1970
Seattle left home port on January 2, 1970, for Guantanamo Bay and shakedown training. On January 13, Seattle took attack carrier, America, alongside for refueling. She departed again on January 19 for more exercises and a visit to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, before returning to Guantanamo on January 26.
Following additional exercises and battle problems, Seattle steamed for Mayport, Florida, and thence proceeded to Norfolk, arriving on February 12.
On February 26, Seattle was struck by a yard tug, puncturing a tank, and spilling black oil for almost two hours. The oil was quickly skimmed off the water, and no adverse reaction resulted from the mishap.
Seattle departed Norfolk on August 27 for her first overseas deployment. She entered her first European port, Lisbon, Portugal, on September 6. On September 8, she anchored off Rota, Spain. Passing through the Straits of Gibraltar the next day, Seattle loaded cargo onto Concord and then proceeded to the eastern Mediterranean Sea via Augusta, Sicily. The Jordanian Crisis had brought matters close to a boil, and Seattle served as the primary logistic support ship for Saratoga and her escorts. Toward the end of the month, Seattle was one of 12 ships reviewed by President Richard Nixon.
Seattle continued her support of Saratoga in the eastern Mediterranean until October 20, when she arrived in Athens, Greece.
Leaving Athens on October 29, Seattle replenished ships until November 9, when she pulled into Augusta, Sicily, for another one-day fuel lift. She then proceeded to Taranto, the Italian Navy's largest base, arriving on November 12.
Seattle departed Taranto on November 16 and continued replenishment of 6th Fleet ships. She spent from November 25 to December 1 in Naples. From December 8 to December 14, she was anchored in Barcelona, Spain; and ended the year at Villefranche, France.
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