Officially Licensed US Navy USS Dextrous (MCM-13) ship's patch.
Sweeping the Gulf since 1994 — Dextrous in name and in deed.
USS Dextrous (MCM-13) was an Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship in the United States Navy, built by Peterson Shipbuilders in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and commissioned on July 9, 1994 at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas — her first homeport. In 1997 Dextrous was heavy-sealifted across the Atlantic and forward-deployed to Mina Salman Pier, Manama, Bahrain, where she joined Commander, Naval Surface Squadron 5 as one of four Avenger-class MCMs assigned to keep the Persian Gulf shipping lanes clear. Across nearly three decades of forward presence, Dextrous and her 84-Sailor crew (8 officers, 6 chiefs, 58 enlisted) ran dozens of mine countermeasures exercises, surface patrols, and real-world operations across the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, working alongside more than a dozen allied and partner navies and earning a Combat Action Ribbon for her role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her 1,312-ton wooden-hull, 224-foot platform was purpose-built for one of the Navy's quietest and most dangerous missions — finding and neutralizing the threats other ships can't see. Dextrous decommissioned on September 3, 2025 at Naval Support Activity Bahrain after nearly forty years of service, closing one of the longest forward-deployed runs in the MCM force's history. This patch keeps the legacy intact for every Sailor who served aboard.
Perfect For: USS Dextrous (MCM-13) plankowners and veterans, Avenger-class MCM Sailors, Naval Surface Squadron 5 personnel, NSA Bahrain alumni, mine warfare community members, NS Ingleside heritage collectors, and U.S. 5th Fleet historians.
USS Dextrous — Bahrain forward, mission ready, 1994–2025.
