Chandler (DDG 996) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS CHANDLER (DDG 996) USS CHANDLER (DDG 9%), the third ship ut the tlcet to bear this name, was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Div- ision of Litton Industries, Paseagaoula, Miss. Her keel was laid on 7 May 1979, and she was commissioned on 13 March 1982 by Mrs. Theodore Hoskinson. CHANDLER is the last of four United States Navy Guided Missile Destroyers of the Kidd Class. CHANDLER is a 563-foot destroyer which incorporates many hull and engineering features of the Spruance (DD 963) Class Des- troyers. The weapons suite aboard CHANDLER is very sim ' iliar to that aboard the VIRGINIA (CG 38) Class nuclear-powered cruisers. This combination optimizes speed and economy, while also making CHANDLER one of the most powerful ships at sea in terms of strike capability. At over 9600 tons, CHANDLER is one of the largest destroy- ers in the fleet, and carries a formidable array of both offen- sive and defensive weapons and electronic systems. The ship is designed to operate in a multi-threat environment coun- tering air. surface, and subsurface threats simultaneously. After commissioning in 1982, CHANDLER proceeded to her home port, San Diego. Calif., and joined Cruiser Des- troyer Group FIVE and Destroyer Squadron NINE. In August 1983, CHANDLER was reassigned to Cruiser Destroyer Squadron Group ONE and Destroyer Squadron TWENTY -THREE, where she served as Hagship. On 13 January 1984. CHANDLER made her first West- ern Pacific deployment to the Sea of .lapan Indian Ocean as a member of Battle Group Bravo. In the fall of 1984, CHANDLER participated in e.xercise MARCOT 84-2. an operation with the Canadian Navy. In .lanuary 1985, CHANDLER joined the RAMPANT LIONS of Des- troyer Squadron IWENTY-ONE. In the summer of 1985, CHANDLER served as test platform for the successful fir- ing of advanced HARPOON surface-to-surface cruise missiles. The ship commenced its third deployment on 10 October 1987. Again CHANDLER was tasked to patrol the central Persian Ciulf as a member of the U.S. Navy ' s Middle East Force (MIDEASEOR). During the deployment CHANDLER aided in the rescues of 40 civilians from the tanker PIVOT that was attacked by an Iranian gunboat. She was visited by a congressional delegation consisting of Senators Alfonse D ' Amato of New ' ork, Warren Rudman of New Hampshire, and .lohn Tower of Texas. On 27 February 1988 while escorting Earnest Will convoy 88-13 CHANDLER encountered an Iraqi aircraft, inbound, on a bombing mission. Commander Smith ordered two illumination rounds to be fired into the direction of the incoming aircrafi. as a warning. The Iraqi pilot altered his course but resumed his mission, firing two missiles after he cleared the path of the Earnest Will Convoy. One of the missiles malfunctioned and passed along the starboard side ol the transiting con oy. CHANDLER conducted several port visits including: Subic Bay. R.P.. Diego Garcia. B.I.O.T.. Sitrah. Bahrain. Abu Dhabi. U.A.E.. Ko Phuket. Thailand. Hong Kong, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. CHANDLER was recently awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Humanitarian Ser ice Medal. Ship Design Characteristics Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries Pascagoula. Mississippi Keel Laid November 1978 Christened 28 .lune 1980 Sponsor Mrs. Theodora Chandler Hoskinson Length 563 Feet Beam 55 Feet Draft 32 Feet Displacement 9200 Tons Complement 20 Officers 310 Enlisted Speed 30 Knots Armament Two 5 Inch 54 Cal. Gun Mounts Anti-Submarine Rockets Torpedoes Two Mk 26 Guided Missile Launchers Harpoon Missile System Two Close-in Weapons Svstems Aircraft One SH-3 or Two SH-2 Helicopters Propulsion Four General Electric LM-2500 Marine Gas Turbine Engines (Total 80.000 Shaft Horsepower

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COAT OF ARMS USS CHANDLER (DDG 996) SHIELD . . . Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally as- sociated with the Navy and symbolize the sea and ex- cellence. The wavy Chevron, compass rose and pheons symbolize the northward sweep through the Phil- ippines, in which Rear Admiral Theodore Edson CHANDLER participated and which ended, for him, in Lingayen Gulf where he earned, for extraor- dinary heroism, the Navy Cross, represented by the convex cross patee. The pheons and compass rose also denote the guided missile striking capabilities of a KIDD Class destroyer. CREST . . . The rampant demi-lion, a symbol of courage and fighting spirit represents Admiral CHAND- LER ' S extraordinary heroism. The fountain denotes Lingayen Gulf, the wall and flames the firey bridge of the flagship, LOUISVILLE, from which Admiral CHANDLER continued directing the pre-invasion bombardment support units after a suicide bomber had crashed the flag bridge. He remained stouth- earted and indomitable among the flames. MOTTO . . . AD MORTEM FIDELIS is the CHANDLER family motto. The translation, FAITHFUL UNTIL DEA TH, aptly describes Rear Admiral CHAND- LER ' S extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty in giving his life to sa ve his ship. It also summarizes the commitment of each CHANDLER sailor to en- dure the burden of maintaining his freedom and that of his loved ones and countrymen. MISSION . . . Required to operate offensively, in the pres- ence of air, surface, and subsurface threats with carrier strike forces or amphibious assault forces; to provide protection to these forces, and to anti-subma- rine forces, underway replenishment groups and mili- tary and mercantile convoys, against subsurface or surface threats; and to provide gunfire support to am- phibious land campaigns.

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DESRON23 Capt. W.E. Kelley Captain William E. Kelley is a native of Los Angeles, Calif. The son of a policeman, he grew up in the Watts section of that city and attended public schools there before graduating in 1960 from Whittier College in Whittier, Calif., with a degree in sociology. While in Whittier, he served as Student Body President and was active in many extra- curricular activities. After two years as a professional program director with the Young Men ' s Christian Association, including a year with th e YMCA of Sweden, he attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned an ensign. U.S. Naval Reserve, in December 1962. He was augmented into the regular Navy in 1964. Captain Kellev has served in a variety of billets in USS HERBERT J. THOMAS (DDR 833), USS BERKELEY (DDG 15), USS CHIPOLA (AO 63), USS COLLETT (DD 730), and as Executive Officer in USS O ' CALLAHAN (FF 1051). He was the first Commanding Officer in USS CLARK (FFG 11), placing that ship in commission in May 1980 at Bath, Maine. All of these ships, except CLARK, were part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He was a Company Officer at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1970 to 1972 and served as an Aide to the Commander, U.S. Taiwan Defense Command in Taipei, Taiwan from 1975 to 1977. He was Special Assistant for Equal Opportunity to the Chief of Naval Operations from June 1977 to July 1979. From September 1982 to December 1986, he served in three different billets on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. While in the Surface Warfare Division, he was the FFG-7 Ship Class Program Coordinator and subsequently became a long-range planner representing the U.S. Navy as a member and Chairman of an international committee proposing design and procurement of a common NATO frigate for the 1990s. Prior to leaving the Pentagon, he was the Congressional and Policy Coordination Branch Head for the Director, Navy Program Planning. He assumed command of Destroyer Squadron TWENTY-THREE in May 1987. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Presidential and Navy Unit Co;nmcndations and awards for service in Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, and the Middle Ea.st. Captain Kelley earned a Ma.ster of Science degree from the George Washington University in 1972 and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College. His off duty interests include HO Scale Model Railroading, fishing, and listening to good jazz. Captain Kelley is married to the former Joann Oliver of Los Angeles, Calif Fhey have two sons, Darren and Jason, who were both born in Annapolis, Md., and are now in high school. They reside in Coronado, Calif