USS Nicholas (FFG-47) - 1990s

1990s

When hostilities with Iraq broke out during the Gulf War on 17 January 1991, Nicholas was serving in the extreme Northern Persian Gulf as an advance Combat Search and Rescue platform, more than 70 miles (110 km) forward of the nearest allied warship. During the first few weeks of the war she attacked Iraqi positions off the coast of Kuwait, capturing the first of 23 Iraqi prisoners of war, sinking or damaging seven Iraqi patrol boats, destroying eight drifting mines and rescuing a downed USAF F-16 pilot from the waters off the Kuwaiti coast. Nicholas also escorted the battleships Missouri and Wisconsin during naval gunfire support operations near Khafji off the coast of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

In her 1993 six-month deployment, Nicholas conducted operations in the Red Sea, Mediterranean, Ionian Sea and Adriatic Sea. This deployment was in support of the United Nations sanctions against the governments of Iraq and the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. During these operations, she safely conducted over 170 boardings of merchant vessels to inspect for illegal cargo shipments.

In 1995, Nicholas deployed to the Adriatic and was assigned to the Standing NATO Force Atlantic, again operating in support of United Nations resolutions in Operation Sharp Guard. She intercepted over 120 vessels in enforcing sanctions against the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. In September 1995 Nicholas located and rescued Albanian citizens seeking clandestine entrance across the Adriatic into Italy. Their boat was found capsized after reportedly being run over by a ferry ship and catching on fire in the night. Many sustained injuries, burns and were severely dehydrated. The ship's SAR swimmer with the assistance of the deck crew rescued 16 survivors including a four year old girl and her mother. Three bodies of deceased members of the group were also recovered with assistance from helicopter operations. All survivors were given immediate medical attention, water and food and brought safely back to port for full recovery.