Barry (DDG 52) - Naval Cruise Book

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iDt O T-iiflR ' R E D C R O W N Dubrovnik. BARRY proved what all surface warriors know about naval operations —f lexibility in the kev. As the situation in the Balkans mellowed, COMSIXTHFLT determined air sur eillance in the area was not a top mission prioritv. REDCROVVN, in effect, ceased to exist. BARRY was the last ship m GWBATGRU to possess the coveted Red Crown ' , a car air freshner that had been t ' levated to a sacred reUc and handed down by all ships that performed the mission. FREEDOMEX was the next operation that tested BARRYs ivarfighting team. A battle group exercise that flexed everv aspect of naval warfare, FREEDOMEX involved BARRY, USS GEORGE WASHlNGTON,U5S SAN lAClNTO, USS MERRIMACK and USS BALTIMORE. BARRY succeeded in simulated and real firings of all ordnance onboard and was lauded as the best radar and acoustic detector. ' The combat-bridge team earned more praise with simulated kills during long range surface engagements and anti-submarine evasion during a realistic choke point transit. We had not operated with GEORGE WASHINGTON smce her three month stint took her to the Arabian Gulf and back. It was a good opportunity to work the professionals of Carrier Air Wing Seven and ensured our tactical air control and ship driving skills were as sharp as ever. The next major operational milestone was to be a multinational missile exercise coordinated by USS BARRY. BARRY served as officer conducting exercise ' (OCE) for the NAMFIMISSILEX that was held off the coast of Crete in mid June. OCE is a job normally executed bv a senior cruiser or destroyer Squadron staff, but BARRY was selected and rose to the occasion. Two months of intense preparation and coordination behveen the Greek Navy, BARRY, Missile range officials and missile experts stateside was derailed the day of the exercise when the second of five remotely operated targets spun out of control and hit an unpopulated area of Crete. Despite the absence of charred launchers, Barr) ' exercise planners could hold their heads high. Sixth fleet representatives and Commodore Morgan both praised BARRY for the most well organized and tactically ad ' anced exercise in the theater histor. ' . Although BARRY did not fire a shot in anger during MED 1-96, she once again proved she is the best DDG on the waterfront, ' Smooth operator ' -- Thats how one F- 1 4 pilot under our tactical control described B.ARRY. It IS a characterization that the professionals of the Navigation, Combat Systems and Operations department have earned through teamwork and professionalism. E er ' sailor in GWB. ' XTGRU, from the most junior rigger on an UNREP ship, right up to COMGWBATGRU himself knows of BARRYs outstanding reputation as a gruop of superior surface warriors. Well done on a great cruise to BARRY ' S smooth operators!

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Operations BARRY accomplished many interesting and impiirt.i operations diirinj; MED 1-96, ranging from na miiiMon.- in a multinational evercise to a real world seai 1 1 and rescue mission for downed aircraft of the coast .t Bosnia-Her egovina. The deployment began in earni-.! when BARR . in company ivith the USS GEORGE WAS! I INGTON Battle Group (GWBATGRU), escorted the Us GUAM Amphibious Readiness Group south to pick up Marine Corps personnel from Camp Lejune. NC. This al lowed ships to anchor and watch the Super Bowl. After I lie game, weighed anchor and headed out to sea. The tran-ii time across the ' big pond ' was not wasted. B.ARRY p.n ticipated in numerous battle group exercises in addition I. a rigorous schedule of shipboard training. The training provided additional confidence for all of BARRYfe combat and bridge watchstanders as the battle group steamed en masse for the straits of Gibraltar. Once past the picturesque straits and the famous ' rock B. RR made a course for the Adriatic Sea. For seven days B.-XRR was stationed in operational area ' MAVERICK ' as Adnata- REDCROWN. The mission of REDCROWN was simple: detect, monitor and identify any aircraft flying oyer ,1 given geographical area. This effort ensured that United Nations Peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina were pro- tected from air attack. As the first ship in GWBATGRU to assume an operational mission in the MED, BARRY set the standard as a model command and control platform. e t B.-VRRY participated in SHAREM 1 14, a mulhnational anti-submarine exercise evaluating the capabilities of shipbome, airborne and submarine sensors. SHAREM 114 in oKed forces from the United States, Spain, Italy and Great Britain. BARRYs Sonar Technicians and Operations Specialist received praise from tine Destroyer Squadron Two Six Staff for their tactical proficiency, professionalism and success in a difficult exercise with a seemingly impossible mission--find a submarine previously thought to be unde- tectable. BARRY also participated in DESTINED GLORY, a multi- warfare exerdse that culminated in an amphibious assault on a simulated hostile coast. BARRYs mission was to per- form Na -al Gunfire Support (NGFS) in support of the im- pending invasion. As alv -ays the Gunners Mates and Op- erations Specialist of the NGFS team executed their tasking perfectly --ordnance on target, on time. Meanwhile in the Adriahc, operational commitments took all US . ayy ships out of the air sur ' eillance area. Com- mander Sixth Fleet (COMSIXTHFLT), our operahonal com- mander in the area, decided that the REDCROWN role could be filled by a NATO ship. This marked the first time a N.ATO ship would fulfill a typically US only mission. The ship selected, French ship JEAN BART, was a capable air sur ' eiUance platform but required training in Adriatic op- erations. Once again it was Barry that answered the call, sending two officers skilled in air warfare and Adriatic op- erations to train the French air controllers. JEAN BARTS REDCROWN tenure was a major step forward for NATO US cooperation, a success operationally and diplomahcallv- -and BARRY surface warriors made it happen. When exer- ase coordinators called ' RNEX ' {finish exerdse) to DES- TINED GLORY we returned to our home away from home, Liperational area MAVERICK in the Adriatic ' BARRY re- lieved JEAN BART and reassumed duties as REDCROWN. WTiile providing air surveillance for USS GUAM, BARRY received immediate Search and Rescue (SAR) tasking to locate a downed aircraft carrvTng the Secretary of Com- merce and other government offidals of the Creation coast. The engineers poured on the speed, steaming 31-1- knots for 10 hours to arri ' e at the search area. The Quartermas- ters pinpointed our assigned station, while Operations Spe- dalists initiated SAR patrol procedures only to learn that the plane had in fact crashed on land, near the dty of 78 USS Barry

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Combat Information Center during operations off the coast of Bosnia. 80 USS Barry