USS Outpost (AGR-10)

USS Outpost (AGR-10/YAGR-10) was a Guardian-class radar picket ship acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1956 from the “mothballed” reserve fleet. She was reconfigured as a radar picket ship and assigned to radar picket duty in the North Atlantic Ocean as part of the Distant Early Warning Line.

Liberty ship built in Florida
Outpost (YAGR–10) was originally built as liberty ship SS Francis J. O’Gara, by the J. A. Jones Construction Co., Panama City, Florida, and turned over to the U.S. Maritime Commission 30 June 1945.

World War II-related service
The Calmer Steamship Corp. operated O’Gara for the Maritime Commission from 30 June 1945 until 4 June 1946. O’Gara’s cruises during this period included one to the U.S. West Coast of the United States and one to various European ports. On 4 June 1946 O’Gara was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet of the United States Maritime Commission. From 28 January 1947 until 14 January 1948 O’Gara was operated by the Waterman Steamship Company and then the South Atlantic Steamship Company. During this period she made cruises to Europe, the Near East, and the Orient. On 20 January 1948 O’Gara was laid up in the Mobile, Alabama, reserve fleet of the U.S. Maritime Commission.

Conversion to radar picket ship
On 22 May 1956 the Navy acquired O’Gara to be converted into an Ocean Station Radar Ship. She was assigned the Navy hull number YAGR–10 and named Outpost. Outpost was towed from Mobile, Alabama, to the U.S. Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where conversion was begun to equip her with the electronic detection equipment and communication gear necessary for her role with the Continental Air Defense Command. Outpost commissioned 6 February 1957, Lt. Comdr. John Leslie Murphy in command.

Radar picked duty
After shakedown training out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Outpost reported to her homeport, Davisville, Rhode Island, 3 June. On 28 June the ship steamed seaward on her first patrol and on 30 June relieved Brister (DER-327) on picket station. The ship returned to Davisville 19 July, but by 24 July was underway for another patrol setting the pattern of patrols interrupted by short periods in port. Outpost made a total of six patrols in 1957. These patrols continued into 1958. Outpost’s designation was changed to AGR–10 28 September 1958. During the first half of 1961 Outpost steamed on station. But in August she steamed south to Florida and the Bahamas. From October 1961 to January 1962 she underwent overhaul at Boston, Massachusetts.

Cuban missile crisis support
Outpost continued her Atlantic patrols in 1962, buttoning up for wartime steaming during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The onset of 1963 found Outpost steaming on station as before. In late July the ship visited Halifax, Nova Scotia. From August through the end of 1963 Outpost maintained a record of no misses in reporting air contacts. She visited Halifax again in November before putting into her homeport for the holidays. Early in 1964 she resumed her patrols and continued this pattern of operation until decommissioning 1 July 1965.

Inactivation and sale
She was returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration 4 February 1966 and was assigned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet and berthed in the Hudson River. She was sold 17 February 1971 for scrapping in Spain.

Honors and awards
Outpost personnel qualified for the following medals:
 * Navy Expeditionary Medal (5-Cuba)
 * National Defense Service Medal
 * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba)