USS Mauna Kea ( AE - 22 ) USS " Mauna Kea " ( AE - 22 ) was a of the United States Navy that was laid down at the Bethlehem - Sparrows Point Shipyard Inc . , Sparrows Point , Maryland on 6 May 1955 ; launched on 3 May 1956 ; sponsored by Mrs . Charles R . Brown ; and commissioned on 30 March 1957 , Captain Kenneth Loveland in command . The ship was decommissioned 30 June 1995 with over 38 years of active service . " Mauna Kea " was the oldest active ship in the Navy prior to being decommissioned and is the last non - aircraft carrier ship to hold that distinction . Service history . 1957 – 1965 . Following shakedown , " Mauna Kea " , designed for rapid replenishment of ammunition at sea , reported for duty with ServRon 1 in the eastern Pacific . Into the fall of 1957 she serviced the 1st Fleet and in November made preparations for her first WestPac deployment . Sailing west , she reported to SevRon 3 at Sasebo , Japan , in December and commenced distributing the bullets of " beans , bullets , and black oil " to the ships of the 7th Fleet . From that time until 1965 , she rotated between duties with the above ‑ noted service squadrons , participating while with the 7th Fleet , in SEATO exercises and in joint exercises with Korean , Japanese , and Chinese Nationalist Forces . 1965 – 1969 . On 28 February 1965 , the ammunition ship arrived at the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company yards , Seattle , Washington . There having reverted to in commission in Reserve status , " Mauna Kea " commenced FAST ( Fast Automatic Shuttle Transfer System ) conversion . Completion of this conversion , which would enable her to transfer a " bird " from her hold to the magazine of a missile ‑ firing ship in 90 seconds and allow her greater versatility in servicing the fleet with the addition of a helipad for vertical replenishment capabilities , was delayed for 8 months , because of strikes and lack of necessary parts , until June 1966 . Then followed a fitting out period and intensive post - conversion shakedown exercises , which continued into the fall . By November she was again an active unit of the Pacific Fleet ’ s Service Force and on 28 December she departed her home port of Concord , California , for her ninth WestPac deployment . Traveling westward , " Mauna Kea " arrived at Subic Bay , Philippine Islands , 9 January 1967 to join ServRon 7 . Four days later she departed Subic Bay for her first trip to the line off Vietnam . For the next six months she rearmed carrier groups on Yankee Station and cruisers and destroyers in the Corps ’ areas off South Vietnam . At the end of July , she headed north to Japan for a brief visit at Yokosuka before getting underway for California . Arriving at Concord , 22 August , she underwent availability and then commenced participation in fleet and local exercises along the California coast . On 20 February 1968 , the USS " Mauna Kea " departed the Naval Weapons Station ( NWS ) , Mare Island Annex , Vallejo , California for a WESTPAC deployment . The USS " Mauna Kea " performed munitions underway replenishment ( UNREP ) operations to units of the 7th Fleet in the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam ( RVN ) . With the exception of UNREP operations at Subic Bay , Republic of the Philippines , and a port visit to Hong Kong , the USS " Mauna Kea " conducted these operations in direct support of combat operations from 14 March 1968 to 25 September 1968 . During the period of 15 to 16 May 1968 , the USS " Mauna Kea " anchored at Anchorage # 13 in Da Nang Harbor , RVN , with no disposition . On 17 May 1968 , the USS " Mauna Kea " departed the Gulf of Tonkin en route to Subic Bay , arriving 18 May 1968 . The ship visited Hong Kong during the period of 10 June to 15 June 1968 . The USS " Mauna Kea " departed Yankee Station on 26 September to return to her homeport , Concord , CA , arriving on 14 October 1968 . Afterwards she , into 1969 , continued servicing the 1st Fleet until setting out for the western Pacific and another tour with the 7th Fleet . 1969 – 1995 . 1987 - 1989 homport Decommissioning and disposal . " Mauna Kea " was decommissioned on 30 June 1995 , and struck from the Navy list on 12 December 1996 . On 18 December 1998 , she was transferred to the Maritime Administration as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay , California . The ship was finally sunk as a target during RIMPAC 2006 off the coast of Kauai , Hawaii , on 12 July 2006 .