Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the US Navy
For other ships with the same name, see
USS Howard
.
USS
Howard
(DDG-83)
is an
Arleigh Burke
-class
destroyer
in the
United States Navy
. She is named for Medal of Honor recipient
First Sergeant Jimmie E. Howard, USMC
. This ship is the 33rd destroyer of her class.
Howard
was the 19th ship of her class to be built by
Bath Iron Works
at
Bath, Maine
, and construction began on 8 December 1998. She was launched and
christened
on 20 November 1999. She was commissioned into the Navy on 20 October 2001.
Howard
is currently
[
when?
]
a member of Destroyer Squadron 15 and
Carrier Strike Group Five
.
[
citation needed
]
Namesake
[
edit
]
The ship is named in honor of 1st Sgt.
Jimmie E. Howard
, USMC (1929?1993), recipient of the
Medal of Honor
for his leadership of a platoon against repeated attacks by a
battalion
-sized
Viet Cong
force. After receiving severe wounds from an enemy grenade, he distributed ammunition to his men and directed air strikes on the enemy. By dawn, his beleaguered platoon still held their position. Howard had also received the
Silver Star
Medal for his service in the
Korean War
. Every time
Howard
set to sea from her previous homeport of San Diego, she passed within view of 1st Sgt. Howard's grave at
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
and saluted her namesake.
Service history
[
edit
]
On 16 February 2007,
Howard
was awarded the 2006
Battle "E"
award.
[1]
On 28 September 2008,
Howard
was reported to be in pursuit of the Ukrainian ship
Faina
, which on 25 September 2008 was captured by
Somali pirates
en route to Kenya.
Faina
was reported to be carrying 33 Russian-built
T-72
tanks along with ammunition and spare parts.
[2]
Faina
was eventually released by the pirates 5 February 2009.
In 2008,
Howard
received the 2008 Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy Award and provided humanitarian assistance to the Philippines.
[3]
On 26 November 2021,
Howard
made a port call in
Wellington, New Zealand
. It is the first time a U.S. Navy warship has made a port call in New Zealand since 2016.
[4]
On 10 August 2023,
Howard
experienced a "soft-grounding" outside of
Bali, Indonesia
. On 19 August 2023 Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commanding Officer
US 7th Fleet
, removed Howard's Commanding Officer at the time, due to a "loss of confidence in his ability to command" as a result of the grounding.
[5]
On 6 February 2024, the Navy announced that Commander Cameron Dennis was also relieved due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to perform his duties.” Press reports indicated his removal was due to unprofessional comments he had made.
[6]
Coat of arms
[
edit
]
Shield
[
edit
]
The shield has a background of light blue, dark blue, and gold. The upper shield consists of an oriental dragon, while the bottom contains stars configured to the Southern Cross.
The traditional Navy colors were chosen for the shield because dark blue and gold represents the sea and excellence respectively. The oriental dragon symbolizes the ship's service in the Pacific and fighting spirit of the platoon under the leadership of Gunnery Sergeant Howard. The stars are configured to the Southern Cross and represent the First Marine Division patch worn by Gunnery Sergeant Howard.
Crest
[
edit
]
The crest consists of a Medal of Honor neck pad in the shape of a radar array with a crossed Navy and Marine sword.
USS
Howard
'
s combat actions and war fighting legacy are represented by the six battle stars. Gunnery Sergeant Howard was awarded a Medal of Honor for gallantry and intrepidity under fire, which is represented by the neck pad. The neck pad also highlights the modern warfare capabilities, represented with the AEGIS array. A Crossed Naval Sword and Marine Mameluke signify teamwork and cooperation, exhibited with support from USS
Howard
'
s advanced combat systems for Marines ashore.
Motto
[
edit
]
The motto is written on a scroll of white with blue reverse side.
The ship's motto is "Ready for Victory". The motto is a reference to the honor, courage, and commitment of USS
Howard
'
s sailors for justifying she is ready for all operations in peace and will always be victorious in combat.
Seal
[
edit
]
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 Howard" at the top and "DDG 83" in the base all gold.
Awards
[
edit
]
Howard
has been awarded the Navy
Battle "E"
several times
- 1 January - 31 December 2006
[1]
References
[
edit
]
This article includes information collected from the
Naval Vessel Register
, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the
public domain
.
External links
[
edit
]
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