 in today's world of tensions can mean sending American troops thousands of miles overseas far from their sources of supply. These conflicts, as in Vietnam, can involve large numbers of men, men who must be able to move quickly against aggression. In Southeast Asia, the jungles, rivers, hills, and swamps make it difficult for troops to move. Under such conditions, troops can reach the scene of conflict only with aircraft capable of landing at almost any point on the ground, then taking off again. These troops have the mission of searching for an elusive enemy, an enemy who is thoroughly familiar with the geography and terrain of South Vietnam. The use of light aircraft has made such a mission possible. The helicopter provides a swift and flexible means of moving troops and supplies. Fixed wing aircraft also play a vital role in this type of warfare, flying command and reconnaissance missions. Hundreds of aircraft of nearly every type are needed to meet the growing requirements in Vietnam. The 1st Cavalry Division alone, with its air-mobile tactics, requires nearly 500 aircraft which must be kept in top-notch condition, including the huge, specialized flying crane. Under these field conditions, the job of keeping the aircraft flying is not an easy one. It came apparent early in the Vietnam conflict that new methods were needed to repair aircraft and return them to action in the shortest possible time. One of the Army's solutions to the problem was a maintenance depot at sea, and so this floating workshop was born. Additionally, major repair of aircraft had been accomplished at such installations as the Army Aeronautical Depot Maintenance Center at Corpus Christi, Texas. But it takes a long time to transport aircraft parts by sea from half a world away, make the repairs, then send them on the long trip overseas again. It was in the fall of 1962 that the Army Materiel Command began working on the problem of increasing its repair capability overseas, near the battle zone. The decision was made to convert a ship into a floating repair shop, especially for repairing helicopters in use in Vietnam. The advantages of such a ship were obvious. It could move close to a combat area, begin its operations immediately, then move to a new location if necessary. The seaplane tender USS Albemarle was selected for conversion into this floating maintenance facility. This ship, 538 feet long, 69 feet wide, with a displacement of 16,000 tons, satisfied the basic requirements. After conversion, the Albemarle would look like this. It would have a small helicopter landing pad for passenger traffic and light cargo, areas for administration, messing, medical and dental centers, and laboratory facilities, and a flight deck where large cargo helicopters could land with unserviceable aircraft components. Ship's cranes could handle cargo either from the flight deck or from barges alongside. Move it to the hangar deck below. From there, the incoming damaged aircraft components could be distributed among the 32 repair shops to put them back into good operating condition. The United States Navy was responsible for the physical conversion of the ship to meet Army requirements. By step, Army planning teams began the complex task of designing the floating depot. Among the needs were a large electric power requirement and the necessity for constant temperature and humidity. The plans were for the ship to be as flexible as possible when it arrived in the combat area. With planning for the technical details of the ship while underway, the job of assembling the officers and men who would man the maintenance shops had already begun. The Army material command had activated the unit which was to perform the repair work aboard the ship. This unit was the first transportation battalion aircraft maintenance depot, Seaborn. Its strength was set at nearly 400 men. The Army aeronautical depot maintenance center at Corpus Christi was to provide training and administrative support for the project. This center covers an area of nearly 85 acres and employs a workforce of almost 3,000 men and women engaged in hundreds of separate skills and crafts. Here, training and various aircraft maintenance specialties prepared the selected technicians for the tasks they would perform aboard ship. The first transportation battalion had to be proficient in several specialties so that he could perform different types of repair as the workload shifted within the shops. In addition to the varied training programs provided at the depot maintenance center, other required skills were taught at selected Navy, Air Force and civilian schools. At the project control center, these men learned the command and control procedures which they would need in handling the flow of work through the shops. To make the best use of the new facilities, a detailed program of maintenance operations was developed. Dry runs were conducted. These simulated the procedures that were to be used aboard ship in keeping the administrative records. Another job assigned to the men would be to act as technical escort teams to accompany Army aircraft in transit to using units. For a shipment of airframes and large components to Southeast Asia was required, the men were made responsible for the preservation, handling and storage to prevent corrosion from salt spray during the ocean crossing. In July 1965, men of the first transportation battalion were sent to Fort Benning, Georgia as a technical assistance team. Here they helped maintenance units of the 1st Cavalry Division Air Mobile with helicopter modifications found necessary in combat. The USS Albemarle continued. The work crew at times numbered as many as 1,000 technicians. Sheet metal workers, pipe fitters, electricians and welders. As construction proceeded, an Army team headed by the project manager made frequent inspections. Structural changes on the ship had to conform strictly to plan so that the special equipment for aircraft repair could be safely accommodated. Electrical lines were installed to supply power for a wide range of uses within the shops. Provisions were made for machines which could be used for a variety of purposes. By the 5th of January 1966, the ship was ready for inspection by the Navy Survey team responsible for approval of the conversion. Officers and civilian experts explored every corner. All shipboard facilities were checked for efficiency of operation. Construction records were checked against specifications. Every change which had been made on the ship was studied to make certain that it would meet the requirements. While the ship would be an Army maintenance facility, the ship's crew responsibilities would be assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service, the Department of Navy Agency responsible for transporting military personnel and equipment by water, and for operating special project ships such as this one. This would allow the first transportation battalion to concentrate on aircraft repair. The Albemarle, now renamed the USNS Corpus Christi Bay after her home port, was now prepared for her trial run at sea. During this run, the ship was given a stem to stern performance test. Her engines responding to maximum demand, cheer of the ship was observed, and problem areas were noted for correction. On January 22nd, the ship made her first visit to her home port. It was a day of celebration for the city of Corpus Christi, Texas. Waiting at the pier were officers and men of the battalion, their families, and the families of the men already on board. Technicians from the Project Control Center were on hand, eager for their first look at the ship which had been the focal point of their efforts. Visitors were invited aboard for a tour. The people of Corpus Christi were proud of this ship, which bore the name of their city. Air-conditioned living quarters and other facilities for battalion personnel aboard the ship had been carefully planned for comfort and convenience. A dry cleaning service, post exchange, and barbershop were also included, as well as this cobbershop for repairing shoes and boots. Visitors who came aboard noted the comfortable modern dining facility. A dental clinic was to be staffed with army dentists, and a medical facility would include an army flight surgeon and other medical specialists. While at the ship's Corpus Christi pier, more equipment and supplies for her mission were taken aboard. Where necessary, more modifications were made to allow for final installation of equipment. Thousands of items had to be taken aboard, including machinery, tools, supplies, and replacement parts, together with housekeeping supplies for the men aboard the ship. The ship was prepared to operate in a combat zone for a limited period without the need for resupply. It was planned to concentrate on the overhaul of aircraft components, which formerly had to be returned to the United States for repair. Because of space limitations, it was necessary to carefully select the supplies and equipment most vitally needed for the job. For a 23rd 1966 was a special day for the Corpus Christi Bay. Army Chief of Staff, General Harold K. Johnson, accompanied by other officers, came aboard to inspect the new aircraft maintenance ship. At ceremonies in downtown Corpus Christi, state and local officials demonstrated their pride in the ship. A Texas state flag was presented to the 1st Transportation Battalion Seaboard. The traditional ship Silver Service was given to the battalion in the name of the city of Corpus Christi. Now the ship was ready to sail and fulfill its reason for existence to support our fighting forces overseas. Early in 1966, the Corpus Christi Bay reached her destination, the coastal waters of South Vietnam. There was plenty of work to do when she arrived in the combat zone. The helicopter with complex control systems and many moving parts requires a great deal of maintenance even under normal circumstances. In Vietnam, in addition to troop carrying and resupply missions, helicopters were being equipped with all types of armament, buying hundreds of missions daily under the most demanding and hazardous flying conditions, while as dust and humidity were taking their toll in grounded choppers, moving itself as the Army's versatile workhorse, and increasing numbers of them were being used in combat. It's required that as many choppers as possible be airworthy. Wonder that aircraft maintenance was becoming an increasing problem to commanders in Vietnam. Past facilities close to the scene of action had been doing an outstanding job. But there was a limit to the type of work they could do under field conditions. The more complex repair requiring precision machines had to be accomplished in the United States. Extensive damage occurred to an aircraft. It was disassembled on the spot, for airlifted out of otherwise inaccessible areas. With the new ship on duty, months of time would be saved in major repair of aircraft components. The Corpus Christi Bay began its maintenance operations immediately after arrival. Army helicopters airlift the unserviceable but repairable equipment along with supplies to the Corpus Christi Bay. Copters as large as this Chinook can be accommodated on the ship's landing pad. Huge cargo booms assist in handling equipment and supplies on the ship's deck. From the deck, the material is routed to the proper work area or specialized shop which is equipped to handle it. Shop such as this for maintenance on propellers and rotors. Welding, engine repair and reassembly, sheet metal work, laboratory testing, testing and adjustment of hydraulic equipment and many other specialized operations. Operations such as this heat treating shop with a tempering furnace and four salt bath ovens. The heat treating, hardening or annealing of fabricated sheet metal parts, special tools and restored mechanical parts is accomplished here. Chemical and physical analysis of material is handled in the chemical and metallurgical laboratories. These laboratories also conduct tests of production items to make sure they conform to requirements. Craft components in need of repair and the necessary supplies for such repair are brought aboard in a continuous stream. Skills acquired by the technicians assigned to the Corpus Christi Bay are put to daily use in the 32 shops. Their specialized training and the practical application of these skills will stand them in good stead when they move to a new assignment or attend schools in the states. From the very start, the men perform their jobs with enthusiasm and dedication, working extra hours whenever the need arose and always remembering that the mission comes first. All that this mission was vital to our overall mission in Vietnam, perhaps these men still felt a desire to play a more direct role in helping the Vietnamese people. Whatever their reasons, they adopted an orphanage near Camron Bay and with that same enthusiasm already displayed on the job, they gave part of their spare time to the 72 children housed there. Gifts were sent for the orphans by the people of Corpus Christi, Texas and were distributed by soldiers from the ship. These orphan children knew that the men of the first transportation battalion had come ashore to help them. What they couldn't fully realize was that the Corpus Christi Bay and her battalion of technicians were helping to ensure that they will grow up in a free society. For the fight against communist aggression means that our army must be able to move men and supplies quickly. To do so requires helicopters and helicopters in a combat zone require a lot of maintenance. For the Corpus Christi Bay, it means that a steady stream of aircraft components restored to good operating condition leaves the ship to be returned to the units in the field. Components which formerly took months in the round trip to the states for repair. Fast return of aircraft assemblies to the field is of course the most important result of the project. But the saving of money and material has added to the value of the seaborn depot. The USNS Corpus Christi Bay is providing an invaluable service to army aviation in Vietnam. It has become a vital link in the logistical chain which supports our fighting forces.