uss stump commanding officersgoblin commander units
FC2. In February 1995, STUMP deployed to the Caribbean Sea in support of Counter Drug Operations, transiting the Panama Canal. Stump's 1980 maiden deployment was to the Mediterranean, serving as flagship for Destroyer Squadron 14. Under U.S. Joint Forces Command's overarching experiment, "Millennium Challenge 00", FBE-H ran concurrently with the U.S. Army's Joint Contingency Force Advanced Warfighting Experiment, the U.S. Air Force Joint Contingency Force Experiment 2000 and the U.S. Marine Corps' Millennium Dragon. Michael D. Nordeen, commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock Mesa Verde, and Cmdr. I was on the USS John Rodgers DD983 and she died a death no ship should go through, she was scrapped at Brownsville TX shipyard. Dissimilar metals which caused electrolysis and resulted in rapid deterioration.Additionally she had no expansion joints and was prone to super structure cracking. DC2 Chris C. https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsDid you know MAC Robert Gonzales Plankowner on Hewitt? Yes the Hull and superstructure was very thin but, you had to sacrifice something for speed and maneuverability. Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Navy Cryptology, Official site for National Guard marksmanship training & competitions. Two homeports two northpacs two westpacs two yard periods and 3 captains. I never said the DDG-51s are not capable, or that a Spruance class was comparable, the 51s were laid down in 1989 and are a generation evolved. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); We attended a reunion in S.Diego a couple of years ago. 109 0 obj <>stream When the Spruances left the Navy, they took with them 1,494 Mk41 VLS cells which carried mainly Tomahawk cruise missiles along with a smattering of ASROC sub-busters. My personal email is: gntownsend@yahoo.com, Pingback: Warship Wednesday: March 17, 2021, Shamrock Cans | laststandonzombieisland. In 2003, the newer 22 of the 27 ships (CG-52 to CG-73) in that class were upgraded to keep them combat-relevant, giving the ships a service life of at least 35 years each. Safety was more important than stealth LOL, USS JOHN YOUNG The Meet March 2019 Jacksonville. Perhaps you can contact the Orleck museum for more info on that scheme. Sad to hear their fate and why. STUMP conducted Black Sea operations, port visits and extensive USW operations. Diffenately my favorite cmd. HI EVERYBODY! Her weapons outfitting wasnt really all that bad even pointing to the DDG-51 Class the Spruance was a worthy foe. My first and only ship plank owner USS Briscoe. Prior to that, Stump took part in Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 01-1, to certify the carrier battle group for deployment. My first ship was USS David R Ray DD-971 August 1979-July 1984 made three WestPac cruises. Photo by PH2 Gary Bonaccorso, February 26 1988. Finished my career on another Spruance, David R Ray DD-971. Back to 1st page. That shipyard was the worst the US had to offerI called their workers rednecks with welding rods. No less than 16 Spruance class destroyers are on the way. The SPRUANCEs served long and with honor. I commissioned the David R. Ray (DD-971) and did my first 5 year sea duty tour as an OS. NEWBS,PHIL,WE HAD ALOT OF FUN.I MARRIED SPRUELL AND WE ARE HAVING OUR 4TH KID AND ARE VERY HAPPY.MISS U GUYS. Most 21-year old ships are still in service, with another 10-15 years left on their hulls. Spent a considerable amount of time in Pascagoula. History of USS STUMP: Ironically, while all of the Spruances are gone, Orleck endures as a floating museum ship in Lake Charles, La. I assisted in writing the PQS for Engineering and the PMS program that was a mess as received by BUSHIPS. I served TAD aboard USS Deyo in 1981, when she was the first ship deployed on orders of NSA to spy on the Nicaraguans and Salvadorans. Gregory Baker, ESG-2 chief of staff, will temporarily take over commanding officer responsibilities until a permanent replacement is found. Capt. Stump, along with the rest of the battle group ships returned home on 24 May 2001. Weather the decision makers meant that or not It did affect the Navy force composition. Had I not been forced to rotate, I would gladly have spent another year or two on 979! LEXINGTON participated in operations against Kwajalein, Gilbert and Marshall Island Campaign, and air strikes on Truk. Q\a/1$4wv]?"H=s>spC{M^S<>ZNf? During this deployment, Stump was extremely successful in conducting anti-submarine warfare exercises and was once again presented the "Hookem" award for excellence in undersea warfare. Boy Jerry looks like we are the few who commented for Elliot, too bad. https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsYour USS Charles S. Sperry (DD 697) was an Allen M. Sumner class ship, not a Spruance. UNITAS turned out to be a good time. 5#ao8{C,bqxBYYfZ='c^[)clDec@FL|UcQ&PBgB*6XI-v*e>NgcG#8(.xcI#HlZBkL'b/8/ Vvj`f#evYI5)';br>)CgDlr/J#%?Ptw0:/W('Gr*5T1RP"vUT@!l?8jPHMm]&w|NN#%xqW!\RV{MV]rL=)8 Io)Ar3`#M(O/.k(zDP*'tx~QaCoQ3y)E@ : P"g7r\y*ed|vp2j\-FD;{:w^c^+d?)y`T8S`IhjU+b CApq;Oquq(b)-y~lD^pAF~%y XY_&gwSNJnN:`wUQO5oDI 6: Incidentally, Newport RI was my home port when I served on my 2nd ship, the USS Miller FF-1091, from 1987 to 1990. [The Dynell founder decided to pursue his holographic-photography business, Solid Photography Inc, which operated a public photo studio on LI.] I recall going through a storm that caused a 18 foot crack in the aluminum super structure. Im not sure what upgrades they received, but they were originally designed and built for a foreign country, so I am sure their technology wasnt/isnt up to the Sprucans levels. 1983 1984 In October 1982, STUMP deployed to the Persian Gulf as a part of the Middle East Force to conduct radar picket operations. She did not get the VLS upgrade and we knew her days were numbered. https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsMy Dad was on DD 974 during that time. In the end, it is always money. She was a good ship! The USS Stump was decommissioned and stricken on 22 October 2004. The 963 class were disposed of prematurely. No additional details were immediately provided. He later commanded Carrier Division 24, and was awarded the Navy Cross twice, the Legion of Merit (three awards) and has the ribbon for the Presidential Unit Citation to his flagship, the NATOMA BAY. 1958 edition | laststandonzombieisland, Goula Sub Sighting (of Sorts) | laststandonzombieisland, VS22 Looking Flat | laststandonzombieisland, Sprucan Desert Shield Watercolors | laststandonzombieisland, Bring back the Garcias! Paul F. Campagna relieved Capt. The boat was deemed a hazard to navigation and sunk by small arms fire from STUMP's Small Craft Action Team. DN-ST-88-03644. A-gang. USS Spruance (DD-963) ships propulsion control center, during her trials period, May 1975. Also in 1984, Stump won the James F. Chezek Memorial Gunnery Award by shooting a 496 out of 500 during naval gunfire support qualifications. 2003 now. Hey guys miss the old ship much better than the carrier i was on . Stump deployed in late November 2000 with the USSHarry S. Truman carrier battle group. Named for: Felix Budwell Stump. USS STUMP deployed in late November 2000 along with the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN Battle Group. Kyle P. Higgins as the commanding officer of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during a change of command ceremony aboard the . 1940s complement for the Sumners as designed was 336 Officers and Enlisted while some wartime designs (such as DMs) were 363 http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/0834.htm . Mobile, Alabama Shame that they sunk the Spruance class of ships, Way to soon. Register and add yourself to the Crew List of the USS Stump (DD 978), Report an offensive or inappropriate entry, Stump..What more can a guy say.livin it up in S. America with the rest of CA was awesome. Well these ships were fun to drive and both of them shot a lot of Tomahawks when I was on them. In November 1992, STUMP deployed to the Arabian Gulf and North Red Sea as part of MEF (1-93) to serve as a ready strike platform. KAUFFMAN spent a week underway in the VCOA with USS STUMP (DD 978) for a series of operational tests on R17 and WDS integration, one of the combat systems While the SPRUANCE Class may have had many years of service life remaining in their hull and propulsion systems, it was their combat systems which spelled their doom. Albatross (MSC-289) Albert David (DE-1050) Albert T. Harris (DE-447) Alcor (AK-259) Aldebaran (AF-10) Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617) Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752) Algol (AKA-54) Allagash (AO-97) Alstede (AF-48) Altair (AKS-32) Aludra (AF-55) Alvin C. Cockrell (DE-366) America (CVA-66) Amherst (PCER-853) Ammen (DD-527) Amphion (AR-13) https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsAccording to NAVSOURCE.ORG a Sumner rated a crew of 336, still a tight squeeze. In January 1998 Stump commenced work-ups for its upcoming Sixth Fleet deployment by participating in COMPTUEX and JTFEX as part of the Eisenhower carrier battle group. The blue silhouette cross refers to the Navy Cross twice awarded him while in command of Carrier Division 24; the white central star denotes the Silver Star Medal awarded "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action" against enemy-held islands. I was the first PC on her. Even the Sink-ex ships took a pounding before going down. WASHINGTON The Navy has fired the commander and the second in charge of the littoral combat ship Montgomery because of "a loss of confidence in their ability to command," the service said on. Talk about packing a lot of guys in a tin can. Highlights of the deployment included rendering assistance to the sailboat OKIVA which STUMP provided assistance in the form of fuel and 75 pounds of fresh food to get the boat to port. Did a North Atlantic cruise on the Spruance DD-963 while in Precom for MY ship, Comte De Grasse DD-974. Off to research this one for myself. June 21-24, 2018 | E-mail me so we can keep in touch. Find the perfect andorra and us stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. US. Saw Regec, though. She was the first Spruance to sail into Helsinki harbor through miles of pack ice (following a breaker of course) I went through the retrofit that added 2 CIWS guns and twin Tomahawk launchers. Most of the battles in which he engaged ended in defeats. Heading south joining the US Naval Forces Southern Command, STUMP and its embarked detachment from Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 42 participated in counter-narcotics operations in the eastern Pacific and took part in the annual UNITAS exercise. Walt "Sarge" Slaughter of his duties Aug. 19 during a change of command ceremony in San . Ex-XO Harry W Hill, Hey there XO!!! During this period STUMP participated in a Search and Rescue mission in the Pacific Ocean. But later on the railings (or whatever the term is) are gray like the rest of the ship? You are truely a great man. Oh, what nowthe Russians are reviving there sub fleet, too badno Spruance-class destroyers are left to hunt them down. In July 1994, STUMP again deployed to South America for UNITAS XXXV serving as the Flagship for Commander U.S. South Atlantic Force. Instead of being refurbed to serve another decade or two, they were stricken from the Navy List. Naval War College's 2023 Newport Arctic Scholars Study Integrated Naval Deterrence in the Arctic Region, U.S. In 2018, the ship's commanding officer was removed from his position over allegations that he had an. Wifes Name? Tenacity rules. The U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal, received for exceptionally meritorious services as commander of a combined operations center during the early part of the war, is represented by the colors scarlet, white and blue, the colors of the suspension ribbon of the medal. Good article about a great class of DDs. But my heart is always and will be a tin can like dd971. Any Operations types serve on a Kidd AND Spruance? The Navy relieved two commanding officers on Wednesday both due to loss of confidence in their abilities to command. We had HTs constantly chasing cracks in our starboard side helo hanger. I was on the John Rodgers. Old ships simply dont have as many fans as new ones, and their billion dollar contracts, divided among 20 states or so. After high school, I joined the Navy in 88 and served on the Nicholson 90-94, https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsI am a plankowner on USS HAYLER DD997 in 83. Argenis. He served in the gunboat YORKTOWN (PG-1) and as Navigator in the cruiser CINCINNATI (C-7) during World War 1 in the Atlantic. One might say that the data processing and networking capabilities of the SPRUANCE class were like 9600 baud dial-up systems trying to keep up with broadband cable. Your email address will not be published. Spruance-class destroyer USS Peterson (DD-969) with Soviet Moma AGS class survey vessel Nakhodka in the Sargasso Sea 1983 on the rescue op for Victor III-class SSN K-324. Exercises at Fort Story, Virginia, in June 1994, Ocean Park Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Virginia Beach VA. 001128-N-6097C-502 Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia November 28 2000, the destroyer USS Stump (DD 978) departs from the piers at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, VA. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Leland Comer. I was the commissioning Navigator on the USS Harry W Hill (DD986) in 1979 out of Pascagoula. I would do it all again on any ship!! In March of 1998 the Sara Ann (a Fishing Trawler) was operating off the Virginia Cape when the seas became to much and she started taking on water. Served on Elliot 967 from July 76 till 79. STUMP's 1980 maiden deployment was to the Mediterranean, serving as flagship for COMDESRON FOURTEEN. Watched the video of her being used for target practice and just thought, what a waste The Spruance was the best of the best. Plankowner USS Spruance DD-963 First an Best. If youre not a member ask to be added. Surely the Spurances would now be long in the teeth, ranging from the 1975-commissioned DD-963 to the 1983-dated DD-997, they would all be over thirty years old. Im glad that PF Flyer is still sailing the Pacific. Seth Rumler from leadership of the Scranton. The Legion of Merit (which he was awarded three times) is indicated by the crossed arrows in scarlet and white. Of course, you know what we say: the best ship is the one you just left or the one youre going to!! RGB fired her 76mm gun at the roboski for a total of 71 rounds fired for the day. 1996 Decommissioning of the Johnny Rod. NORFOLK, Va. (Dec. 17, 2020) Capt. To replace these old boats, the Spruance class, a mighty 31 destroyers, were built between 1972-1983, all at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. About the Destroyers Name, about Admiral Felix B. Stump: USS Stump Scores Again, Intercepts Favorite story was the skipper called me into his sea cabin to let me know we would be diverting to the Gulf of Fonseca for a freedom-of-navigation operation while transiting from San Diego to Pascagoula. In 1988, Stump deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the USSDwight D. Eisenhower carrier battle group (MED 388). Frederick C. Turner . Props to the king of south america, Bob "as in I wanna bang you from the back" Didier. I hope all is well. Besides various staff and afloat assignments, he commanded: USS Ready (PG-87), USS Stump (DD-978) and USS Normandy (CG-60). Capt. Catalog #: USN 1144349 Copyright Owner: National Archives. Dawley is Hopper's second commanding officer to be relieved in the last three years. Requests should go out at Cost plus 7-10% and due on specific dates 100% certified and complete with a Bonus paid upon completion of contract when completed early and 100% . What a platform. Didnt see your name listed there. https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsThe 40B was a functional equivalent of the original 40 (essentially same cabinets/controls) but with solid-state upgrades in most of the modules. Nice article mate! Email: Reunion@dd973.org. USS Stump (DD-978) was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. Served as part of Airdale crew aboard the USS OBrien DD975 and USS Ingersol DD990 . Koji Miyazaki, commanding officer the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182), during a tour of America. Naval Academy in 1997. . I bet that today, in 2018, there are a lot of Admirals walking around wishing they had some of those still above water. She also had lots of room for weapons upgrading for years to come. Im as sentimental as the next sailor about the passing of the Spruance class having been a plankowner in Nicholson DD-982 from 78-80, but the fiscal and technological realities/limitations of the Spruance class fast became apparent. | TogetherWeServed.com (TWS) contains comprehensive military records . A small correction on the main article. Cadillacs..Plain and simple, Our Ship (USS FIFE), could tear through the water, Hunted Subs like a fox, and always looked sleek and sure in or out of port. 1985 1986 hPO0*;ASDP-LSto"kyxooo>rq*D$rW)kt{Bku#UL&Hk5l%>qV! "EK 10QT r \B#oRbp [3] Stump was also credited with the identification of a low flying plane whose inspection upon landing in the US accounted for the recovery of several hundred kilos of Cocaine. After the war he served in the pre-dreadnaught battleship ALABAMA (BB-8). 3 years USS John Rodgers DD983..I have always thought she was decommissioned way too young and it hurt my heart to see the pictures of her in Brownsville. I was also on a Spru Can the USS Sperry DD697 it had 5 /38 from what I can remember. Constantly called away for solitary duties. Under U.S. Joint Forces Command's overarching experiment, "Millennium Challenge 00," FBE-H ran concurrently with the U.S. Army's Joint Contingency Force Advanced Warfighting Experiment, the U.S. Air Force Joint Contingency Force Experiment 2000 and the U.S. Marine Corps' Millennium Dragon. In November 1992, Stump deployed to the Persian Gulf and Northern Red Sea as part of MEF (193) to serve as a ready strike platform. From: Commanding Officer, USS KAUFFMAN (FFG-59) To: Director of Naval History (OP+09BH), Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. 20374-0571 . Looking for US Navy memorabilia? Today, Constitution 's commanders change every two years. Went from Talos, Long Range Fist of he Fleet to pop gun, NATO Sea Sparrow. USS Fletcher DD-992 82-84 EN1 A-Div LPODamn Fine Ship. I too served on the Connolly DD-979, 85-90. DD964 USS Paul F Foster plank owner, EM2. I hope everyone is doing good. They were called the Love Boats back then since they were the size of WWII light cruisers (8000-tons), yet only carried a pair of 5-inch guns (Mk45 rapid-fire jobs that provided more firepower than twice as many of the old Sumners 5-inch/58s), twin triple ASW tubes, and an 8-cell ASROC launcher. Let go early for disability but thats a story.Sure had some good times aboard her.Cried sorta,got angry sorta ect when she was sunk but think we all did.Life is good shipmate glade you made it. I wish all my SH'S the best in their future! March 1984 was highlighted by Stump's adoption as state flagship of West Virginia. them go. At least they were not sold to another country. CG69 Loved every minute of it sad to hear they are being scrapped. %PDF-1.7 % Second ship was USS John Hancock DD-981 October 1987- November 1991 Made one MEF cruise and a North Atlantic cruise, Served as Senior Enlisted Engineering Programs Manager. The crux of the argument in the post is that the Spruances were put to pasture too early when they clearly had another decade or more of life in them. 81- 85. Meanwhile, worked at Mobil, Nike, Intel and then Microsoft because I moved to the Pacific Northwest. out of the navy now and going to school. Only once in three years did we ever experience water hours when our evaporators failed. Picked her up in Panama City just as she was deploying for her NSA ops in Gulf of Fonseca for the NSA. DN-SC-85-09116. Still, they made a good backdrop for 1984 recruiting commercials set in British-controlled Hong Kong! Now they cancel the Line of Zumwalt Class bringing the Price up to 2.2 Billion per ship and only 2 in the Planning. I served aboard the Deyo from 84 until 88 and count those years as some of the best of my life. USS John Young (DD-973) I was precom for USS John Hancock DD-981 in 1978 went TAD on the Peterson and Stump, sorry to see. endstream endobj 100 0 obj <>stream SHAREM is a Chief of Naval Operations program established in 1969 to continuously improve the quality of undersea warfare. Command Master Chief, USS Monterey (CG 61) Captain AARON M. ANDERSON Commanding Officer, USS Carney (DDG 64) Cmdr. Much later, I watched video of them sinking her for a NJ reef. They were great ASW platforms but not much else. Available for both RF and RM licensing. In 1988, STUMP deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the USS EISENHOWER Battle Group (MED 3-88). However, the Ticonderoga-class cruisers are roughly the same age. Thanks to all of you that helped me to become a better officer. I even remember that time when I mouthed off over the 21MC as a joke but the transmission went throughIn any event, I left the Hill in 1979 but kept a Reserve Commission and changed my designator from Surface Warfare to Intelligence. Ingalls East Bank, Pascagoula, Six Spruance-class destroyers are being built at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi. Drone anti submarine helicopters Unmanned helicopters capable of carrying nuclear depth charges. hbbd``b`Z$@ U&F@#V?co 4 Served on the mighry warship Deyo from 99-04. I was a plank owner on USS Paul F Foster DD-964. Help| I was on two, USS Merrill DD-976 90-94 and USS Oldendorf DD-972 97-02. You probably know this, but Capt.Harbrect, Capt Lash, and Master Chief Huggins are still around Pascagoula, actually I think Capt Harbrect is in Fairhope, Alabama, https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsThen commander Lash was the best officer I ever had the honor to serve with. I loved that ship. USS Peterson (DD-969) keeping tabs on YAK-38 Forger, most likely landing on a Soviet Kiev-class carrier. Best Regards Dave Stangland STG3 Plankowner USS John Young DD973, Pingback: Bring back the Garcias! Drunk at quarters, drunk after quarters, god i miss cg. My first duty station was the OBannon DD-987 2003 DECOM. Yes, the 51s replaced the Spurances and the 1970s vintage CGNs of the South Carolina and Virginia-class in so much as AAW is concerned, but they did not fully replace their capability in ASW and NGFS. More about us Leaders. Stump then traveled to New Orleans as the U.S. Navy's host ship for the 1984 World's Fair. I have many pictures of her from over the years, some were taken by me and many others that were taken during the years after I moved on and later retired from the Navy. I served on carriers as well. Contact. He most recently was the CO of the Phil Sea before being killed in an on base house fire last fall. It was on this cruise that Stump obtained its mascot Felix, a bluefronted Amazon parrot, during a port visit to Brazil. Secondly, STUMP was awarded the COMDESRON TEN Battle "E" Efficiency award for overall excellence. Navy Rate? Thank you for posting this. Take care ya'll. Elliott was accepted into the Health Professions Scholarship Program and received a commission into the Navy Medical Corps in 1991. First went to sea on OBrien. My GPS system was almost always Casrept, so we sailed from Mississippi to San Diego and back again by radar and starsthe Loran and Omega was totally worthless. In January 1942 he was transferred to the Staff of the Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet for which he was awarded the U.S. Army's Distinguished Service Medal. How come it shows the Orleck with white railings? In cooperation with a Colombian Coast Guard cutter, Stump located and recovered a survivor of a wrecked Colombian vessel. They loved their weekly tub of ice cream. Please keep in mind that this list does only include records of people who submitted their information for publication on this website. Served on the Ready Radford 86-89. They proved the backbone of fleet operations throughout the last decade of the Cold War, the sordid engagements in the Persian Gulf, and the Navys part in the war on drugs. In July 1994, Stump again deployed to South America for UNITAS XXXV serving as the flagship for the commander of the U.S. South Atlantic Force. | Throughout the deployment, the battle group also participated in numerous international exercises, including Arabian Gauntlet, an 11-nation exercise that involved more than 20 ships. I was on Her from 91 until 93 as a CTM1 up in outboard on 03 level you never made it that high I am sure nose bleeds and all. STUMP conducted Black Sea operations, port visits and extensive USW operations. My last ship I also put in commission was an Aegis Cruiser the USS Vincennes (CG-49) another great ship with a great crew. In August 1990, Stump transited to Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana, for overhaul and major combat systems upgrade. Japanese ships are faintly visible on the horizon beyond the smoke screen (80-G-288144). The four KIDD class of upgraded Spruance destroyers were neither scrapped nor sunk. A bit of a story first, Capt., then a thought about what you wrote. Throughout the deployment, the battle group also participated in numerous international exercises, including Arabian Gauntlet, an 11-nation exercise that involved more than 20 ships. A great ship and really hated to see her sunk. Our Can was classified as 2250 tons, not the 3000 to 4000 tons as specified in the article. USS FIFE/DD 991 Capt. Loved my division those of you I called friends there! World War 2 Historian, Relic Hunter and expert in identification of WW2 relics. DN-SC-90-04015. In cooperation with a Colombian Coast Guard Cutter, Stump located and recovered a survivor of a wrecked Colombian vessel. June 1979-Aug 1983 and October 1989-October 1991. CPO Quarters 360.315.2393 Ship's Office 360.315.2393 . Granted, the US Navy doesnt have to go to war with the Soviets anymore ala-Red Storm Rising, but there is still a global need for surface combatants from the South China Sea to the HOA to the Med and the Persian Gulf. A real shooter with aim. Do I understand correctly that they essentially turned these DDs into DDGs, but without renaming them? It is sad that these fine ships were scrapped or sunk with just 20 or so years of service. (Felix Stump) Taffy 2 (Task Unit 77.4.2) . Further, the 51s are tasked increasingly with fleet air defense and (now) with ABM missions.