USS ''Howard'' (DDG-83) 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 ...

. She is named for Medal of Honor recipient First Sergeant Jimmie E. Howard, USMC. ''Howard'' was the 19th ship of her class to be built by

Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics, one of the world's largest ...

Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Bath is included in the Brunswick, Maine, Brunswick Micropolitan statistical area, micropolitan area. Bath has a 2024 population of 8,870. It is also the county seat of Sagadahoc County ...

, 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 a member of Destroyer Squadron 15 and

Carrier Strike Group Five Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Strike Group Flagship is the which als ...

Namesake

The ship is named in honor of 1st Sgt. Jimmie E. Howard, USMC (1929–1993), recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for his leadership of a platoon against repeated attacks by a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

-sized

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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 The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

Medal for his service in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. 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 Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal United States National Cemetery System, military cemetery in San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Naval Base Point Loma, Fort Rosecrans a ...

and saluted her namesake.

Service history

On 16 February 2007, ''Howard'' was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award. On 28 September 2008, ''Howard'' was reported to be in pursuit of the Ukrainian ship , which on 25 September 2008 was captured by

Somali pirates Horn of Africa * Somali Peninsula, a region of East Africa, also known as "The Horn of Africa" * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Greater Somalia ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali culture ...

en route to Kenya. ''Faina'' was reported to be carrying 33 Russian-built

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tanks along with ammunition and spare parts. ''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. On 26 November 2021, ''Howard'' made a port call in

Wellington, New Zealand Wellington is Capital of New Zealand, the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the List of cities in New Zealand, third-largest city ...

. It is the first time a U.S. Navy warship has made a port call in New Zealand since 2016. On 10 August 2023, ''Howard'' experienced a "soft-grounding" outside of

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. On 19 August 2023 Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commanding Officer

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, 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. On 1 December 2023, a small electrical fire broke out in the engine room of ''Howard'', forcing 12 crew members to be temporarily transported to

Naval Hospital Yokosuka Japan United States Naval Hospital Yokosuka Japan with its eight branch clinics are US Navy medical treatment facilities catering to the medical needs of eligible Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, family members, U.S. government employees, retired mili ...

. 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.

Coat of arms

Shield

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

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

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

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

''Howard'' has been awarded the Navy Battle "E" several times * 1 January - 31 December 2006

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Howard (DDG-83) Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Destroyers of the United States Ships built in Bath, Maine Piracy in Somalia 1999 ships