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USS Moosbrugger (DD-980)
Encyclopedia
USS Moosbrugger (DD-980) was a Spruance-class
destroyer
built for the United States Navy
by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
Division of Litton Industries
at Pascagoula, Mississippi
. Affectionately nicknamed the "Moose" by her crews, she was named in honor of Vice Admiral
Frederick Moosbrugger
who is best known for his service in World War II
as a highly successful commander of destroyer squadrons.
just prior to Christmas
1978 becoming the first of her class at that base. She conducted shakedown operations at Fleet Training Center, Guantanamo Bay
, Cuba
. She visited Port-au-Prince
, Haiti
, and Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands during this time.
Following shakedown, Moosbrugger returned to her builders for post-commissioning refits and upgrades. While at Pascagoula, she was ordered to conduct an emergency sortie in order to avoid the worst effects of Hurricane Frederic
, spending several days in the Gulf of Mexico
while the storm system passed. Following her return to port, Moosbrugger supplied electrical power to portions of the shipyard to allow her refit to complete. It was in this refit that a pair of moose antlers were installed on the ship, just below the bridge windows.
Moosbrugger deployed to the Mediterranean Sea
on 14 July 1980, acting as flagship for Commander, Destroyer Squadron 20 for the entire deployment. She conducted anti-submarine warfare and amphibious support operations during the deployment. Port visits included Rota, Spain
, Naples, Italy
, Cagliari, Italy
, La Spezia, Italy
, Marseilles, France, Benidorm, Spain
, Cartagena, Spain
, and Palma de Mallorca
. She returned from this deployment on 11 December 1980. She was the test platform for the AN/SQR 19(V) Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS) in 1982.
When Operation Desert Storm began in January 1991, Moosbrugger was assigned maritime interdiction patrol at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba. Her assignment was to stop, board, and search merchant vessels flagged by nations sympathetic to Iraq; and to prevent any war materials found onboard from reaching Jordan and ultimately Iraq. When hostilities ceased, Moosbrugger made ports-of-call in Egypt, Crete, and Gibraltar before crossing the Atlantic for the United States. Moosbrugger was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for service during the Persian Gulf War.
Moosbrugger relocated to Mayport, Florida, on 11 March 1995, from its previous home port of Charleston, South Carolina. The Spruance-class ship was the sixth of eleven ships scheduled for relocation to Mayport as a result of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision.
Moosbrugger deployed in 1996, along with La Moure County
(LST-1194), John L. Hall
(FFG-32) and Narwhal
(SSN-671), to take part in UNITAS 96, a series of combined tactical at-sea operations, amphibious operations and in-port exercises with participating South America
n naval forces. During that deployment, Moosbrugger spent almost two weeks in Venezuela
n waters conducting anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare and anti-air gunnery exercises in the Caribbean Sea
. She then departed for Brazil
for the next phase of UNITAS.
Moosbrugger deployed in 1998, along with La Moure County, Doyle
(FFG-39) and Boston
(SSN-703), to take part in UNITAS 39-98, serving as the USCOMSOLANT flagship. UNITAS, Latin for unity, consists of at-sea operations, amphibious operations, riverine operations and in port exercises conducted with nine South American navies over a four-month period. The U.S.
task group circumnavigated South America in a clockwise direction, returning to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in November. The 40-year-old operation promotes a cooperative maritime strategy in the region while supporting the U.S. policy of continued engagement in South America through forward presence. The navies of Canada
, United Kingdom
, the Netherlands
and South Africa
joined the United States and South American navies for the first phase of UNITAS. This phase was led by the United States and conducted in the vicinity of Puerto Rico
. The U.S. Navy's longest-running annual deployment began at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, as seven ships from four foreign navies joined a five ship U.S. task group.
While in Puerto Rico, on 20 April 1998, Moosbrugger took part in Independent Deployer Exercise (INDEX) 98-2, off the coast of Puerto Rico. During the exercise, Moosbrugger fired two Sea Sparrows from her deck at guided target drones launched from the Atlantic Fleet
Weapons Training Facility at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads. The exercise also included target drones fired from A-4 Skyhawk
aircraft. Following this, the task force then headed for Venezuela on July 18 as Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay
, Argentina
, Chile
, Paraguay
, Peru
, Ecuador
, and Colombia
each directed, in turn, their own phase of UNITAS. Overall, U.S. forces worked with host navies from Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The specific exercises conducted in each phase are determined by the host navy, making each phase unique. Exercises included all areas of modern naval warfare including anti-air, amphibious, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare.
The official crest of USS Moosbrugger symbolizes the dedication and courage displayed by her namesake, Vice Admiral Frederick Moosbrugger
, during World War II
.
The trident, an attribute of Neptune
, god of the seas, represents the awesome strength and dominance of the modern destroyer. It also resembles the letter "M," an allusion to the initial letter of Moosbrugger, the ship's namesake. The ship's motto is "More than Required".
Through the heraldic fountain for water, the grappling iron (a device used for close range, early naval encounters), and the torpedo, the crest commemorates the Battle of Vella Gulf
in the South Pacific during World War II. The then-Commander Moosbrugger led his ships into exceedingly close range against Japan
ese naval forces; took the enemy by surprise, and delivered a devastating torpedo attack, thereby annihilating the hostile force. For this action, he was awarded the Navy Cross
. The gold laurel wreath is symbolic of Vice Admiral Frederick Moosbrugger's long and distinguished career.
Spruance class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
built for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...
Division of Litton Industries
Litton Industries
Named after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
at Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
. Affectionately nicknamed the "Moose" by her crews, she was named in honor of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Frederick Moosbrugger
Frederick Moosbrugger
Frederick Moosbrugger was an officer of the United States Navy eventually attaining the rank of vice admiral. He is best known for his service in World War II as a highly successful commander of destroyer squadrons....
who is best known for his service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a highly successful commander of destroyer squadrons.
History
Moosbrugger was laid down 3 November 1975, launched 23 July 1977 and commissioned 16 December 1978. She arrived at her new home port at Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
just prior to Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1978 becoming the first of her class at that base. She conducted shakedown operations at Fleet Training Center, Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. She visited Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands during this time.
Following shakedown, Moosbrugger returned to her builders for post-commissioning refits and upgrades. While at Pascagoula, she was ordered to conduct an emergency sortie in order to avoid the worst effects of Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. Gulf Coast at that particular time...
, spending several days in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
while the storm system passed. Following her return to port, Moosbrugger supplied electrical power to portions of the shipyard to allow her refit to complete. It was in this refit that a pair of moose antlers were installed on the ship, just below the bridge windows.
Moosbrugger deployed to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
on 14 July 1980, acting as flagship for Commander, Destroyer Squadron 20 for the entire deployment. She conducted anti-submarine warfare and amphibious support operations during the deployment. Port visits included Rota, Spain
Rota, Spain
-External references:*, official website * On-line since 1999! News, premiere information, pictures, weather, etc. Into Spanish, English... ****- External links :...
, Naples, Italy
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Cagliari, Italy
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
, La Spezia, Italy
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, Marseilles, France, Benidorm, Spain
Benidorm
Benidorm is a coastal town and municipality located in the comarca of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Valencian community, Spain, by the Western Mediterranean....
, Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
, and Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
. She returned from this deployment on 11 December 1980. She was the test platform for the AN/SQR 19(V) Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS) in 1982.
1990s
When Sadam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990, USS Moosbrugger was almost immediately deployed from Charleston to the Mediterranean and Red Sea areas as part of Operation Desert Shield. In the months of coalition build-up prior to the beginning of hostilities, the Moosbrugger took onboard small contingents of U.S. Coast Guard personnel and Navy SEALS, both trained in maritime boarding, search, and seizure operations. The ship made ports-of-call in Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Majorca during this period. Moosbrugger spent Christmas 1990 in Haifa, Israel, departing the following day for the Suez Canal and Red Sea.When Operation Desert Storm began in January 1991, Moosbrugger was assigned maritime interdiction patrol at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba. Her assignment was to stop, board, and search merchant vessels flagged by nations sympathetic to Iraq; and to prevent any war materials found onboard from reaching Jordan and ultimately Iraq. When hostilities ceased, Moosbrugger made ports-of-call in Egypt, Crete, and Gibraltar before crossing the Atlantic for the United States. Moosbrugger was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for service during the Persian Gulf War.
Moosbrugger relocated to Mayport, Florida, on 11 March 1995, from its previous home port of Charleston, South Carolina. The Spruance-class ship was the sixth of eleven ships scheduled for relocation to Mayport as a result of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision.
Moosbrugger deployed in 1996, along with La Moure County
USS La Moure County (LST-1194)
USS La Moure County was the sixteenth of twenty built for the United States Navy in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Named after La Moure County, North Dakota, she was the second U.S...
(LST-1194), John L. Hall
USS John L. Hall (FFG-32)
USS John L. Hall , twenty-fourth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Admiral John L. Hall, Jr. ....
(FFG-32) and Narwhal
USS Narwhal (SSN-671)
USS Narwhal , a unique submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the narwhal, a gray and white arctic whale....
(SSN-671), to take part in UNITAS 96, a series of combined tactical at-sea operations, amphibious operations and in-port exercises with participating South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n naval forces. During that deployment, Moosbrugger spent almost two weeks in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n waters conducting anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare and anti-air gunnery exercises in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. She then departed for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
for the next phase of UNITAS.
Moosbrugger deployed in 1998, along with La Moure County, Doyle
USS Doyle (FFG-39)
USS Doyle was the 30th ship to be constructed in the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of guided missile frigates of the United States Navy...
(FFG-39) and Boston
USS Boston (SSN-703)
USS Boston , a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the seventh ship of the United States Navy to be named for Boston, Massachusetts....
(SSN-703), to take part in UNITAS 39-98, serving as the USCOMSOLANT flagship. UNITAS, Latin for unity, consists of at-sea operations, amphibious operations, riverine operations and in port exercises conducted with nine South American navies over a four-month period. The U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
task group circumnavigated South America in a clockwise direction, returning to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in November. The 40-year-old operation promotes a cooperative maritime strategy in the region while supporting the U.S. policy of continued engagement in South America through forward presence. The navies of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
joined the United States and South American navies for the first phase of UNITAS. This phase was led by the United States and conducted in the vicinity of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The U.S. Navy's longest-running annual deployment began at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, as seven ships from four foreign navies joined a five ship U.S. task group.
While in Puerto Rico, on 20 April 1998, Moosbrugger took part in Independent Deployer Exercise (INDEX) 98-2, off the coast of Puerto Rico. During the exercise, Moosbrugger fired two Sea Sparrows from her deck at guided target drones launched from the Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
Weapons Training Facility at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads. The exercise also included target drones fired from A-4 Skyhawk
A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...
aircraft. Following this, the task force then headed for Venezuela on July 18 as Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
each directed, in turn, their own phase of UNITAS. Overall, U.S. forces worked with host navies from Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The specific exercises conducted in each phase are determined by the host navy, making each phase unique. Exercises included all areas of modern naval warfare including anti-air, amphibious, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare.
Fate
Moosbrugger was placed in commission, in reserve on 16 October 2000 at Mayport, Florida to prepare for decommissioning. On 15 December 2000, she was decommissioned and subsequently brought to Philadelphia Naval Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility. She was maintained there in Maintenance Category B for activation in time of national emergency until 2006, when she was towed to Brownsville, Texas, for dismantling.Ship's crest
Frederick Moosbrugger
Frederick Moosbrugger was an officer of the United States Navy eventually attaining the rank of vice admiral. He is best known for his service in World War II as a highly successful commander of destroyer squadrons....
, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The trident, an attribute of Neptune
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
, god of the seas, represents the awesome strength and dominance of the modern destroyer. It also resembles the letter "M," an allusion to the initial letter of Moosbrugger, the ship's namesake. The ship's motto is "More than Required".
Through the heraldic fountain for water, the grappling iron (a device used for close range, early naval encounters), and the torpedo, the crest commemorates the Battle of Vella Gulf
Battle of Vella Gulf
The was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 6-7 August 1943, in Vella Gulf between Vella Lavella Island and Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Islands of the Southwest Pacific....
in the South Pacific during World War II. The then-Commander Moosbrugger led his ships into exceedingly close range against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese naval forces; took the enemy by surprise, and delivered a devastating torpedo attack, thereby annihilating the hostile force. For this action, he was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
. The gold laurel wreath is symbolic of Vice Admiral Frederick Moosbrugger's long and distinguished career.