USS Stethem DDG 63 / Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem / Arleigh Burke class Guided Missile Destroyer – US Navy

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Guided Missile Destroyer
DDG 63 - USS Stethem
		USS Stethem (DDG 63)						US Navy photo
Type, Class:		Guided Missile Destroyer; Arleigh Burke – class / Flight I; planned and built as DDG 63;
Builder:		Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA
STATUS:		Awarded: February 22, 1990; Laid down: May 10, 1993; Launched: June 17, 1994; Commissioned: October 21, 1995; ACTIVE UNIT/ in commission (Pacific Fleet)
Homeport:		forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan
Namesake:		Named after and in honor of Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem (1961 – 1985); > see history, below;
Ship's Motto:		> STEADFAST AND COURAGEOUS <
Technical Data: (Measures, Propulsion, Armament, Aviation, etc.)		see: INFO > Guided Missile Destroyer / Arleigh Burke - class.
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Robert Dean Stethem
Photo credits: US Navy, US Naval Historical Center,
Namesake & History:
Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem (November 17, 1961 – June 15, 1985);
USS STETHEM (DDG 63) is the first U.S. Navy warship named to honor the life and service of Steelworker Second Class (DV) Robert Dean Stethem, USN (1961-1985). Petty Officer Stethem entered the Navy on May 4, 1981. He attended recruit training in Great Lakes, Illinois, and was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Sixty-two, homeported at Gulfport, Mississippi. In October 1984, he was assigned to Underwater Construction Team One at Little Creek, Virginia. Petty Officer Stethem was a victim of the terrorist hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847 on June 14, 1985. He was returning home from an assignment in Nea Makri, Greece, when the terrorists seized and ordered the aircraft to Beirut, Lebanon. Petty Officer Stethem was singled out from the passengers as a U.S. Navy Sailor and killed when terrorist demands were not met. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1985 and the Bronze Star in 1986. Petty Officer Stethem’s family has a long and proud Naval history. Both of Petty Officer Stethem’s parents served in the U.S. Navy as well as civil service posts. His father, Richard, served for twenty-six years retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. Petty Officer Stethem’s mother, Patricia, was a Storekeeper before leaving the Navy to raise a family. Petty Officer Stethem’s brother Patrick was a Steelworker Second Class before leaving active duty and his other brother, Kenneth, served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years retiring as a Chief Boatswain’s Mate and Navy SEAL.
USS Stethem (DDG 63): from USS Stethem Public Affairs
USS STETHEM (DDG 63) is the 13th ship of the DDG 51 ARLEIGH BURKE Aegis Destroyer program, and the sixth to be built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Construction of STETHEM began at Ingalls on May 18, 1992 and the ship’s keel was laid on May 11, 1993. DDG 63 was launched on June 17, 1994 and was christened “STETHEM” by Mrs. Patricia L. Stethem, mother of the ship’s namesake, Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem, on July 16, 1994. STETHEM transited the Panama Canal and was commissioned on October 21, 1995 in Port Hueneme, California, home of the SEABEE’s. Shortly afterward, STETHEM moved to her new homeport of San Diego, CA. On February 15, 1996, STETHEM successfully completed her Post Delivery Test and Trials, signifying her readiness for combat operations. On the night of November 23, 1996, while returning from a port visit to Victoria, British Columbia, STETHEM was diverted on a Search and Rescue mission to recover survivors of a downed U.S. Air Force C-130 off the coast of northern California. STETHEM and her two small boats patrolled the seas in the vicinity of the crash for twenty hours while engaged in recovery efforts, for which she was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Unit commendation Medal. STETHEM was recognized for her spectacular achievements during her first year of service by winning the 1996 Destroyer Squadron Twenty-One Battle Efficiency Award for outstanding ship-wide mission readiness. On April 4, 1997, Commander Steven Miller, the Pre-commissioning Commanding Officer, was relieved by Commander James O’Keefe III. STETHEM sailed to the Arabian Gulf for her maiden overseas deployment in May and reported for duties in Bahrain in July 3. Over the course of the next three months, she served as primary Air Warfare Commander, Surface Warfare Commander, Ready Strike Platform, and LINK Coordinator. While fulfilling these multiple warfare roles, STETHEM provided support to both the CONSTELLATION and JOHN F. KENNEDY Battle Groups and U.S. Air force aircraft engaged in Operation Southern Watch. STETHEM supported United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iraq, conducting 54 boardings and inspections of suspected sanctions violators. STETHEM’s first deployment included port visits to Singapore, Malaysia, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Perth and Sydney, Australia. She returned to San Diego in November 1997 to begin her second inter-deployment training cycle. Starting with an outstanding command Assessment of Readiness for Training (CART II) in May 1998, STETHEM set the standard for tailored training by demonstrating exceptional proficiency in Combat Systems, Navigation, Engineering, Mobility, Damage Control, and Logistics Management. STETHEM’s training teams’ commitment to mission readiness resulted in the validation of all Final Evaluation Period objectives during Tailored Shipboard Training Availability Phase III (TSTA III) - a first for any Surface Combatant. On September 25, Commander O’Keffe was relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander Gerard Hueber. On April 16, 1999, STETHEM departed on her second deployment to the Arabian Gulf as part of Middle East Force 99-2. After port visits to Guam, Saipan, Singapore, and Thailand, STETHEM reported for duty in the Gulf and quickly went to work conducting Freedom of Navigation Operations and Maritime Interception Operations. Over the course of her seventy-six days on station, STETHEM served as Air Warfare Commander, Ready Strike Platform, and Force Over-the-Horizon Track Coordinator and also had the opportunity to support the THEODORE ROOSEVELT Battle Group as Air Warfare Carrier Escort and Plane Guard. After serving a second time as command ship for Northern Arabian Gulf Maritime Interception Operations, STETHEM transited the Strait of Hormuz on August 13. After port visits to Fremantle and Port Kembla, Australia and Suva, Fiji, the ship arrived home in San Diego on October 4. In January the ship was honored for her achievements and awarded with the 1999 Destroyer Squadron Twenty-One Battle Efficiency Award, her second such award in just over four years of service. She was the recipient of the Raytheon CIWS Award, the Pacific Force Retention Award, and the Safety Award. On April 6, 2000, Chief Boatswain’s Mate (SEAL/EOD) Kenneth Stethem, Robert’s brother, honored the ship by retiring after twenty years of faithful and valorous service in the Special Warfare community. On April 7, Commander Gerard Hueber was relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander Craig S. Faller. In mid-September 2000 and during a port visit in San Francisco, STETHEM was called out to sea by the Joint Inter-Agency Task force West. STETHEM escorted fishing vessel Gran Tauro, caught with over five metric tons of uncut cocaine aboard – a net worth of over $500 million, to San Diego. The waning days of December were spent conducting final preparations for the MEF 01-1 Deployment and relaxing after another successful year of operations and training. The ship was honored for her achievements and awarded with the 2000 Destroyer Squadron Twenty-One Battle Efficiency Award for the second consecutive year. On January 13, 2001, STETHEM departed on her third deployment to the Arabian Gulf as part of MEF 01-1. After port visits to Hawaii, Guam, Singapore, and Thailand, STETHEM in-chopped FIFTH Fleet on February 28, 2001. Over the course of her sixty-eight days on station in the Arabian Gulf, STETHEM conducted Maritime Interception Operations, served as Air Warfare Commander, supported Operation Southern Watch, served as a ready strike platform, and participated as a key player in two international naval exercises, Arabian Gauntlet and Neon Falcon. Maritime Interception Operations resulted in the capture of Motor Vessel Diamond, the third largest arrest of an oil-smuggling sanctions violator since the gulf War. STETHEM escorted the HARRY S. TRUMAN through the Strait of Hormuz on 27 April and, after port visits to Oman, Singapore, Darwin and Cairns, Australia, American Samoa, and Hawaii, the ship arrived home in San Diego on June 28 2001. On the 21st of November, surrounded by family and friends in San Diego, Commander Craig S. Faller was relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander David W. Melin. November 21st, also marked STETHEM’s change of Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC) from Commander Destroyer Squadron 21 to the “Little Beavers” under Commander Destroyer Squadron 23. STETHEM completed her first Drydock Selective Restricted Availability (DSRA.) and the first installation phase of the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS) in December. Also, in December, STETHEM was designated the sole test ship for the developing Tactical Tomahawk Weapons system. On January 31st, 2002, STETHEM performed the first foreign port visit by a U.S. Pacific Fleet ship after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. While in Puerto Vallarta the STEELWORKERs donated their time to paint an orphanage, touching in a positive way the lives of many less fortunate children. In the ensuing months STETHEM embarked on her third Inter Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC) and served as Command Destroyer Squadron 23’s Flagship throughout the month of February. In March, STETHEM completed the Command Assessment of Readiness for Training II (CART II). Between the weeks of April 1 and May 3, 2002, STETHEM completed the Tailored Ship’s Training Availability period. On May 6 STETHEM served as the opposition forces for the ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Battle Group’s Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX). In early June, STETHEM ensured her seventh Engineering Command excellance award as a result of outstanding performance during the Engineering Underway Demonstration. On July 8-12, she commenced a Supply Management Assessment which was upgraded to an Inspection because of her exemplary Combat Logistics readiness. Returning to the site of her commissioning in 1995, at the end of July, STETHEM took part in the 60th Anniversary of SEABEE Days in Port Hueneme, CA in honor of her namesake. She then transited to Everett, WA, embarked families and friends for the short transit to participate in the Seattle Seafair Festival. On September 12, 2002, STETHEM was given the distinct privilege of leading the Parade of Sail into San Diego Bay. In the beginning of October, STETHEM occupied a place of honor downtown at Broadway Pier as part of San Diego’s Fleet Week Celebration. While at Broadway Pier, STETHEM safely hosted the first public Navy ship tours in San Diego after the September 11th attacks. Soon afterward, on October 16, STETHEM successfully launched the first Tomahawk Cruise Missile using the new Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS). At the end of October, STETHEM once again played the role of opposition force, this time for the CONSTELLATION Carrier Battle Group. In January 2003, STETHEM played the opposition force role for the NIMITZ Carrier Battle Group. On February 5, 2003, STETHEM returned to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for another port visit. Working with the San Diego and Puerto Vallarta Navy League Chapters, STETHEM delivered medical equipment for distribution to handicapped residents of Puerto Vallarta. The STEELWORKERs also painted the local library frequented by many of Puerto Vallarta’s school children. On April 5, 2003, STETHEM successfully performed the first ever surface ship launch of a Block IV Tactical Tomahawk Cruise Missile, bringing it one big step closer to fleet introduction. This was followed up on 08 May with the first surface ship launch of a Block IV Tactical Tomahawk Cruise Missile with a live warhead. After the missile left the launcher, STETHEM’s strike team became the first to demonstrate Tactical Tomahawk’s post launch execution capability when they redirected the missile in flight. Both the team and the missile performed flawlessly completely destroying the intended target on San Clemente Island after over 2 hours and 700 miles of missile flight. On May 14th, after a two week Intermediate Maintenance Availability, STETHEM sailed in support of a different kind of missile firing exercise. During this exercise STETHEM’s Airwarfare Team engaged two air borne targets with Standard Missiles. After this successful engagement, STETHEM celebrated by transiting north to Juneau, Alaska and Victoria, B. C. for some well deserved rest and relaxation. All of the STEELWORKER’s took advantage of great opportunities for sightseeing and shopping. Returning from her trek up North in June, STETHEM rested for one week and then put back to sea to serve as the Opposition Force against Pacific Fleet’s first Expeditionary Strike Group which was headed up by USS PELELIU. On July 3, 2003, surrounded by friends and family, Commander David W. Melin was relieved by Commander Charles F. Williams. Today, we are continuing our successes with our new Commander and our great crew.
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