2015-03-07T13:06:57-05:00

I made the 1979 Ranger cruise with the VF21 Freelancers flying the f4J. I was the AME Shop supervisor.
My last deployment was on the Connie as the Det Chief in Cubi Point. We flew the F14A Tomcat
The year was 1985 and once again I was a VF21 Freelancer.
They were great ships to sail on and it's sad to see them go.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Mar 7 at 2015 2:41 PM

2015-03-07T14:41:42-05:00

I never stepped aboard the USS Ranger, but I will mourn her passing.

I don't know if aircraft or armor guys feel the same way, but when a ship gets decommissioned and later "ceases to exist" - as we say in the canoe club - anyone who served aboard that ship experiences a sense of loss. Even if we didn't like the time we served aboard, we still feel like a "shipmate" is gone.

BZ to the USS Ranger and ALL who served aboard her.

Farewell, Ranger... Fair winds and following seas...

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Mar 7 at 2015 3:16 PM

2015-03-07T15:16:10-05:00

Old Salt Respect! Farewell Ranger.

Response by SGT Edward Thomas made Mar 7 at 2015 6:42 PM

2015-03-07T18:42:52-05:00

I hate seeing it go. My dad served on the Ranger in the early to mid 60s.

Response by PO1 Steven Kuhn made Mar 7 at 2015 9:17 PM

2015-03-07T21:17:00-05:00

I would like to know if there is a list of mothballed ships that can be readily called back to service should the situation arise where we need more ships in a hurry. Who knows, maybe that time is now!?!?

r/
Steve

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made Jul 13 at 2015 2:30 PM

2015-07-13T14:30:14-04:00

Retired carrier Ranger reaches Texas for scrap ...

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/07/13/retired-carrier-ranger-reaches-texas-for-scrap/30085009/

Retired carrier Ranger reaches Texas for scrap

The former aircraft carrier Ranger has reached a South Texas shipyard where it will be taken apart for scrap and recycling.