USS ''Shoup'' (DDG-86) is an '' Arleigh Burke-class'' ( Flight IIA)

Aegis The aegis ( ; ''aigís''), as stated in the ''Iliad'', is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a deity named Aex, a ...

guided missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a pr ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. The ship is named for Medal of Honor recipient General

David M. Shoup David Monroe Shoup ( December 30, 1904 – January, 13 1983) was a general of the United States Marine Corps who was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II, served as the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps, and, after retiring, becam ...

, the 22nd

Commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps may refer to: * Commandant of the Marine Corps (Indonesia) * Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps * Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps * Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps * Commandant of th ...

. Construction began at the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems' Ingalls Operations on 10 November 1998. ''Shoup'' was the 16th ship of this class to be built at

Ingalls Shipbuilding Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States, originally established in 1938, and now part of HII. It is a leading producer of ships for the United States Navy, and, as of 2023, is the largest private em ...

. Her

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

was laid on 13 December 1999 and she was launched on 22 November 2000. ''Shoup'' sailed into the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

for the first of her

sea trial A sea trial or trial trip is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on op ...

s on 11 December 2001. The vessel was delivered to the Navy by

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...

on 18 February 2002 and departed

Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula metropolitan area, and is part of the Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi–Pascag ...

on 22 April 2002. ''Shoup'' was commissioned on 22 June 2002 at Port Terminal 37 in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington.

Service history

2000s

In July 2002, she successfully conducted the US Navy's operational evaluation of the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile with two test firings. In January 2005, she participated in

Operation Unified Assistance Operation Unified Assistance was the American military's humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. On 28 December 2004, elements of the Combined Support Force were deployed to U-Tapao International Airport in Thaila ...

. On 9 May 2008, while operating with

Combined Task Force 150 Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 34-nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to purs ...

, ''Shoup'' assisted a disabled

dhow Dhow (; ) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels ...

named ''Dunia'' by towing the vessel from the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden (; ) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channel, the Socotra Archipelago, Puntland in Somalia and Somaliland to the south. ...

Mukalla Mukalla, officially the Mukalla City District, is a seaport and the capital city district of Yemen's largest governorate, Hadhramaut Governorate, Hadhramaut. The city is in the South Arabia, southern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the Gulf of A ...

, Yemen.

2010s

On 1 August 2010 the ship collided with a civilian vessel off

Oceanside, California Oceanside is a beach city in the North County (San Diego area), North County area of San Diego County, California, United States. The city had a population of 174,068 at the 2020 United States census, making it the most populous city in the Nort ...

. The hull of the civilian boat was cracked, but no injuries were reported. ''Shoup'' was not damaged. ''Shoup'' provided assistance to South Korean naval forces after their recapture of the chemical tanker ''Samho Jewelry'' on 21 January 2011 in the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

. The tanker's captain had been shot by pirates holding the vessel and a helicopter from ''Shoup'' was used to evacuate him in order for him to receive medical treatment for his injuries. During her 2013 deployment to the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

and

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

, ''Shoup'' participated in numerous multinational exercises while providing theater security and support of ongoing maritime stability in the region. ''Shoup'' returned to homeport on 18 November 2013 following several extensions during what was the longest deployment for a US Navy destroyer since World War II at 313 days. In 2017 ''Shoup'' deployed to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea as a member of the Carrier Strike Group. Making port visits to India, Bahrain and Oman. Also, she participated in Tri carrier operations in the Sea of Japan in support of a visit by the

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

in the region. On 25 July 2018, ''Shoup'' participated in Valiant Shield 2018 and Oceanic Maritime Security Operations in the South Pacific. Making port visits to Guam, Fiji and American Samoa.

Coat of arms

Shield

''The shield has background of blue with a red chevron center. Featured in the chevron are artillery shells and a reversed gold start with a lion center. A large combined anchor with a trident center cover the shield.''

The traditional Navy colors were chosen for the shield because dark blue and gold represents the sea and excellence respectively. The combined trident and anchor, symbols of sea prowess, represent our naval history and the evolvement of modern warfare systems. The tridents three tines denote the warfare areas: air, surface, and undersea warfare. The red chevron with artillery shells represents valor and sacrifice, suggesting the troops led by Colonel Shoup crossing the reefs of Betio and bombardment of enemy fire. The red lion exemplifies courage and strength symbolizing Colonel Shoup's British Distinguished Service Order award for the battle at Betio. The reversed gold star refers to Colonel Shoup's Medal of Honor awarded for his heroism as commander of the Second Marine Division at Betio and the disputed island of Tarawa Atoll.

Crest

''The crest consists of the Marine Corps emblem surrounded by laurels.''

The Marine Corps emblem reflects Commandant Shoup's World War II war service and career as Commandant of the Marine Corps highlighting leadership and guidance. The surrounding laurels characterize achievement and honor.

Motto

''The motto is written on a scroll of gold that has a red reverse side.''

The ships motto is "Victoria per Perseverantiam Venit" or "Through Perseverance Comes Victory". The motto is a reference to both the honorable feats of Colonel Shoup and the Medal of Honor he received.

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 Shoup" at the top and "DDG 86" in the base all gold.''

References

External links

USS ''Shoup'' Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shoup (DDG-86) Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Destroyers of the United States Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi 2000 ships