New Year's Day 1971 GREAT SITKIN was completing a 30 day stand down and holiday leave period at her Homeport of Military Ocean Terminal, Bayonne, NJ.  She departed Bayonne on January 5th for Newport, RI  for a two week tender availability period.  On January 15th GREAT SITKIN got underway for Bayonne, NJ where she stayed until January 29th making final preparations for the upcoming cruise.

Getting underway on January 29th, GREAT SITKIN headed for the Puerto Rico OP Areas to participate in Operation Springboard '71.  On 6 February she visited Charlotte Amelie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, for a short port visit getting underway for Rota, Spain and a Med. Cruise on the 10th.

At 1857 hours GREAT SITKIN was forced to go DIW by the discovery of the removal of the oil level slight glasses on numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 spring bearings.  On February 11th she was taken in tow by the USS UMPQUA (ATA-209).  GREAT SITKIN arrived in  Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, on February 12th.  Repairs were undertaken and an investigation of the damage was made.  After sea trials on the new spring bearings February 21st, she once again got underway for Rota, Spain and SIXTH Fleet Operations.

GREAT SITKIN arrived in Rota, Spain on March 3rd for her first Mediterranean port of call and to take on fuel and ammunition.  From March 5th to the 10th she was kept busy conducting rearming and replenishment operations; transferring ammunition, including stops at Cartagena, Spain and Augusta Bay, Sicily; and participated in U.S. and NATO integrated Task Group operations.  She arrived in Barcelona, Spain on March 12th for a 5 day port visit and while there received an official call from RADM R. R. PRATT, COMSERVLANT.  March 17th she got underway for Naples, Italy in company with Task Group 60.2

GREAT SITKIN arrived in Naples, Italy on March 21st for a tender availability and port call, departing on April 2nd for Marasaxlokk, Malta.  From the 3rd of April until her arrival at Marsaxlokk on the 14th for a port visit, she rearmed the USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59) and units of Task Group 60.2; conducted surveillance operations near Soviet anchorage off Nisos Kithira, Greece; refueled USS DAMATO (DD-871);and participated in Logistic Replenishment Task Group 60.2.

She departed Marasaxlokk on April 19th and arrived at Athens, Greece on the 22nd for a tender availability and port visit, departing on May 5th for Soudha Bay, Crete.  GREAT SITKIN arrived at Soudha Bay on the 13th for a 3 day port visit.  While enroute she participated in Task Group operations with various NATO units.

From May 17th through the 30th, GREAT SITKIN participated in Task Group operations; logistics replenishment with various units of Task Group 60.2; and training anchorage in Argostoli Bay, Greece.  During this period she also visited the ports of  Antalya, Turkey, where she received an official call from the Honorable Governor of Antalya, and Rhodes, Greece.  In the afternoon of the 30th, after completing her training anchorage, GREAT SITKIN got underway for Venice, Italy.  While enroute she transferred ammunition to units of Task Group 60.2

GREAT SITKIN arrived in Venice on June 1st for a 7 day port visit departing there on the 8th for Corfu, Greece.  While underway to Corfu, she conducted operations with various units of Task Group 60.2, RNLNS EVERTSEN (F-815) and RNLNS Van GELEN (F-803). 

June 15th she arrived in Corfu, Greece for a 7 day port visit.  While there she got underway for a one day operation on the 19th to transfer ammunition to the USS ALBANY (CG-10).  Underway again on the 22nd, GREAT SITKIN conducted replenishment operations with the USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (CVA-42), USS LAWRENCE (DDG-4) and USS NEW (D-818).

GREAT SITKIN arrived in Soudha Bay, Crete on June 25th for a port visit and ammunition transfer.  She departed on June 29th for Athens, Greece arriving there on the 30th and departing on July 6th.

From 6 to 9 July GREAT SITKIN conducted replenishment operations with various units of Task Group 60.2 and a transfer of ammunition at Augusta Bay, Sicily.  On July 10th she departed for Gibraltar, B.C.C. arriving there on the 13th for a port visit. 

Having completed her deployment, GREAT SITKIN departed Gibraltar on the 16th and arrived at NAD Earle, NJ on July 25th for a well deserved leave and stand down period.  On September 15th she moved berths to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia to offload ammunition.  GREAT SITKIN departed Yorktown on September 20th for Bayonne, NJ, arriving on the 22nd.  Enroute she transferred ammunition with USS SANTA BARBARA (AE-28).  

September 30th, GREAT SITKIN departed for Newport, RI for a tender availability.  While there she stood her annual Administrative Inspection, and received visits from COMSERVRON TWO and COMSERVLANT.  On 15 October she completed her Administrative Inspection.  CAPT W. H.. PATILLO, COMSERVRON TWO, broke his pennant aboard USS GREAT SITKIN and conducted a personnel inspection and reenlistment ceremony.  GREAT SITKIN departed Newport returning to NAD Earle, NJ on 22 October to transfer ammunition.

GREAT SITKIN got underway on 25 October for the VACAPES OP area to off load USS SARATOGA (CVA-60) and rearm USS C. V. RICKETTS (DDG-5), USS NEW (DD-818) and USS BIGELOW (DD-942) arriving back in Earle on the 29th.

November 8th GREAT SITKIN got underway for the San Juan OP areas where she conducted replenishment operations with USS J. F. KENNEDY (CVA-67), USS MILWAUKEE (AOR-2), USS LEARY (DD-879), USS VOGELGESANG (DD-862) and USS OWENS (DD-827).  After a port visit to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, from November 14th to 17th, she returned to NAD Earle, NJ, to offload her ammunition, arriving there on the 22nd.

On 24 November she returned to Bayonne, NJ, commencing a holiday stand down and RAV.  The year ended with GREAT SITKIN preparing for a new phase in her career - transferring, purifying and consolidating U.S. and NATO munitions resources in Europe.

The operational events contained herein was extracted from the ship's annual Command History report (Report Symbol OPNAV 5750-1) for 1971.  Copies of the original reports were provided by the Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center.  We wish to thank them for their help and dedication to their job. Without it this page would not have been possible.