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USS Curts (FFG-38)
Encyclopedia
USS Curts (FFG-38), twenty-ninth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class
of guided-missile frigate
s, was named for Admiral Maurice Curts (1898–1976).
Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards
, San Pedro, California
on 27 April 1979 as part of the FY79 program, Curts was laid down on 1 July 1981, launched on 6 March 1982, and commissioned on 8 October 1983. As of 2007 she is on active service, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 23
and homeported at San Diego, CA.
In 1988, Curts received the armed forces expeditionary medal for serving with the battle group during Operation Earnest Will
in the north Arabian Sea
and the gulf of Oman. Additionally, Curts changed homeport to Yokosuka, Japan, becoming one of the first two FFG's to join the Forward Deployed Naval Force (FDNF). Curts was first to bring the lamps MK III helicopters to Naval Air Facility, Atsugi.
in the northern Persian Gulf
, taking the island and custody of 51 Iraqi prisoners. Curts destroyed two mines, sank an Iraqi minelayer and provided support to combat helicopter operations during the battle of Bubiyan Island
. The ship received the navy unit commendation for her exceptional operational performance.
rescuing numerous refugees to safety when mount Pinatubo erupted near Subic Bay, Republic of The Philippines,
In 1993, Curts was upgraded with the 4100-ton class modification, extending her stern another eight feet and enhancing her combat capabilities. Curts joined independence battle group to participate with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force in joint anti-submarine warfare exercise MAREX and later that year the ship deployed to the Persian Gulf conducting 89 boardings of merchant vessels in the Red Sea
as part of United Nations
sanctions enforcement against Iraq. Curts material and operational readiness was rewarded with the battle efficiency award for 1994.
In 1995, Curts participated in major joint exercises with units of the U.S. Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and later with the navies of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand for 1996 cooperation afloat for readiness and training (CARAT 96).
In 1997, after nine years of forward presence as part of seventh fleet, Curts departed Yokosuka, Japan for a homeport change to San Diego, California and in October 1998 Curts joined the Naval Reserve Force (NRF).
In 1998, Curts deployed to the multi-lateral exercise Teamwork South, where she participated in exercises with navies from the United Kingdom, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Upon completion of Teamwork South, Curts steamed to Hawaii to participate in multi-lateral exercise RIMPAC 98. Curts made national headlines when a Salinas Ecuador hotel security guard died from injuries he received during a scuffle with a LTJG (pilot) and Senior Chief Petty Officer assigned to HSL-43 embarked on Curts for the deployment. Both men were removed from the ship and returned to the U.S. to face a court martial.
In 1999, Curts deployed to counter-narco-terrorism deployment under the direction of Joint Inter-agency Task Force East (now named Joint Interagency Task Force South). In addition to seizing approximately 5 metric tons of cocaine, Curts conducted rare bi-lateral counter-narcotics exercises with the Colombian Navy. After departing a short visit to Aruba Curts responded to a distress call from M/V Olga, north of the Guajira peninsula. Curts crew were awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for joint rescue efforts that saved the lives of several Olga crew members. The half-way point of this deployment found Curts celebrating Halloween in Key West, Christmas in St. Thomas and New Years again in Key West, Florida. The timing of this deployment also caused Curts to be the last U.S. Warship to transit the Panama Canal under U.S. control in 1999 (ex-USS New Jersey was towed through just before Curts transit) and the first to transit it under Panamanian control in 2000.
cruises in 2001 and 2003, Curts conducted multi-lateral exercises with the navies of Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines to continue promoting international training and cooperation.
In 2004 Curts again deployed to southern command on a six-month counter-narcotics deployment with Coast Guard
Law Enforcement Detachment
(LEDET) 105 and received national notoriety for the largest maritime seizure of cocaine (12 tons) in history. The ship received the U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation for her outstanding performance during deployment.
Curts deployed again in 2006 to counter-narco-terrorism deployment. Although less successful than the 2004 deployment, Curts interdicted three cocaine shipments, totalling in excess of 10 metric tons of cocaine and apprehension and transport of over 50 smugglers.
On 16 February 2007, Curts was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award. http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=27895
In 2007 USS Curts was transferred from Commander Destroyer Squadron One, to Commander Destroyer Squadron Nine and incorporated in to Carrier Strike Group Nine. In March USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group (CSG-9) departed for deployment to the 5th Fleet area of operations (Persian Gulf). This marked USS Curts first Strike Group deployment since transfer to the U.S. Naval Reserve. Curts primarily performed a Critical Infrastructure Protection role by acting as Scene of Action Commander for Oil Platform protection efforts at the Khawar al Amaya and al Basrah oil terminals in the northern Persian Gulf. Curts also conducted bi-lateral exercises with the Malaysian and Pakistani navies during her transit to the Gulf.
Curts (FFG-38) is the first ship of that name in the US Navy.
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of frigates named after the American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie...
of guided-missile frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, was named for Admiral Maurice Curts (1898–1976).
Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards
Todd Pacific Shipyards
Vigor Shipyards was founded in 1916 as the William H. Todd Corporation through the merger of Robins Dry Dock & Repair Company of Erie Basin, Brooklyn, New York, the Tietjen & Long Dry Dock Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, and the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company...
, San Pedro, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on 27 April 1979 as part of the FY79 program, Curts was laid down on 1 July 1981, launched on 6 March 1982, and commissioned on 8 October 1983. As of 2007 she is on active service, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 23
Destroyer Squadron 23
Destroyer Squadron 23 is a flotilla of United States Navy destroyers based out of San Diego, California. The squadron consists of the following ships:*USS William P. Lawrence *USS Spruance *USS Curts *USS Vandegrift...
and homeported at San Diego, CA.
1980s
Her first years in commission were focused on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations and Curts was the first pacific fleet unit with the complete SQQ-89 ASW suite. The ship received the meritorious unit commendation for tactical proficiency in the tracking of Soviet submarines in 1987.In 1988, Curts received the armed forces expeditionary medal for serving with the battle group during Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
in the north Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
and the gulf of Oman. Additionally, Curts changed homeport to Yokosuka, Japan, becoming one of the first two FFG's to join the Forward Deployed Naval Force (FDNF). Curts was first to bring the lamps MK III helicopters to Naval Air Facility, Atsugi.
Operation Desert Storm
On 24 January 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, the ship and her embarked navy and army helicopters captured an Iraqi garrison on Qaruh IslandQaruh Island
Qaruh Island is an island belonging to the state of Kuwait, which received its name from the large amounts of petroleum sediments in the area . It is the smallest of the nine islands, and also the furthest island from the Kuwaiti mainland. It is located 37.5 kilometers away from the mainland, and...
in the northern Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, taking the island and custody of 51 Iraqi prisoners. Curts destroyed two mines, sank an Iraqi minelayer and provided support to combat helicopter operations during the battle of Bubiyan Island
Bubiyan Island
Bubiyan Island is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain situated in the north-western corner of the Persian Gulf, with an area of ....
. The ship received the navy unit commendation for her exceptional operational performance.
1990s
Upon return from combat operations in June 1991, the ship became an important part of Operation Fiery VigilOperation Fiery Vigil
Operation Fiery Vigil was the emergency evacuation of all non-essential military and United States Department of Defense civilian personnel and their dependents from Clark Air Base and U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay during the June 1991 volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines...
rescuing numerous refugees to safety when mount Pinatubo erupted near Subic Bay, Republic of The Philippines,
In 1993, Curts was upgraded with the 4100-ton class modification, extending her stern another eight feet and enhancing her combat capabilities. Curts joined independence battle group to participate with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force in joint anti-submarine warfare exercise MAREX and later that year the ship deployed to the Persian Gulf conducting 89 boardings of merchant vessels in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
as part of United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
sanctions enforcement against Iraq. Curts material and operational readiness was rewarded with the battle efficiency award for 1994.
In 1995, Curts participated in major joint exercises with units of the U.S. Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and later with the navies of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand for 1996 cooperation afloat for readiness and training (CARAT 96).
In 1997, after nine years of forward presence as part of seventh fleet, Curts departed Yokosuka, Japan for a homeport change to San Diego, California and in October 1998 Curts joined the Naval Reserve Force (NRF).
In 1998, Curts deployed to the multi-lateral exercise Teamwork South, where she participated in exercises with navies from the United Kingdom, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Upon completion of Teamwork South, Curts steamed to Hawaii to participate in multi-lateral exercise RIMPAC 98. Curts made national headlines when a Salinas Ecuador hotel security guard died from injuries he received during a scuffle with a LTJG (pilot) and Senior Chief Petty Officer assigned to HSL-43 embarked on Curts for the deployment. Both men were removed from the ship and returned to the U.S. to face a court martial.
In 1999, Curts deployed to counter-narco-terrorism deployment under the direction of Joint Inter-agency Task Force East (now named Joint Interagency Task Force South). In addition to seizing approximately 5 metric tons of cocaine, Curts conducted rare bi-lateral counter-narcotics exercises with the Colombian Navy. After departing a short visit to Aruba Curts responded to a distress call from M/V Olga, north of the Guajira peninsula. Curts crew were awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for joint rescue efforts that saved the lives of several Olga crew members. The half-way point of this deployment found Curts celebrating Halloween in Key West, Christmas in St. Thomas and New Years again in Key West, Florida. The timing of this deployment also caused Curts to be the last U.S. Warship to transit the Panama Canal under U.S. control in 1999 (ex-USS New Jersey was towed through just before Curts transit) and the first to transit it under Panamanian control in 2000.
2000s
During CARATCooperation Afloat Readiness and Training
The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training is a series of annual bilateral military exercises conducted by United States Pacific Fleet with several member nations of ASEAN in Southeast Asia. Currently, the navies of Bangledesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,...
cruises in 2001 and 2003, Curts conducted multi-lateral exercises with the navies of Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines to continue promoting international training and cooperation.
In 2004 Curts again deployed to southern command on a six-month counter-narcotics deployment with Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
Law Enforcement Detachment
Law Enforcement Detachments
Law Enforcement Detachments or LEDETs are specialized, deployable maritime law enforcement teams of the United States Coast Guard. First established in 1982, their primary mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct and support law enforcement, interdiction, or security...
(LEDET) 105 and received national notoriety for the largest maritime seizure of cocaine (12 tons) in history. The ship received the U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation for her outstanding performance during deployment.
Curts deployed again in 2006 to counter-narco-terrorism deployment. Although less successful than the 2004 deployment, Curts interdicted three cocaine shipments, totalling in excess of 10 metric tons of cocaine and apprehension and transport of over 50 smugglers.
On 16 February 2007, Curts was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award. http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=27895
In 2007 USS Curts was transferred from Commander Destroyer Squadron One, to Commander Destroyer Squadron Nine and incorporated in to Carrier Strike Group Nine. In March USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group (CSG-9) departed for deployment to the 5th Fleet area of operations (Persian Gulf). This marked USS Curts first Strike Group deployment since transfer to the U.S. Naval Reserve. Curts primarily performed a Critical Infrastructure Protection role by acting as Scene of Action Commander for Oil Platform protection efforts at the Khawar al Amaya and al Basrah oil terminals in the northern Persian Gulf. Curts also conducted bi-lateral exercises with the Malaysian and Pakistani navies during her transit to the Gulf.
Curts (FFG-38) is the first ship of that name in the US Navy.