Chandler (DDG 996) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE CHANDLER LEGACY USS CHANDLER (DDG 996) is the third ship of the fleet to bear his name, the fourth and final ship of the powerful KIDD class of Guided Missile Destroyers. CHANDLER (formerly the Iranian AN- DUSHIRVAN)and ifs sistershipsof the class were originally placed on order by the government of Iran in the mid- 1 970 s. The orders were later cancelled and the four ships were acquired by the United States government in 1979. Hull number DD-996 became DDG-996 and was later renamed CHANDLER ' in honor of Rear Admiral Theodore Chandler. USN. who died as a result of wounds received in combat aboard his flagship USS LOUISVILLE (CA-23) January 6. 1945. During the battle of Lingayen Gulf, a Japanese suicide plane crashed into the bridge of his ship, dousing it with burning fuel. Ad- miral Chandler, though badly burned, remained at his post and fought the ship until the danger was past. He died of his wounds the follow- ing day. CHANDLER ' S motto Ad Mortem Fidelis, Faithful unto Death, is bestowed in honor of his heroic actions. CHANDLER is one of the most powerful destroyers in the world. Combining the speed and multi-role capability of a destroyer with the Anti-Air- Warfare reach and striking power of a cruiser, she is designed to operate in a Multi-Threat environment, countering air. surface, and subsurface, threats simultaneously. Her crew and weapons systems, combined with the enhanced weapons and elec- tronics capability of the New Threat Upgrade (NTU), make her a formidable opponent. In January 1984. CHANDLER made her flrst Western Pacific de- ployment as a member of Battle Group BRAVO. In January 1985, CHANDLER joined the Rampant Lions of Destroyer Squadron TWENTY ONE. In March 1986 she began her second WESTPAC and spent two months in the Persian Gulf as a member of U.S. Navy ' s Middle East Force (MIDEASTFOR). CHANDLER was awarded the Battle E in 1986. On 16 April 1 988. CHANDLER completed her third WEST- PAC, including three and one half months assigned to MI- DEASTFOR at the height of the Iran-Iraq war. In September 1988 CHANDLER and Sea Snake 23 of HSL 33 Det 6 were awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for the dramatic De- cember 1987 rescue of 4 1 crew members from the burning Cyp- riot supertanker PIVOT, a victim of an Iranian attack. In July 1989 CHANDLER joined Destroyer Squadron Thirty Three and began the extensive NTU overhaul at Todd Shipyard in Washington. Upon completion in October 1990, CHAN- DLER began the arduous task of work-ups leading to her next deployment in October 1991. On this her fourth WESTPAC, she once again deployed to the Persian Gulf and MIDEAST- FOR in support of Operation DESERT STORM, escorting re- flagged supertankers. In November and December of 1992 CHANDLER deployed on Law Enforcement Operations (LEO OPS) in Operation WAVE DANCER, supporting the ongoing counter narcotics operations with the U.S. Coast Guard. On July 9, 1993 CHANDLER left on her Fifth WESTPAC to the MIDEASTFOR in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH enforcing the Iraqi No-Fly zone. During this deploy- ment CHANDLER was temporarily reassigned to United Nations Operation Somalia (UNISOM) and made a record high speed transit to the coast of Mogadishu with USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN. These operations proved CHANDLER ' S versatility and readiness to respond quickly and effectively wherever needed. LEGACY

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COAT OF ARMS THE SHIELD Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally associated with the Navy and sym- bolize the sea and excellence. The wavy Chevron, compass rose and pheons symbolize the northward sweep through the Philippines, in which Rear Admiral Theodore Edson CHANDLER participated and which ended, for him, in Lin- gayen Gulf where he earned, for extraordinary heroism, the Navy Cross, rep- resented by the convex cross patee. The pheons and compass rose also denote the guided missile striking capabilities of a Kidd Class destroyer. THE CREST . . . The rampant demi-lion, a symbol of courage and fighting spirit represents Admiral CHANDLER ' S extraordinary heroism. The fountain denotes Lin- gayen Gulf, the wall and tlames the fiery bridge of the flagship, LOUIS- VILLE, from which Admiral CHANDLER continued directing the pre-in- vasion bombardment support units after the suicide bomber had crashed the flag bridge. He remained stout-hearted and indomitable among the flames. OUR MOTTO . AD MORTEM FIDELIS is the CHANDLER family motto. The translation, FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH, aptly describes Rear Admiral CHANDLER ' S extraor- dinary heroism and devotion to duty in giving his life to save his ship. It also summarizes the commitment of each CHANDLER sailor to endure the burden of maintaining his freedom and that of his loved ones and countrymen. OUR MISSION | G?- y.Tl- Hatta. Required to operate offensively, in the presence of air, surface, and subsurface threats with carrier strike forces or amphibious assault forces; to provide protection to these forces, and to anti-sub- y marine forces, underway replenishment groups and military and mercantile convoys, against sub- surface and surface threats; and to provide gunfire support to amphibious land campaigns. COAT OF ARMS

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FAMILIES