The USNSCS Grayfox (TWR-825) is currently the largest ship owned by the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps

United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps

The United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps is a congressionally chartered, U.S. Navy-based organization that serves to teach individuals 13 to 17 years old about the sea-going military services, U.S. Naval operations and training, community service, citizenship, and an understanding of discipline and...

. She is homeported in Port Huron, Michigan

Port Huron, Michigan

Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...

 and is used by the USNSCC for shipboard training. The USNSCS prefix stands for "United States Naval Sea Cadet Ship."

United States Navy, 1985–1995

The Grayfox started life in 1985 as a 120-foot Torpedo Weapons Retriever, one of ten. She was assigned to the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy 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 in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

's Atlantic Undersea Testing and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), Andros Island, Bahamas, where her job was to launch and retrieve test torpedoes and targets. Eventually, as torpedoes became less of a threat, the Navy decided to mothball her in 1995. She was then sent to Green Cove Springs, Florida

Green Cove Springs, Florida

Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....

, where a group of sponsors found her and decided the Sea Cadets needed their own ship to train on. The Secretary of the Navy transferred the USNS Grayfox to the USNSCC on August 15, 1997.

US Naval Sea Cadet Corps, 1997–present

Since she had been in mothballs for quite some time, the Grayfox needed a lot of attention. All of the torpedo rollers had to be removed from the after deck and returned to AUTEC. The ramp had to be welded over and, she needed to be chipped and painted. Most of her systems required attention in one form or another. After a long winter of hard work by the cadets and volunteers, she was finally starting to look like a Navy ship.

She was commissioned in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps on April 26, 1998 as the USNSCS Grayfox by Mrs. Jack Kennedy, wife of the former National President of the Navy League of the United States

Navy League of the United States

The Navy League of the United States, commonly referred to as The Navy League, is a national association made up of former members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Merchant Marine, and civilians interested in supporting the...

.

The ship has berthing for 30 cadets and 6 officers. The large berthing capacity is due to the extension of the main cabin that was constructed by James M. Hannan Division and other volunteers.