USS Monongahela (AO-178)

USS Monongahela (AO-178) was laid down on 15 August 1978, at Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, LA and launched, 4 August 1979. She was commissioned on 5 September 1981. Monongahela was the second ship of the Cimarron class oilers and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. During her service life the ship has traveled to many parts of the world, including: The Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, the North Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans and the Caribbean Sea. In December 1991, she completed an eleven-month "Jumboization" in the Avondale Shipyard, New Orleans, Louisiana, and returned to the Fleet as a greatly improved Fleet Oiler capable of delivering not only fuel, but also ammunition and supplies. The Monongahela was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on 30 September 1999, and is now berthed at the James River Reserve Fleet, Fort Eustis, VA, awaiting final disposal. Her classification was changed on 24 May 2005 as a possible candidate for Foreign Military Sales to Chile.