USS Stump

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USS Stump on 1 February 1988
History
United States
NameStump
NamesakeFelix Budwell Stump
Ordered26 January 1972
BuilderIngalls Shipbuilding
Laid down25 August 1975
Launched1 January 1977
Acquired24 July 1978
Commissioned19 August 1978
Decommissioned22 October 2004
Stricken22 October 2004
Identification
MottoTenacity: Foundation of Victory
FateSunk as target, 7 June 2006
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSpruance-class destroyer
Displacement8,040 (long) tons full load
Length529 ft (161 m) waterline; 563 ft (172 m) overall
Beam55 ft (16.8 m)
Draft29 ft (8.8 m)
Propulsion4 ×
gas turbines
, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW)
Speed32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range
  • 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
  • 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement19 officers, 315 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • AN/SLQ-32
    Electronic Warfare System
  • AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures
  • Mark 36 SRBOC Decoy Launching System
  • AN/SLQ-49 Inflatable Decoys

Armament
Aircraft carried2 ×
SH-60 Seahawk
LAMPS III helicopters.
Aviation facilitiesFlight deck and enclosed hangar for up to two medium-lift helicopters

USS Stump (DD-978) was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. The USS Stump was decommissioned and stricken on 22 October 2004.

History

Stump was laid down 25 August 1975, launched 29 January 1977, and commissioned on 19 August 1978. The ship was named after Admiral

U.S. Pacific Command from 1953 to 1958.[1]

Stump's 1980 maiden deployment was to the Mediterranean, serving as flagship for Destroyer Squadron 14. Stump conducted

U.S. 6th Fleet
.

A year later, Stump deployed as south Atlantic flagship for UNITAS XXII. It was on this cruise that Stump obtained its mascot Felix, a bluefronted Amazon parrot, during a port visit to Brazil. Stump was the first Spruance class ship to traverse the inland waterway of Chile.

In October 1982, Stump deployed to the Persian Gulf as a part of the Middle East Force to conduct radar picket operations. Returning home in March 1983, she participated in Solid Shield '83, a complex exercise involving U.S. NATO ships and the U.S. Air Force. The ship went through a ten-month major overhaul at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. She was the first Spruance class ship to go outside Mississippi for a major overhaul.

USS Stump in 1985

March 1984 was highlighted by Stump's adoption as state flagship of West Virginia. Stump then traveled to New Orleans as the U.S. Navy's host ship for the 1984 World's Fair. Also in 1984, Stump won the James F. Chezek Memorial Gunnery Award by shooting a 496 out of 500 during naval gunfire support qualifications.

Admiral W. L. McDonald, Commander in Chief

Battle "E" Efficiency award
for overall excellence.

5-inch gun
in 1988

In 1988, Stump deployed to the

Rear Admiral Donnell, commander of the Naval Surface Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet. In October 1989, Stump again deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the USS Forrestal
carrier battle group (MED 1–90). 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.

1990s

In August 1990, Stump transited to

BGM-109 Tomahawk missile. Stump also received the integrated AN/SQQ-89
USW system.

In November 1992, Stump deployed to the Persian Gulf and Northern Red Sea as part of MEF (1–93) to serve as a ready strike platform. The highlight of the deployment was the Tomahawk missile strike launched against Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch on 17 January 1993.

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. Stump re-visited eight South American nations, as well as completing another transit of the Chilean inland waterway.

In February 1995, Stump deployed to the Caribbean Sea in support of counter drug operations, transiting the Panama Canal. During this period Stump participated in a search and rescue mission in the Pacific. In cooperation with a Colombian Coast Guard cutter, Stump located and recovered a survivor of a wrecked Colombian vessel. Stump returned[where?] in April 1995.

As part of a reorganization announced in mid-1995 of the Atlantic Fleet's surface combatant ships into six battle groups, nine destroyer squadrons and a new Western Hemisphere Group, Stump was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron Two. The reorganization was to be phased in over the summer and take effect on 31 August, with homeport shifts to occur through 1998.

Stump deployed in August 1996 for a Middle Eastern Force cruise to conduct maritime interception operations and act as ready strike destroyer in the Persian Gulf. Stump relieved USS Laboon on 28 September as the maritime interception operations/strike platform in the northern Persian Gulf. While in the Persian Gulf, Stump completed over 40 boardings in support of maritime interdiction operations and participated in 11 Persian Gulf Tomahawk exercises, including one as launch area coordinator. A mainstay during this deployment, Stump remained underway for over eighty percent of the time she was in the Persian Gulf.

Following the return from her Middle Eastern Force deployment in February 1997, Stump conducted an extensive dry-docking selected restricted availability and immediately commenced a training cycle which culminated in a final evaluation period. 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.

In March 1998 the Sara Ann (a fishing trawler) was operating off the Virginia Capes when the seas became too much and she started taking on water. Stump, while conducting routine operations on 17 April 1998, was informed by United States Coast Guard Station Portsmouth that the Sara Ann was in distress. Stump subsequently rescued four civilians about 65 nautical miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Stump provided safe passage back to Norfolk, Virginia.

Stump deployed to the Mediterranean as part of Sixth Fleet in June 1998. Stump, as part of Destroyer Squadron Two, joined five other nations and other U.S. Navy warships in the central Mediterranean for the execution of SHAREM 125, from 9 to 15 July 1998. SHAREM 125 was the latest in a series of SHAREM exercises designed to test and evaluate undersea warfare tactics, weapons, sensors and procedures. SHAREM is an established in 1969 to continuously improve the quality of undersea warfare.

2000s

Stump took part in the Fleet Battle Experiment Hotel (FBE-H) which was conducted by units of the

U.S. 2nd Fleet and personnel of the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) from 28 August to 12 September 2000 off the Virginia Capes and in the Gulf of Mexico. This was the eighth in a series of fleet battle experiments designed to evaluate new naval warfare concepts and technological capabilities. 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.

The focus of FBE-H was the application of network-centric operations in gaining and sustaining access in support of follow-on joint operations. Access denial was expected to be the focus of any potential adversary's strategy. Specifically, FBE-H further developed NWDC's draft Access Concept entitled "Poseidon's Presence". In addition, the NATO exercise "Unified Spirit" ran concurrently with the JTFEX, with forces from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and the United Kingdom playing major roles.

Stump deployed in late November 2000 with the

United Nations sanctions against Iraq by diverting 22 vessels with more than $5 million of suspected contraband cargo. 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. Additionally, U.S. sailors worked with military forces from Oman, Jordan, Tunisia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates
, improving interoperability and strengthening relationships with those countries. Stump, along with the rest of the battle group ships returned home on 24 May 2001.

In mid-October 2003 Stump operated off the coast of Argentina with the frigate USS Robert G. Bradley as part of the annual UNITAS exercise which involved naval forces from Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Spain and Uruguay.

Deployments and ports of call

MED-MEF 3–88:

Marseilles France, Cavaliere France, Genoa Italy, ASU Bahrain, with a brief stop for Suez Canal traffic in Port Said Egypt and a brief stop for fuel in Djibouti
.

Fate

Stump was decommissioned 22 October 2004. Admiral Stump's great grandson, John Stump III served on the decommissioning crew in 2004. She was laid up at the inactive ships maintenance facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and sunk as a target along with her sister, Comte de Grasse off the coast of North Carolina on 7 June 2006.

Ship's crest

The distinguished naval career of Admiral Felix Stump is reflected in the ship's coat of arms.

The many decorations received by Admiral Stump for his exemplary service in 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. The Legion of Merit (which he was awarded three times) is indicated by the crossed arrows in scarlet and white. 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. The four smaller stars in gold are in recognition of the attainment of the rank of admiral. The gold shield is symbolic of knowledge and achievement.

Admiral Stump's navy career, his noted boldness, and his service aboard six aircraft carriers are presented by the griffin holding an anchor.

Gallery

  • USS Stump in 1982
    USS Stump in 1982
  • USS Stump on 12 August 1986
    USS Stump on 12 August 1986
  • USS Stump on 1 February 1988
    USS Stump on 1 February 1988
  • USS Stump and USNS Kanawha on 30 March 2001
    USS Stump and
    USNS Kanawha
    on 30 March 2001

See also

References

  1. ^ U.S. Pacific Command | Official Military Website Archived 11 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Personal Reference: Crew Member FC3 Asher
  3. ^ Personal Reference: Crew Member FC3 Asher, I have a picture of me sitting on them
  4. ^ Personal Reference: Crew Member FC3 Asher

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Stump (DD-978).
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