 The vessel was commissioned USS "Exploit" (AM-440) on 31 March 1954 and redesignated as an ocean minesweeper MSO-440 on 7 February 1955.As built the vessel was armed one single 40 mm gun mount on the bow and two .50 caliber machine guns.The ship's final weapons configuration replaced the bow gun with one twin 20 mm gun mount while maintaining the two .50 caliber machine guns.