Cushing the last of the Spruances will decommission September 21st.
Leaving 23 Ticonderoga CG-47 class, 46 A. Burke DDG 51 I/II/IIA class and 30 OHP FFG 7 class surface combatants in service on September 30th the end of the FY.
Farewell O'Bannon
By Lt.j.g. Greg Cruser, From USS O'Bannon PAO
[url="http://www.mayportmirror.com/images/081805/44298_200.jpg"]http://www.mayportmirror.com/images/081805/44298_200.jpg[/url]
The Spruance-class destroyer USS O'Bannon (DD 987) approaches the pier in Souda harbor during its last deployment earlier this year. O'Bannon will be decommissioned tomorrow (Aug. 19). Photo by Paul Farley
After more than 25 years of service, USS O'Bannon (DD-987) is set to decommission at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Aug. 19).
O'Bannon returned from its last deployment in May 2005 and has been preparing to decommission throughout the summer. O'Bannon was commissioned in December of 1979 by Mrs. Robert H. Barrow, the wife of a former Commandant of the Marine Corps.
The guest speaker at the decommissioning ceremony will be Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Gary Roughead. Roughead was the Chief Engineer on board O'Bannon when it was commissioned in 1979.
During O'Bannon's final deployment, it visited 12 cities in seven different countries. Its operations in the Mediterranean Sea included exercises with ships and naval aircraft from seven different nations. O'Bannon played a significant role in the Global War on Terrorism which included escorting military sea lift ships through potentially dangerous chokepoints, three major multinational exercises and extensive patrolling within the Sixth Fleet Area of Responsibility.
O'Bannon's final deployment was marked by several significant events including a rare liberty call in Haifa, Israel, a visit from the Secretary of Defense, and a rescue at sea.
O'Bannon was the first U.S. Navy ship in almost four years to have liberty in Israel. The crew gladly accepted the honor as United States Sailors enjoyed a chance to experience Israeli culture and meet with Israeli citizens for the first time since 2001.
The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld visited O'Bannon while it was anchored in Villefranche, France. The Secre-tary of Defense was in Nice, France meeting with NATO Defense Ministers when he took time to visit O'Bannon and thank the crew for their service.
While enroute from Ville-franche to Augusta Bay, Sicily, O'Bannon received a distress signal from a sinking fishing vessel that had been without power for three days in heavy seas. O'Bannon's Rescue and Assistance Team boarded the fishing vessel, made repairs, and evacuated two Danish fisherman. The two fisherman were taken safely to Augusta Bay, Sicily where they were turned over to Italian authorities for a safe transport home. The fishing vessel was made seaworthy as well allowing its subsequent recovery a few days later by French Authorities.
O'Bannon has conducted operations with countless nations in places all over the world, deploying to Central and South America in 2003 for Counter-Drug Operations and most recently deploying to the Mediterranean Sea on its final deployment. Its versatile and dynamic combat abilities have allowed it to meet a vast array of missions throughout its nearly 26-year history of service.
USS O'Bannon was named after Lt. Presley O'Bannon of United States Marine Corps. Lt. O'Bannon led a daring rescue on a fortress in Northern Africa during the U.S. War with the Barbary Pirates who had taken hostage a group of shipwrecked American Sailors. Lt. O'Bannon captured the fortress at Tripoli and defeated the enemies' attempts to take it back. He flew the American flag over the fort representing the first time the Stars and Stripes had been raised over foreign soil. His victory was commemorated in the Marine Corps Hymn: ''To the Shores of Tripoli.'' O'Bannon is one of two remaining Spruance Class Destroyers and is the last Spruance in the Atlantic Fleet. Cmdr. Troy A. Stoner assumed command March 12, 2003, and will be O'Bannon's last commanding officer.
Leaving 23 Ticonderoga CG-47 class, 46 A. Burke DDG 51 I/II/IIA class and 30 OHP FFG 7 class surface combatants in service on September 30th the end of the FY.
Farewell O'Bannon
By Lt.j.g. Greg Cruser, From USS O'Bannon PAO
[url="http://www.mayportmirror.com/images/081805/44298_200.jpg"]http://www.mayportmirror.com/images/081805/44298_200.jpg[/url]
The Spruance-class destroyer USS O'Bannon (DD 987) approaches the pier in Souda harbor during its last deployment earlier this year. O'Bannon will be decommissioned tomorrow (Aug. 19). Photo by Paul Farley
After more than 25 years of service, USS O'Bannon (DD-987) is set to decommission at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Aug. 19).
O'Bannon returned from its last deployment in May 2005 and has been preparing to decommission throughout the summer. O'Bannon was commissioned in December of 1979 by Mrs. Robert H. Barrow, the wife of a former Commandant of the Marine Corps.
The guest speaker at the decommissioning ceremony will be Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Gary Roughead. Roughead was the Chief Engineer on board O'Bannon when it was commissioned in 1979.
During O'Bannon's final deployment, it visited 12 cities in seven different countries. Its operations in the Mediterranean Sea included exercises with ships and naval aircraft from seven different nations. O'Bannon played a significant role in the Global War on Terrorism which included escorting military sea lift ships through potentially dangerous chokepoints, three major multinational exercises and extensive patrolling within the Sixth Fleet Area of Responsibility.
O'Bannon's final deployment was marked by several significant events including a rare liberty call in Haifa, Israel, a visit from the Secretary of Defense, and a rescue at sea.
O'Bannon was the first U.S. Navy ship in almost four years to have liberty in Israel. The crew gladly accepted the honor as United States Sailors enjoyed a chance to experience Israeli culture and meet with Israeli citizens for the first time since 2001.
The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld visited O'Bannon while it was anchored in Villefranche, France. The Secre-tary of Defense was in Nice, France meeting with NATO Defense Ministers when he took time to visit O'Bannon and thank the crew for their service.
While enroute from Ville-franche to Augusta Bay, Sicily, O'Bannon received a distress signal from a sinking fishing vessel that had been without power for three days in heavy seas. O'Bannon's Rescue and Assistance Team boarded the fishing vessel, made repairs, and evacuated two Danish fisherman. The two fisherman were taken safely to Augusta Bay, Sicily where they were turned over to Italian authorities for a safe transport home. The fishing vessel was made seaworthy as well allowing its subsequent recovery a few days later by French Authorities.
O'Bannon has conducted operations with countless nations in places all over the world, deploying to Central and South America in 2003 for Counter-Drug Operations and most recently deploying to the Mediterranean Sea on its final deployment. Its versatile and dynamic combat abilities have allowed it to meet a vast array of missions throughout its nearly 26-year history of service.
USS O'Bannon was named after Lt. Presley O'Bannon of United States Marine Corps. Lt. O'Bannon led a daring rescue on a fortress in Northern Africa during the U.S. War with the Barbary Pirates who had taken hostage a group of shipwrecked American Sailors. Lt. O'Bannon captured the fortress at Tripoli and defeated the enemies' attempts to take it back. He flew the American flag over the fort representing the first time the Stars and Stripes had been raised over foreign soil. His victory was commemorated in the Marine Corps Hymn: ''To the Shores of Tripoli.'' O'Bannon is one of two remaining Spruance Class Destroyers and is the last Spruance in the Atlantic Fleet. Cmdr. Troy A. Stoner assumed command March 12, 2003, and will be O'Bannon's last commanding officer.
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