he USS Mount Baker (AE-34) was the second Kilauea class ship to bear the name. The ammunition ship was laid down in 1970, launched in 1971, and commissioned in 1972. She had the combined mission of delivering missiles and conventional rounds to the fleet. The vessel took part in the Chief of Naval Operation’s Priority One evaluation of the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) Mk III in the Atlantic Ocean in 1976. Her Combat Information Center was augmented, and the specialized antennas and associated equipment transformed her from an ammunition ship to a research vessel. She operated with ocean minesweepers Alacrity (MSO-520) and Assurance (MSO-521) during that time. The USS Mount Baker was decommissioned and placed in service with the Military Sealift Command in 1996. She was out of service and stricken from the Naval Register in 2010, transferred to MARAD in 2012, and was scrapped the same year. Asbestos was widely used on Navy ships built for the WWII effort, and naval personnel in service from the 1930s to mid-1970s were at an elevated risk of developing health issues due to exposure. Those diagnosed with asbestos cancer are eligible for compensation from the asbestos trust funds in addition to their VA benefits.
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