USS Adept (AFD-23)

The construction of AFD-23—a one-section, steel, floating Drydock built at Jacksonville, FL., by George D. Auchter Co.—was begun late in 1943 and completed in December 1944. The small, non-self-propelled auxiliary floating drydock was then towed to the Chesapeake Bay for duty at the United States Coast Guard base at Curtis Bay, Md., where she began docking small naval combatant ships—up to the size of destroyer escorts—for hull repairs. Redesignated AFDL-23 on 1 August 1946, she was moved to Hawaii in the 18 months immediately following the end of the war. By 1 January 1947, AFDL-23 was laid up with the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

After almost two decades of inactivity, AFDL-23 was placed in service in December 1965 to support the Navy's efforts to assist the people of South Vietnam in their struggle for freedom. She served at the Pacific Fleet's advanced bases. While continuing such duty, AFDL-23 was named Adept on 7 June 1979.