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Via USNI News. 

The Navy will re-designate its first Expeditionary Landing Base ship a warship this week, converting the Military Sealift Command ship USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-3) into USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3) so it can better meet operational needs abroad, USNI News has learned.

Chesty Puller has already departed Naval Station Norfolk for its maiden deployment and will have a commissioning ceremony in U.S. 5th Fleet tomorrow to formally bring the ship into the Navy’s warship fleet.

“Converting ESB-3 to a commissioned warship (USS) will allow U.S. Central Command and 5th Fleet the flexibility needed to meet challenges in the region,” Navy spokesman Lt. Seth Clarke told USNI News.
“Potential missions, such as mine-countermeasure operations and special operations forces staging, must be conducted by a warship under the law of armed conflict. In order to provide combatant commanders the maximum amount of flexibility, the Navy decided to commission ESB-3 as a U.S. warship once she arrived in [Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command]/U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.”

Even though she will be commissioned into the fleet, she, like a handful of other ships, will retain a mixed crew of active duty US Navy Sailors and Civilian Mariners. It is an unusual arrangement. 

For the most part, Puller, like her predecessor Ponce, will support counter-mine efforts and special operations. But as the Navy grows more familiar with the ship, one hopes they figure out further possible uses for the type.