USS Assurance ( MSO - 521 ) USS " Assurance " ( AM - 521 / MSO - 521 ) was an " Ability " - class minesweeper acquired by the U . S . Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships . The first ship to be named " Assurance " by the Navy , " MSO - 521 " was laid down on 28 January 1957 at Sturgeon Bay , Wisconsin , by Peterson Builders , Inc . ; launched on 31 August 1957 ; sponsored by Mrs . Vernon W . Thomson ; and commissioned at Boston , Massachusetts , on 21 November 1958 , Lt . Comdr . Frank L . Crump , Jr . , in command . East Coast operations . The new , nonmagnetic , ocean minesweeper was assigned to Mine Force , Atlantic Fleet , as a member of Mine Division ( MinDiv ) 45 , with Charleston , South Carolina , her home port . While taking part in numerous minesweeping exercises , she visited ports along the U . S . East Coast , on the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean into the following summer . First Mediterranean cruise . On 1 July 1959 , " Assurance " was transferred to MinDiv 81 ; and her home port was changed to Panama City , Florida . Her primary mission then changed to service as a test platform for the Mine Defense Laboratory located there . She operated in the Panama City area until 9 February 1962 , when she sailed for the Mediterranean and visited ports in Sicily , Greece , Crete , Italy , Spain , and France . She carried out several minesweeping operations before getting underway on 6 August to return to Panama City . Upon her arrival home on 24 August , the minesweeper resumed her schedule of local operations . Late in 1963 , the ship varied this routine with a deployment to the Caribbean . While in the West Indies , she took part in amphibious landing exercises off Vieques , Puerto Rico . She returned to Panama City in February 1964 and resumed her service with the Mine Defense Laboratory . In May , she got underway to sail via Key West , Florida , to Charleston , South Carolina , for repairs in drydock . She returned to Panama City in June . Another tour of duty in the Mediterranean . After three months of service and a short tender availability , " Assurance " sailed on 1 October with MinDiv 81 for a tour in the Mediterranean . She took part in Operation " Steel Pike II , " then put in to Malaga , Spain , before moving to Naples , Italy . The minesweeper sortied with Task Force 61 for operations at Aranci Bay , Sardinia . After stops in Toulon , France , and Santa Manza , Corsica , " Assurance " proceeded to Sanremo , Italy , for the Christmas holidays . Participating in NATO North Atlantic operations . During the first two months of 1965 , the minesweeper took part in various NATO exercises . Upon her return to Panama City in March , she resumed work for the Mine Defense Laboratory before entering the Charleston Naval Shipyard in July for an overhaul . In September , she returned briefly to Panama City and then sailed in early October for Port Arthur , Texas . The ship resumed her duties at Panama City on 21 October . 1966 Tender availability and Mediterranean operations . " Assurance " began 1966 with a tender availability alongside . On 7 March , she sailed for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , and visited Montego Bay , Jamaica , before returning to Panama City on 6 April . The next one and one - half months were spent preparing for overseas deployment . On 12 June , " Assurance " got underway and joined other units of MinDiv 81 at Valencia , Spain , on 2 July . She shifted to La Spezia , Italy , on the 16th and took part in an exercise with minesweeping craft of the Italian Navy . On 8 August , she participated in " Phiblex 1 – 66 " , held south of Porto Scudo , Sardinia . On the 18 , the ship headed for Malta . En route , she was diverted to conduct a special surveillance mission off the coast of Tunisia . Having completed this task , " Assurance " arrived at Valletta , Malta , on 25 August . She also visited Piraeus , Greece ; Naples and Rota , Spain , before sailing on 21 September for the United States . The vessel spent the remainder of the year in a leave and upkeep status at Panama City . Assurance sailed to Charleston , South Carolina , on 11 January 1967 for interim overhaul and returned to her home port on 11 March to commence type training . She sailed back to Charleston on 5 July to provide services to the naval mine warfare school and then briefly visited Panama City before returning to Charleston for overhaul . This yard period ended on 15 December , enabling the minesweeper to return to Florida on 19 December . The first three months of 1968 found the ship conducting refresher training . She returned to Panama City in April and worked with the Mine Defense Laboratory . In October , " Assurance " was at Pensacola , Florida , for a restricted availability before finishing the year in port at Panama City . 1969 Mediterranean operations . The minesweeper got underway for the Mediterranean on 11 January 1969 and , following stops at Bermuda and the Azores , arrived at Gibraltar on 4 February . Visits to Valletta , Malta , and Athens , Greece , preceded the minesweeper ' s participation in an amphibious exercise near Nafplion , Greece . " Assurance " then conducted surveillance operations south of Crete and visited La Spezia in March . Combined NATO amphibious operations occupied the month of April . The ship left Rota , Spain , on 26 May , to sail back to the United States . After her arrival in Panama City on 16 June , she spent the next four months in local operations and , on 13 November 1969 , commenced an overhaul at Charleston that lasted until early April 1970 . Between April and September 1970 , " Assurance " conducted refresher and type training along the eastern seaboard . Late in September , she arrived in Charleston to begin preparations for inactivation . After 10 weeks in Charleston , however , the minesweeper learned that the order for her decommissioning had been reversed . In mid - December 1970 , her home port assignment was changed from Panama City , Florida , to Charleston . 1971 deactivation cancelled , reactivation started . The new year 1971 found Assurance involved in the reactivation process . On 1 April , she became a member of Mine Division 21 , Mine Flotilla 2 . On 26 April , the minesweeper got underway for refresher training ; but , that same day , she suffered a major engine casualty and was forced to return to port for repairs which lasted three months . The ship got underway again on 2 August , successfully completed all phases of her training by 5 October , and rejoined the U . S . Atlantic Fleet . " Assurance " took part in MINEX 1 – 71 from 15 to 22 October and then sailed to Mayport , Florida , for interim drydocking . The minesweeper returned to Charleston on 19 November and soon thereafter took part in an air mine countermeasures operation . On 14 December , she was back at Charleston for a leave and upkeep period . Supporting Apollo XVII . " Assurance " spent most of 1972 operating in the Charleston area . She provided services to the Fleet Mine Warfare Training Center at Charleston and conducted minesweeping exercises before sailing to Cape Kennedy , Florida , to support the launching of the Apollo XVII space shot . The vessel returned to Charleston on 8 December and finished the year undergoing upkeep . Redesignated Miscellaneous Auxiliary AG - 521 . " Assurance " was redesignated " AG - 521 " on 1 March 1973 . On the 23d , she sailed to Fort George Island , Florida , for overhaul by the Atlantic Drydock Corp . During this work , her minesweeping gear was removed . " Assurance " was back in Charleston on 1 June to commence a restricted availability . She got underway on 8 October , bound for Norfolk , Virginia , and refresher training . From 19 to 27 November , Assurance was off Port Everglades , Florida , for tests . The ship closed the year in port at Charleston . 1974 Mediterranean Sixth Fleet exercises . On 7 January 1974 , " Assurance " got underway at Nassau for New Providence . The ship remained in the Bahamas until late in January when she returned to her home port . The period from 25 February to 5 May was spent in a restricted availability at Charleston . Then fleet exercises and a midshipman training cruise occupied " Assurance " until 16 July , when the ship began a transatlantic voyage to join the U . S . 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean . Following brief stops at Bermuda and Ponta Delgada , the minesweeper arrived at Rota , Spain , on 8 August . For the next three and one - half months , she participated in numerous exercises and visited Palma , Mallorca ; Naples , Italy , and Brindisi , Italy ; and Barcelona , Spain . On 3 December , she reversed her course and headed back to Charleston . She arrived there on 20 December . 1975 Caribbean operations . For the first four and one - half months of 1975 , the ship operated in the Caribbean . On 10 May , she returned to Charleston and prepared for an overhaul . On 16 June , she entered the Detyen ' s Shipyard , Wando , South Carolina . Her overhaul was finished on 11 November ; and , on 3 December , " Assurance " got underway for Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , and refresher training . She returned to Charleston on 23 December for holiday leave and upkeep . The minesweeper began 1976 in upkeep at Charleston and operated in the Jacksonville , Florida , area from 13 to 26 March . She conducted special operations in the western Atlantic Ocean from 15 April through 14 June and , after a brief visit to Halifax , Nova Scotia , returned to Charleston . On 26 July , " Assurance " got underway for two weeks of operations in the Virginia Capes area , followed by a week of repair work on her engines at Little Creek , Virginia . On 20 August , " Assurance " arrived back at Charleston and remained there for the duration of the year . 1977 final operations . On 10 January 1977 , the ship entered drydock at Mayport , Florida . She cleared the keelblocks on 7 March , and took part in Operation Cleansweep from the 11th to the 20th . She returned briefly to Charleston before deploying on 11 April for special operations in the Caribbean and western Atlantic . Decommissioning . Upon her return to Charleston on 24 June , the minesweeper commenced preinactivation procedures . " Assurance " was decommissioned at Charleston on 30 September 1977 , and her name was struck from the Navy list simultaneously . In December 1979 , the former minesweeper was sold to the Ampol Corp . for scrapping .