 On 27 August 1961, Commander Mine Division 93, with ocean minesweepers USS "Leader" (MSO 490) and USS "Excel" (MSO 439), made the first official visit by ships of the US Navy to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.The only time US Navy ships visited the capital until USS "Gary" visited in February 2007.During the Vietnam war USS "Excel" was involved in Operation Market Time which interdicted arms smuggling from North Vietnam to the many rivers and estuaries of South Vietnam by everything that could float, now considered the most successful naval operation of the Vietnam war, although it led to the vast improvement of the Ho Chi Min trail.