Mobile Bay

Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the bay, making it an estuary. Several smaller rivers also empty into the bay: Dog River, Deer River, and Fowl River on the western side of the bay, and Fish River on the eastern side. Mobile Bay is the fourth largest estuary in the United States with a discharge of 62,000 cubic feet (1,800 m³) of water per second. Annually, and often several times during the summer months, the fish and crustaceans will swarm the shallow coastline and shore of the bay. This event, appropriately named a jubilee, draws a large crowd because of the abundance of fresh, easily caught seafood it yields. Mobile Bay is the only place on earth where jubilees are a common occurrence.

Mobile Bay is 413 square miles (1,070 km²) in area. It is 31 miles (50 km) long by a maximum width of 24 miles (39 km). The deepest areas of the bay are located within the shipping channel, sometimes in excess of 75 feet (23 m) deep, but the average depth of the bay is 10 feet (3 m).

USS Mobile

USS Mobile may refer to:

USS Mobile Bay

USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) is a Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser serving in the United States Navy. She is named for the naval Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War in 1864.

Design and construction

The ship was ordered from Ingalls Shipbuilding on 15 January 1982. She was laid down on 6 June 1984, launched on 22 August 1985, and commissioned on 21 February 1987.

With guided missiles and rapid-fire cannons, Mobile Bay is capable of defeating threats in the air, on the sea, on shore, and undersea. She carries the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile which played an integral part in the strikes on Iraqi targets during the opening stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. She also carries two Seahawk LAMPS multi-purpose helicopters, mainly for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The ship is capable of conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations, and carries a fully trained boarding team.

Operational history

After commissioning, Mobile Bay joined the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, arriving at her Mayport, Florida, homeport in March 1987. Following a year of crew qualifications, tests and systems trials, Mobile Bay embarked on her maiden deployment on 11 May 1989. During this cruise, Mobile Bay earned her first two awards: the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Services Expeditionary Medal, for operations conducted in the Gulf of Oman.

United States Navy

The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest, most capable navy in the world, with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage. The U.S. Navy has the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with ten in service, two in the reserve fleet, and three new carriers under construction. The service has 328,194 personnel on active duty and 101,199 in the Navy Reserve. It has 272 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 aircraft in active service as of February 2016.

The U.S. Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was essentially disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. It played a major role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy and seizing control of its rivers. It played the central role in the World War II defeat of Japan. The 21st century U.S. Navy maintains a sizable global presence, deploying in such areas as East Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward areas during peacetime, and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it an active player in U.S. foreign and defense policy.

USS

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