This made the Newport class the first to depart from the standard LST design that had been developed in early World War II.

The LST carried 1,750 long tons (1,780 t) of diesel fuel for a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at the cruising speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).

The ship was also equipped with a bow thruster to allow for better maneuvering near causeways and to hold position while offshore during the unloading of amphibious vehicles.

[3][5] The Newport class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry.

[1][2] The Newport class has the capacity for 500 long tons (510 t) of vehicles, 19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2) of cargo area and could carry up to 431 troops.

[1][7] The vessels also have davits for four vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull.

[6] The LST was ordered as the eighth hull of the third group of the Newport class in Fiscal Year 1967 and a contract was awarded on 15 July 1966.

During the two-month cruise, the vessels visited Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Yokosuka, Japan, coastal waters off Vietnam, and Hong Kong before returning to Long Beach on 3 August.

From 1977 until 1990, the ship made regular deployments to the western Pacific, based at Subic Bay, taking part in exercises, and making calls to Japan, Thailand, Australia, Korea, and Singapore, before returning to San Diego.

On 23 April 1984, while training off San Diego's Silver Strand, Barbour County suffered two small fires, both of which were extinguished.

Repaired only enough to be towed, Barbour County was taken to San Pedro, California to undergo an extensive refit at the Todd Pacific Shipyard that would last into 1985.

In September 1987, while sailing from Pearl Harbor to Subic Bay, the minesweeper USS Conquest collided with Barbour County during a refueling attempt.

[10] Following the invasion of Kuwait and the beginning of the Gulf War, Barbour County departed San Diego on 1 December 1990 and sailed west, shifting to Central Command's operational control on 12 January 1991.

The LST took part in Exercise "Sea Soldier IV" on 26 January, launching and recovering 12 amphibious vehicles near Masirah anchorage.

The LST was later towed to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor for transfer to a foreign navy.