USS Mustin (DDG-89)

See USS Mustin for other ships of the same name.
USS Mustin (DDG-89) anchored at sea in 2015
History
United States
Name: USS Mustin
Namesake: Mustin family
Ordered: 6 March 1998
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Laid down: 15 January 2001
Launched: 12 December 2001
Commissioned: 26 July 2003
Homeport: Yokosuka, Japan
Motto: Toujours L'Audace; "Always Be Bold"
Status: in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement: 9,200 tons
Length: 509 ft 6 in (155.30 m)
Beam: 66 ft (20 m)
Draft: 31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion: 4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)
Speed: exceeds 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement: 380 officers and enlisted
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 2 x SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters

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 has devoted nearly a century of U.S. Naval service. This ship is the 39th destroyer of its class. USS 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 ceremony was held at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. For many years she was part of Destroyer Squadron 15, based at Yokosuka, Japan.

Ship history

On 1 February 2005 USS 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 Yokosuka, Japan, home of the Navy's 7th Fleet, for permanent assignment. Though coming at a time in response to the recent North Korea missile tests, the deployment was previously ordered, unrelated to the incidents.

During the 2008 Myanmar Cyclone Nargis crisis and the subsequent Operation Caring Response aid mission, as part of the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group (also including the USS Juneau and the USS Harpers Ferry), she stood by off Burma from 13 May to 5 June, waiting for the Myanmar junta government to permit US aid to its citizens.[1] However, in early June, with permission still not forthcoming, it was decided to put the group back on its scheduled operations.[2]

In March 2011, in company with the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, the ship was deployed off northeastern Honshu, Japan.[3][4] The mission was to assist with relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[5]

During the 2011 Thailand floods, the ship was docked at Port Laem Chabang on a routine visit when the Thai government asked for assistance in aerial surveillance of the extent of Bangkok flooding. Captain John Kirby said Thailand had asked the warship to prolong its stay at the port for up to six days; the Pentagon said the two Seahawk helicopters, from HSL-51 detachment SIX, aboard would conduct the reconnaissance.[6]

In November 2013, Mustin was sent to the Philippines as part of the U.S. aid mission after the country (especially the city of Tacloban and Leyte Province) was devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan.[7]

Awards

USS Mustin in 2015 with awards visible on the starboard bridge wing.

Mustin has been awarded the Navy E Ribbon for 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010[8] Mustin also received the Humanitarian Service Medal for 11 March 2011 to 31 May 2011.[8] During the time of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. As part of Task Force 70, Mustin received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for 10 April 2012 to 31 December 2013.[8]

Commanding officers

The Commanding Officer (CO) of USS Mustin (DDG-89) is the most senior officer that is in command of the ship. Sailors will refer to the CO as "the Captain" (regardless of rank), or sometimes informally as "Skipper". Below is the list of commanding officers of USS Mustin.

# Name Start End
9 CDR Thane C. Clare 6 August 2015 Present
8 CDR Joseph A. Torres Jr. 2 April 2014 6 August 2015
7 CDR Joseph J. Ring 12 June 2012 2 April 2014
6 CDR Scott A. Tait 28 January 2011 12 June 2012
5 CDR Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz 9 June 2009 28 January 2011
4 CDR James T. Jones 20 November 2007 9 June 2009
3 CDR Edward B. Cashman 26 May 2006 20 November 2007
2 CDR Michael J. Ford 8 October 2004 26 May 2006
1 CDR Ann C. Phillips 26 July 2003 8 October 2004

Coat of Arms

Shield

The shield has background of blue with four gold stars, an inflamed delta, a triple barreled battleship gun, annulet and polestar.

The traditional Navy colors were chosen for the shield because dark blue and gold represents the sea and excellence respectively. The inflamed delta symbolizes VADM Henry C. Mustin’s initiation of the Tomahawk weapons system which diversified surface combatants missile capabilities. The flames five points denote the wars that Mustin family members fought. VADM Lloyd M. Mustin’s career gunnery expertise is represented by the battleship gun turret. The three barrels of the turret represent the three generations of Mustin family members who endured combat under fire. The red annulet signifies unity, courage and valor. The polestar honors VADM Henry C. Mustin, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations who also commanded NATO’s largest fleet. The annulet and polestar combined symbolize VADM Henry C. Mustin’s development of the early gun sight that lead to a computing anti-aircraft gunsight developed by VADM Lloyd M. Mustin. The gun sights were key to U.S. Navy’s success with anti-aircraft action from the Pacific in World War II. The four stars honor the Bronze Stars earned by the Mustin Family for their Vietnam service.

Crest

The crest consists thirteen stars over a Surface Warfare Officer device bounded by palm fronds and dolphins.

The thirteen stars memorialize the thirteen battle stars from the Asiatic Pacific Area Service Ribbon which the first USS Mustin earned for contribution to World War II Pacific operations. The dolphins symbolize search and rescue, referring to the first USS Mustin rescue of 337 crewmen of USS Hornet, which was hit by a torpedo. The palm fronds signify victory and achievement in the Pacific. The Surface Warfare Officer device reflects the Mustin Family’s sea service and the two destroyer’s excellence of surface warfare.

Motto

The motto is written on a scroll of white with blue trim.

The ships 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

  1. ↑ Fletcher, Martin; Sugden, Joanna (9 May 2008). "US threatens military aid drops as Burma leaders stall". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  2. ↑ "2008 USPACOM Press Releases". USPACOM. 2008. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011. U.S. Navy Ships to Depart Coast of Burma
  3. ↑ Rabiroff, John (17 March 2011). "U.S. military delivers 40 tons of supplies to hardest-hit areas". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Warships Supporting Earthquake in Japan". Seawaves. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Stewart, Joshua (14 March 2011). "Navy ships off Japan move to avoid radiation". Military Times. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "US military helicopters to survey deadly Thai flooding". BBC. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2015. Thai authorities have asked US military helicopters to survey flooding....
  7. ↑ "Typhoon Haiyan: Philippines president says death toll could be far lower than worst estimates". NBC News. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 "Unit Awards Website". US Navy. Retrieved 21 March 2015.

References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

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