USS Shenandoah (AD-44) was the fourth and final ship of the Yellowstone-class of destroyer tenders. AD-44 was the fifth ship to bear the name, USS Shenandoah as named for the Shenandoah Valley. She was commissioned in 1983, only three years after the decommissioning of the previous USS Shenandoah (AD-26), also a destroyer tender.
In 1991,[1] USS Shenandoah was diverted to the Red Sea to tend ships of the U.S. Seventh Fleet's Battle Group. The Shenandoah and her crew members were awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal with one campaign star and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait).
Following her decommissioning in 1996, at only 13 years old, the USS Shenandoah was re-located at the James River Reserve Fleet in Fort Eustis, Va., awaiting final disposal. In FY15, the ex-Shenandoah was sold for dismantlement, departed the JRRF and was withdrawn from MARAD inventory.
The USS Shenandoah received the following unit awards in its history:[2]
| Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 4 service stars | Navy E Ribbon w/ 3 Battle E devices | National Defense Service Medal | |
| Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 1 campaign star | Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 7 service stars | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) |