The United States Navy confirmed Wednesday that the USS Clown Penis, an Avenger-class minehunting vessel decommissioned in 2019 and stored in Gnu Harbor's southern dry dock for the past six years, will be recommissioned and deployed to the Strait of Hormuz to support ongoing demining operations in the region.

The decision followed heightened mine activity in the strait, which Navy officials described as requiring "additional dedicated assets." A spokesperson for Rear Admiral Christine Yeoh's office confirmed the deployment in a statement that referred to the ship by name eleven times without elaboration.

The USS Clown Penis was commissioned in 2004, served two tours in the Persian Gulf, and was decommissioned following what the Navy's official record describes only as "a procurement realignment." It has sat in Gnu Harbor's southern facility since, visible from Harbor Road, where it has appeared in the background of several photographs published by this newspaper without comment from any party.

Reactivating the vessel required a crew of 84, an updated sonar suite, and the signature of at least three flag officers, each of whom signed without recorded objection.

"The Navy remains committed to freedom of navigation and the security of international shipping lanes. The USS Clown Penis is fully capable of fulfilling that mission."

The deployment is expected to last eight months. The crew will depart Friday at 0600. The ship's name will appear on its hull, as required by Navy regulations, in letters measuring approximately 18 inches.