Built in 1983, at Peterson Builders Incorporated Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (hull #ARS 50) as the ARS-50 (USS Safeguard) for the United States Navy.

She was the first Safeguard class salvage ship designed and built for the United States Navy. The tug was launched on November 12th, 1983 and commissioned on August 7th, 1985. The tug was allocated to COMNAVSURFPAC at Sasebo, Japan.

On September 26th, 2007 the tug was decommissioned and transferred to the service of Military Sealift Command, and redesignated as the T-ARS-50 (USNS Safeguard).

On October 1st, 2016 the tug was placed out of service and in reserve status at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Powered by four, Caterpillar 399 diesel engines, turning two, shafts with two, controllable-pitch propellers. She is a twin screw tug, rated at 4,200 horsepower.

The towing equipment consists of an Almon A. Johnson Series 322, double-drum, automatic towing machine. With 3,000 (ft) of 2.25(in) towing wire. A Series 400 traction winch, outfitted with 14(in) synthetic hawser, and a set Norman pin rollers.
(NAVSource Online)