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USS O'Brien (DD-975)
Encyclopedia
USS O'Brien (DD-975) was a built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
Division of Litton Industries
at Pascagoula, Mississippi
. It was named for Captain Jeremiah O'Brien
USN
and his five brothers: Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph. The O'Briens were crew members on board the sloop Unity, which captured HMS Margaretta at the entrance to Machias harbor on 12 June 1775. O’Brien was decommissioned on 24 September 2004, and was later sunk as part of a training exercise in 2006.
/Indian Ocean
s and seven deployments to the Persian Gulf
.
During her third deployment, which included 69 consecutive days at sea in the Indian Ocean, O'Brien took part in two refugee rescue missions, earning the Humanitarian Service Medal
. The first rescue took place in the Gulf of Thailand
on 29 April 1984, and the second in the South China Sea
on 23 May 1984.
O'Briens fourth western pacific deployment took the destroyer further north. Operations included joint U.S./Korean
naval exercises TEAM SPIRIT 86 and TAE KWAN DO 86-1
Following the installation of an advanced towed array sonar system in 1987, O'Brien conducted experimental sonar evaluation operations in the Northern Pacific and Bering Sea
.
During her fifth deployment, O'Brien became part of the Middle East Force. O'Brien participated in Operation Earnest Will
, escorting reflagged Kuwait
i tankers, and Operation Praying Mantis
, during which O'Brien was a key member of the three-ship surface action group that engaged and sank the Iran
ian Guided Missile Frigate Sahand.
O'Brien underwent an extensive overhaul and received major weapon systems improvements in 1988 including the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) for the Tomahawk cruise missile
, the SQR-1 tactical towed array sonar system and the LAMPS MK III helicopter
system.
While assigned to the Middle East Force from September to December 1990, O'Brien participated in Operation Desert Shield.
Conducting Persian Gulf patrols in support of the United Nations embargo of Iraq
, O'Brien investigated over four hundred vessels.
In December 1991 and again from February to April 1992, O'Brien conducted counter narcotic operations off the coasts of Central
and South America.
In August 1992, O'Brien departed San Diego to become a member of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. En route from San Diego to Yokosuka, O'Brien conducted follow-on testing and evaluation of the vertically launched anti-submarine rocket and the SQQ-89 sonar system on the Pacific Missile Test Range off Kauai, Hawaii. O'Brien arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, in October 1992.
In June 1993, O'Brien departed Yokosuka for her third deployment to the Middle East Force where she conducted Persian Gulf patrols in support of Operation Southern Watch
and surveillance operations in the Gulf of Oman
.
O'Brien participated in several joint exercises with the U.S. Marines
and Air Force
, as well as combined exercises with the Armed Forces of Singapore
, Brunei
, and the Republic of Korea. O'Brien departed on her fourth Middle East Force deployment on 17 February 1995 and continued to conduct operations in support of the United Nations embargo on Iraq.
O'Briens operational tempo remained very high throughout 1996, including her fifth Middle East Force Deployment and RIMPAC
‘96 as well as real world tasking as a member of the Taiwan
contingency force. During Pacific Middle East Force (PACMEF), O'Brien continued conducting operations in support of the United Nations embargo on Iraq and her efforts resulted in the seizure of over 1.5 million gallons of contraband oil.
O'Brien was away from homeport for 233 days in 1996, but was rewarded for her stellar performance and tireless devotion to duty with the Battle E Device, Meritorious Unit Commendation
, Humanitarian Service Award and the nominated for the prestigious Spokane Trophy.
In 1999, O'Brien participated in exercises with the Philippine Navy
and in CROCEX ’99 with the Australian Navy
.
2000 was yet another high tempo year with 188 days spent underway. O'Brien participated in Counter Special Operations Forces Exercise (CSOFEX) in Korea, COBRA Gold 2000, East Timor
operations and completed an entire tactical training cycle in a record 19 days.
All of the previous years' hard work paid off in 2001 when O'Brien participated in PACMEF ’01, conducting maritime interdiction operations, including boarding over thirty merchant vessels throughout the summer in the Persian Gulf. On September 11, O'Brien emergency sortied from Bahrain to the Arabian Sea. She participated in the opening Tomahawk cruise missile strikes into Afghanistan
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In early 2006, the ex-USS O'Brien was sunk by missiles from HMCS Vancouver
, 5" shells from and two P3C Orion patrol aircraft in a combined fleet training exercise off the Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kauai, Hawaii.
O'Brien's official crest, as exhibited, symbolizes the rich tradition of courage and determination initiated by Jeremiah O'Brien, and continued by those ships that bore his name.
The golden pile and its associated elements are resplendent in symbolism. The pile, in conjunction with the way bars, represents a ship at sea and is symbolic of the grand tradition of the U.S. Navy. Taken by itself, the pile also represents the Roman numeral "V", equaling the total number of ships, including DD-975, to be honored with the name of O'Brien. The shamrock
centered at the top of the pile alludes to Jeremiah O'Brien's Irish ancestry and, in addition, to the arms of the previous .
The crossed nautical tridents overlapped by the single cannon dedicate the first naval battle of the American Revolution
in which Jeremiah O’Brien and his men defeated the British warship, Margaretta. O'Brien and his men, armed with only limited muskets, axes, and pitchforks (represented by the crossed tridents) boarded Margaretta and defeated an enemy armed with superior guns and training.
Pine trees on either side of the cannon symbolize the state of Maine
, the home of Jeremiah O'Brien and the site of his famed victory. Reflected in the ship's motto, "Loyalty, Unity, Freedom", are the qualities of Captain O'Brien's contribution to the American Revolution. The motto also displays the guile of a long line of U.S. Navy sailors on ships named O'Brien.
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...
. It was named for Captain Jeremiah O'Brien
Jeremiah O'Brien
Captain Jeremiah O’Brien was a captain in the Massachusetts State Navy. Prior to its existence Captain Jeremiah O’Brien (1744–1818) was a captain in the Massachusetts State Navy. Prior to its existence Captain Jeremiah O’Brien (1744–1818) was a captain in the Massachusetts State...
USN
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...
and his five brothers: Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph. The O'Briens were crew members on board the sloop Unity, which captured HMS Margaretta at the entrance to Machias harbor on 12 June 1775. O’Brien was decommissioned on 24 September 2004, and was later sunk as part of a training exercise in 2006.
History
The destroyer has completed seven major deployments to the Western PacificPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
/Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
s and seven deployments to the 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...
.
During her third deployment, which included 69 consecutive days at sea in the Indian Ocean, O'Brien took part in two refugee rescue missions, earning the Humanitarian Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
The Humanitarian Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States armed forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under...
. The first rescue took place in the Gulf of Thailand
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
on 29 April 1984, and the second in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
on 23 May 1984.
O'Briens fourth western pacific deployment took the destroyer further north. Operations included joint U.S./Korean
Military of South Korea
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of the Republic of Korea...
naval exercises TEAM SPIRIT 86 and TAE KWAN DO 86-1
Following the installation of an advanced towed array sonar system in 1987, O'Brien conducted experimental sonar evaluation operations in the Northern Pacific and Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
.
During her fifth deployment, O'Brien became part of the Middle East Force. O'Brien participated in 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...
, escorting reflagged Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
i tankers, and Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on April 18, 1988, by U.S. naval forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran Iraq war and the subsequent damage to an American warship....
, during which O'Brien was a key member of the three-ship surface action group that engaged and sank the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian Guided Missile Frigate Sahand.
O'Brien underwent an extensive overhaul and received major weapon systems improvements in 1988 including the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) for the Tomahawk cruise missile
BGM-109 Tomahawk
The Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a surface platform. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures...
, the SQR-1 tactical towed array sonar system and the LAMPS MK III helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
system.
While assigned to the Middle East Force from September to December 1990, O'Brien participated in Operation Desert Shield.
Conducting Persian Gulf patrols in support of the United Nations embargo of Iraq
Iraq sanctions
The Iraq sanctions were a near-total financial and trade embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council on the nation of Iraq. They began August 6, 1990, four days after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, stayed largely in force until May 2003 , and certain portions including reparations to Kuwait...
, O'Brien investigated over four hundred vessels.
In December 1991 and again from February to April 1992, O'Brien conducted counter narcotic operations off the coasts of Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America.
In August 1992, O'Brien departed San Diego to become a member of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. En route from San Diego to Yokosuka, O'Brien conducted follow-on testing and evaluation of the vertically launched anti-submarine rocket and the SQQ-89 sonar system on the Pacific Missile Test Range off Kauai, Hawaii. O'Brien arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, in October 1992.
In June 1993, O'Brien departed Yokosuka for her third deployment to the Middle East Force where she conducted Persian Gulf patrols in support of Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
and surveillance operations in the Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
.
O'Brien participated in several joint exercises with the U.S. Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, as well as combined exercises with the Armed Forces of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, and the Republic of Korea. O'Brien departed on her fourth Middle East Force deployment on 17 February 1995 and continued to conduct operations in support of the United Nations embargo on Iraq.
O'Briens operational tempo remained very high throughout 1996, including her fifth Middle East Force Deployment and RIMPAC
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime exercise. Conducted biennially , it is hosted and administered by the United States Navy, with the United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, and Hawaii National Guard forces under the leadership of...
‘96 as well as real world tasking as a member of the Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
contingency force. During Pacific Middle East Force (PACMEF), O'Brien continued conducting operations in support of the United Nations embargo on Iraq and her efforts resulted in the seizure of over 1.5 million gallons of contraband oil.
O'Brien was away from homeport for 233 days in 1996, but was rewarded for her stellar performance and tireless devotion to duty with the Battle E Device, Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
, Humanitarian Service Award and the nominated for the prestigious Spokane Trophy.
In 1999, O'Brien participated in exercises with the Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
and in CROCEX ’99 with the Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
.
2000 was yet another high tempo year with 188 days spent underway. O'Brien participated in Counter Special Operations Forces Exercise (CSOFEX) in Korea, COBRA Gold 2000, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
operations and completed an entire tactical training cycle in a record 19 days.
All of the previous years' hard work paid off in 2001 when O'Brien participated in PACMEF ’01, conducting maritime interdiction operations, including boarding over thirty merchant vessels throughout the summer in the Persian Gulf. On September 11, O'Brien emergency sortied from Bahrain to the Arabian Sea. She participated in the opening Tomahawk cruise missile strikes into Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In early 2006, the ex-USS O'Brien was sunk by missiles from HMCS Vancouver
HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331)
The third HMCS Vancouver is a , launched on July 8, 1989, as the second vessel of her class. She is currently based at CFB Esquimalt.-Construction:...
, 5" shells from and two P3C Orion patrol aircraft in a combined fleet training exercise off the Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kauai, Hawaii.
Ship's crest
The golden pile and its associated elements are resplendent in symbolism. The pile, in conjunction with the way bars, represents a ship at sea and is symbolic of the grand tradition of the U.S. Navy. Taken by itself, the pile also represents the Roman numeral "V", equaling the total number of ships, including DD-975, to be honored with the name of O'Brien. The shamrock
Shamrock
The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover ....
centered at the top of the pile alludes to Jeremiah O'Brien's Irish ancestry and, in addition, to the arms of the previous .
The crossed nautical tridents overlapped by the single cannon dedicate the first naval battle of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in which Jeremiah O’Brien and his men defeated the British warship, Margaretta. O'Brien and his men, armed with only limited muskets, axes, and pitchforks (represented by the crossed tridents) boarded Margaretta and defeated an enemy armed with superior guns and training.
Pine trees on either side of the cannon symbolize the state of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, the home of Jeremiah O'Brien and the site of his famed victory. Reflected in the ship's motto, "Loyalty, Unity, Freedom", are the qualities of Captain O'Brien's contribution to the American Revolution. The motto also displays the guile of a long line of U.S. Navy sailors on ships named O'Brien.