US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
For other ships with the same name, see
USS Mustin
.
USS
Mustin
(DDG-89)
is an
Arleigh Burke
-class
guided missile destroyer
in the
United States Navy
. She is named in honor of the
Mustin family
who have devoted over a century to US Naval service. This ship is the 39th destroyer of her class.
Mustin
was the 18th ship of this class to be built at
Ingalls Shipbuilding
in
Pascagoula, Mississippi
, and construction began on 15 January 2001. She was
launched
on 12 December 2001 and was
christened
on 15 December 2001. On 26 July 2003, a twilight
commissioning
ceremony was held at the
Naval Air Station North Island
in
San Diego
, California.
Namesakes
[
edit
]
Often referred to as "The Father of
Naval Aviation
", Captain
Henry C. Mustin (1874?1923)
, a graduate of the
US Naval Academy
(class of 1896), was the principal architect for the concept of the catapult launch. He married Corinne DeForest Montague, great-granddaughter of Commodore
Arthur Sinclair
, and a first cousin and close confidante of
Wallis Simpson
. Simpson gained notoriety for her controversial relationship with
King Edward VIII
of Great Britain who
abdicated
his crown to marry her in 1936.
[1]
The Mustins had three children: Lloyd M., Henry A. and Gordon S.
As a Lieutenant Commander in January 1914, Mustin established Naval Aeronautic Station Pensacola, the Navy's first permanent air station together with a flight school, and became its first Commanding Officer. The first flight was made from the station on 2 February by Lieutenant J. H. Towers and Ensign G. de Chevalier. On 5 November 1915, while underway, Lieutenant Commander Mustin successfully flew an AB-2 flying boat off the stern of armored cruiser
USS
North Carolina
(ACR-12)
in Pensacola Bay, Florid, making the first ever recorded catapult launch from a ship underway. In 1899, he earned a commendation for distinguished service in the capture of
Vigan
, Philippines. The first operational missions of naval aircraft were flown under his command during the
Veracruz operation
in 1914 and he was the first to hold the title: Commander, Aircraft Squadrons, Pacific Fleet. Designated Naval Aviator Number Eleven, Captain Mustin was instrumental in the design of the
Naval Aviator insignia
.
His eldest son, Vice Admiral
Lloyd M. Mustin
(1911?1999), also a Naval Academy graduate (class of 1932), took part in developing the Navy's first lead-computing anti-aircraft gun sight, which proved of major importance in the air-sea actions of
World War II
, and served on the cruiser
USS
Atlanta
(CL-51)
during the naval battle of
Guadalcanal
. His ship was lost during that action, but he and other survivors landed on shore and he then served with a naval unit attached to the
1st Marine Division
. His post-war service included commands at sea and development and evaluation of weapon systems. He later served as director of operations for the
Joint Chiefs of Staff
.
Vice Admiral Mustin's two sons, Vice Admiral
Henry C. Mustin
and Lieutenant Commander Thomas M. Mustin continued their family's tradition of military service. Vice Admiral Henry Mustin, another graduate of the Naval Academy (class of 1955), was a decorated
Vietnam
veteran who served in the 1980s as the
Naval Inspector General
, Commander,
Second Fleet
and
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans and Policy
. Lieutenant Commander Mustin, also a Naval Academy graduate (class of 1962) earned a
Bronze Star
during the
Vietnam War
for river patrol combat action.
Vice Admiral Henry Mustin's son
John Burton Mustin
(born 1967), a Naval Academy graduate (class of 1990), is a United States Navy vice admiral who currently serves as
Chief of Navy Reserve
since 7 August 2020. He previously served as the Vice Commander of the
Fleet Forces Command
.
Service history
[
edit
]
On 1 February 2005,
Mustin
began her maiden deployment and returned on 1 August.
In July 2006,
Mustin
and her crew of 300 were deployed to
Yokosuka Naval Base
in Japan, home of the Navy's
Seventh Fleet
, for permanent assignment. Though this was during the same month as the
North Korea missile tests
, the deployment was unrelated.
During the 2008
Cyclone Nargis
crisis in Myanmar and the subsequent
Joint Task Force Caring Response
aid mission,
Mustin
, then as part of the
USS
Essex
Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), which including
USS
Juneau
and
USS
Harpers Ferry
, stood by off
Burma
from 13 May to 5 June, waiting for the
Myanmar junta government
to permit US aid to its citizens.
[2]
However, in early June, with permission still not forthcoming, it was decided to return the ARG to its scheduled operations.
[3]
In March 2011, in company with aircraft carrier
Ronald Reagan
,
Mustin
was deployed off northeastern
Honshu
, Japan.
[4]
[5]
The mission was to assist with relief efforts after the
2011 T?hoku earthquake and tsunami
.
[6]
During the
2011 Thailand floods
,
Mustin
was docked at Port
Laem Chabang
on a routine visit when the Thai government requested the warship to prolong her stay for up to six days to provide aerial surveillance of the flooding. In response,
The Pentagon
gave permission for the two
Seahawk helicopters
, from
HSL-51
detachment Six, to provide the imaging.
[7]
On 28 May 2020,
Mustin
conducted a
freedom of navigation
operation past the
Paracel Islands
, which the Navy said it "upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging the restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and also by challenging China’s claim to straight baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands".
[8]
[9]
On 19 December 2020,
Mustin
transited the contested
Taiwan Strait
, which the US Navy said was "in accordance with international law" to "demonstrate the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."
[10]
In Spring 2021,
Mustin
monitored Chinese aircraft carrier
Liaoning
after the latter sailed through the
Miyako Strait
, along with alleged Chinese militia boats amassed near
Whitsun Reef
in the Philippines.
Liaoning
entered the Philippine Sea immediately after the
Whitsun Reef incident
. On 4 April,
Mustin
approached
Liaoning
, maneuvred between her and her escorts, and photographed the commanding officer relaxing with his feet up, next to the executive officer with his arms crossed.
Mustin
was accused of "cognitive warfare" and was called "very vile."
[11]
A quote from one media outlet described the incident as such;
"There are some photos that come to define the beginning of an era, and the
Mustin
photo has that feel. It perfectly encapsulates this moment in time as the US Navy, and the rest of the western world, looks on as China’s military continues its meteoric rise.
Liaoning
, China’s first carrier, is an excellent example of that."
[12]
Later, Vice Admiral
Roy Kitchener
claimed the photo was evidence that the carrier had "operating restrictions" with her escorts which allowed the US warship to get so close.
[13]
After completing a homeport shift from Yokosuka in July 2021, she is now part of
Destroyer Squadron 1
, based at
San Diego, California
.
Awards
[
edit
]
Mustin
has been awarded the
Navy E Ribbon
for 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018.
[14]
Mustin
also received the
Humanitarian Service Medal
for the
2011 T?hoku earthquake and tsunami
as well as
Typhoon Haiyan
.
[14]
As part of Task Force 70,
Mustin
received the
Meritorious Unit Commendation
for 10 April 2012 to 31 December 2013.
[14]
- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Ship-Helicopter Safety Award - (2014)
Coat of arms
[
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]
- Shield
The shield has background of blue with four gold stars, an inflamed delta, a triple barreled battleship gun, annulet and polestar.
- Crest
The crest consists thirteen stars over a Surface Warfare Officer device bounded by palm fronds and dolphins.
- Motto
The motto is written on a scroll of white with blue trim.
The ship's motto is "Toujours L'Audace" or "Always be Bold".
- Seal
The coat of arms in full color as in the blazon, upon a white background enclosed within a dark blue oval border edged on the outside with a gold rope and bearing the inscription "USS Mustin" at the top and "DDG 89" in the base all gold.
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
This article includes information collected from the
Naval Vessel Register
, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the
public domain
.
- Morton, John Fass (2003).
Mustin: A Naval Family of the Twentieth Century
. Naval Institute Press.
ISBN
9781591144922
.
External links
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]
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