USS Agile ( MSO - 421 ) USS " Agile " ( AM - 421 / MSO - 421 ) was an " Agile " - class minesweeper acquired by the U . S . Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing . " Agile " was laid down on 22 February 1954 at Stamford , Connecticut , by the Luders Marine Construction Co . as " AM - 421 " ; redesignated " MSO - 421 " on 7 February 1955 ; launched on 19 November 1955 ; sponsored by Mrs . Alice Donohue ; and commissioned at the New York Naval Shipyard on 21 June 1956 , Lt . Herbert D . Mills , Jr . , in command . Initial training period . The non - magnetic ocean minesweeper completed fitting out at New York and then sailed on 13 July for her home port , Charleston , South Carolina . She remained there for about two weeks before getting underway on 31 July for her shakedown training . " Agile " operated out of Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , between 8 August and 6 September and returned to Charleston on the 10th of the latter month . Type training and post - shakedown availability at the Charleston Naval Shipyard followed . The beginning of 1957 found her still at Charleston , but preparing to embark upon her first deployment to the Mediterranean Sea . First Atlantic crossing . " Agile " began her first Atlantic Ocean crossing on 12 February 1957 , transited the Strait of Gibraltar on the 26th and cruised with the U . S . 6th Fleet for three months . During that time , the ship participated in two amphibious exercises and visited several Mediterranean ports . Among her ports of call were Patras and Athens on the Greek mainland ; the Greek islands of Samos , Rhodes , and Crete and Cannes , France . The crisis in Jordan in April kept her in the eastern portion of the Mediterranean for most of her first deployment . After turnover at Rhodes , " Agile " began the long voyage home on 25 May ; and she re - entered Charleston with her division mates on 16 June . Post - deployment leave and upkeep occupied the ensuing five weeks . On 26 July , the minesweeper got underway for Little Creek , Virginia , to participate in harbor defense and minesweeping exercises . However , damage to her propeller forced her into repairs at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co . and precluded her participation in the exercises . The repairs ended on 25 September , and the warship departed Newport News , Virginia , that same day . Returning to Charleston five days later , she spent the bulk of October conducting acoustic trials out of her home port . Engaged in testing . On 26 October the minesweeper stood out of Charleston on her way to Panama City , Florida , where she reported on the 31st for duty with the Mine Defense Laboratory . She assisted the laboratory in the conduct of special mine defense tests for five weeks completed that service on 5 December 1957 , and headed back to Charleston . December brought the usual year ' s - end holiday leave period . The New Year , 1958 , began with a two - week availability alongside a tender February saw " Agile " pass her final acceptance trials and an operational readiness inspection . On 17 February the minesweeper entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard for regular overhaul . She completed repairs by June and began duty with the shipyard testing propeller blades . During July and August , the warship conducted refresher and type training . September brought preparations for overseas movement . Second Med cruise . " Agile " put to sea on 29 September 1958 , bound for her second tour of duty with the U . S . 6th Fleet . Port calls and exercises - notably an amphibious landing exercise carried out on the southern coast of Sardinia highlighted that deployment in the Mediterranean . She passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on 26 January 1959 and began the return voyage to the United States . En route home , the warship made a brief stop at Bermuda before re - entering Charleston on 11 February . Between the time of her return and the beginning of summer , the warship carried out tests and conducted minesweeping operations out of Charleston . By the beginning of the second week in August , she was working with the Mine Warfare School as a training platform . That service lasted until she began her holiday leave period in December 1959 1960 NATO exercises . The minesweeper entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 29 January 1960 and began a regular overhaul . She completed overhaul on 5 April and , the following month , conducted postoverhaul refresher training and minesweeping exercises . On 28 June , " Agile " joined her division mates in deploying to the West Indies . After a round of port visits and exercises , she returned to Charleston on 13 September . Later that month , the minesweeper moved north to Nova Scotia where she participated in Operation Sweepclear V , a NATO minesweeping exercise . Atlantic coast operations continued into 1961 when she began preparations for her third deployment to the Mediterranean . " Agile " departed Charleston on 10 April 1961 in company with the other ships of her division . They arrived at Rota , Spain , on 25 April and took on fuel before entering the Mediterranean . For the next five months ' " Agile " plied the waters of the " middle sea " showing the flag and honing her combat skills . She participated in two 6th Fleet amphibious exercises as well as the NATO Exercise " Checkmate " . She and her division mates were relieved at Pollença Bay , Majorca , on 28 September and began the long voyage home . The return passage ended at Charleston on 14 October . 1962 Caribbean operations . Following post - deployment standdown , the minesweeper entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard in mid - November for regular overhaul . She left the shipyard in January 1962 and after refresher training , resumed operations out of Charleston with the Atlantic Fleet Mine Force . Until the beginning of May " Agile " conducted independent ship ' s exercises , type training , and training missions for the Mine Warfare School . On 2 May , she departed Charleston , bound for Panama City , Florida . For a little more than a month , the warship performed service in support of experiments and tests conducted by the Naval mine Defense Laboratory . She returned to Charleston on 8 June , began preparations for a deployment to the West Indies , and embarked upon that assignment on 20 July . The minesweeper made port visits participated in an amphibious exercise at Vieques Island , and joined other American ships off Haiti for a show of force during another of that country ' s frequent periods of internal disorder . 1963 NATO exercises . " Agile " returned to Charleston on 9 November , underwent two weeks of repairs alongside a tender , and then finished out the year with post - deployment standdown followed by holiday leave and upkeep . On 8 January 1963 , she put to sea for a fleet service mine test which ended on the 25th . At that point , the ship resumed normal operations out of Charleston , providing services to the Mine Warfare School as well as conducting the usual independent ship ' s exercises and type training . Between 4 and 25 May , she participated in the NATO Exercise " Sweepclear VIII " , in the vicinity of Mayport , Florida . Six weeks of local operations out of Charleston followed . On 5 July , the minesweeper departed her home port once again , bound for Little Creek , Virginia , where she provided services to the Operational Test and Evaluation Force . She returned to Charleston on 25 July and , after a two - week tender availability , resumed local operations . On 29 October , the vessel entered the yard at the Charleston Drydock & Shipbuilding Co . for a two - month overhaul . 1964 Med cruise . The warship completed the repair period on 3 January 1964 Local operations and refresher training filled her time until the last week in March . Beginning on 22 March she spent three weeks as a school ship for the Mine Warfare School . Following that duty , the ship once more began preparations to deploy to the Mediterranean . She departed Charleston on 15 May and reported in at Malaga , Spain , on 3 June . In addition to the usual exercises and port visits , " Agile " participated in a cruise to northern Europe . She left the Mediterranean on 17 July and visited ports in England , Germany , Denmark , Belgium , and France . the minesweeper retransited the Strait of Gibraltar on 17 September and resumed duty with the 6th Fleet . Relieved of duty at Huelva , Spain , she headed back to the United States on 29 October . " Agile " arrived back in Charleston on 17 November and began a post - deployment tender availability that lasted a month . The remainder of the year brought holiday leave and upkeep Final services to the fleet . The 1964 Mediterranean cruise proved to be the last of her career . During the remainder of her active service , some seven years and six months , " Agile " served in waters near North America . She deployed to the West Indies and to the Gulf of Mexico several times but , otherwise , conducted local operations out of Charleston . At various times , the minesweeper served as a school ship for the Mine Warfare School and as a test platform for both the Mine Defense Laboratory at Panama City , Florida , and the Naval Ordnance Facility at Fort Lauderdale , Florida . In between those special assignments , the warship engaged in independent ship ' s exercises and type training . Decommissioning . Those activities came to an end , however , on 28 July 1972 when " Agile " was placed out of commission at Charleston . Later that year she was moved to a permanent berthing area with the Norfolk Group , Atlantic Reserve Fleet . There she remained for more than seven years . Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in September 1977 , and she was sold to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corp . in February 1980 for scrapping .