USS Pocono ( AGC - 16 ) USS " Pocono " ( AGC - 16 ) was an " Adirondack " class amphibious force command ship named after a range of mountains in Eastern Pennsylvania . She was designed as an amphibious force flagship , a floating command post with advanced communications equipment and extensive combat information spaces to be used by the amphibious forces commander and landing force commander during large - scale operations . " Pocono " , an amphibious force flagship , was laid down 30 November 1944 and launched 25 January 1945 by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company , Wilmington , N . C . , sponsored by Miss Mary V . Carmines of Messick , acquired by the Navy 15 February 1945 ; towed to Boston for fitting out ; and commissioned 29 December 1945 , Captain H . A . Sailor in command . Service history . 1946 – 1949 . " Pocono " departed Boston on 18 March 1946 for Key West , Florida , en route to Guantanamo Bay for shakedown . The ship then proceeded to Washington , D . C . , via Norfolk , and arrived in the nation ’ s capital on 7 May . During the next few years , she operated off the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to Trinidad . Early in 1948 , she was flagship of Admiral W . H . P . Blandy , Commander Atlantic Fleet . " Pocono " decommissioned at Norfolk on 19 June 1949 and moved to Bayonne , N . J . , where she entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . 1951 – 1959 . " Pocono " was recommissioned on 18 August 1951 to serve as flagship for Commander , Amphibious Force , Atlantic Fleet . She operated in this capacity in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the U . S . until 1956 . On 31 October 1956 , during the Suez Crisis , the Commander - in - Chief , Naval Forces , Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean , embarked in " Pocono " , and remained on board until 13 December . In September 1957 " Pocono " served as flagship for a 38 - ship amphibious task force in NATO exercise " Deepwater " off the coast of Turkey . In early 1958 " Pocono " served as flagship for operation " Packard X , " an Atlantic Fleet amphibious exercise at Onslow Beach , N . C . On 23 June 1958 she departed the U . S . bound for the Mediterranean . She was diverted to Beirut , Lebanon , where she controlled the landing that assisted that nation . During her three month stay in Beirut , she performed such functions as air control and command communications . Because of the Lebanon Crisis the regular six - month Mediterranean deployment was extended to nine months , with " Pocono " returning to Norfolk on 20 March 1959 . 1960 – 1971 . On 11 January 1960 " Pocono " again departed Norfolk for the Mediterranean where she participated in four amphibious landing exercises , including a joint NATO landing at Porto Scudo , Sardinia , before returning to Norfolk on 14 June . She participated in Caribbean landing exercises in July 1960 and February 1961 . On 11 April 1961 she departed for the Mediterranean , and participated in several amphibious landings , including a joint NATO landing at the Gulf of Saros , Turkey , before returning to Norfolk on 12 October . After an extensive overhaul she departed 10 April 1962 for the Caribbean , and 23 July for the Mediterranean . When the Cuban Missile Crisis arose , " Pocono " was recalled to the United States . She carried the flag of Commander , Amphibious Forces , Atlantic , and remained in operational readiness in Norfolk . For the rest of 1962 , 1963 , and through most of 1964 " Pocono " remained in the U . S . In early 1964 she participated in two landing exercises at Onslow Beach , N . C . On 11 October she deployed for " Steelpike I " , which included an assault with helicopter landings at Huelva Bay , Spain . She returned to Norfolk on 25 November . " Pocono " departed Norfolk 21 May 1965 en route to Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic to aid in the peace - keeping operation there . She provided the platform from which Vice Admiral John S . McCain directed the naval forces ’ support of this operation . From late 1965 through early 1968 " Pocono " participated in further operations in the Caribbean and off the east coast of the U . S . , returning to Norfolk on 24 February 1968 . Decommissioned on 16 September 1971 , she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 December 1976 . " Pocono " was sold for non - transportation use 3 December 1981 to Union Minerals & Alloys of New York , NY and scrapped .