Mitscher (DDG 57) - Naval Cruise Book

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CDR Raymond A. Spicer, USN Commandins Officer, USS MITSCHER (DDG 57) A native of Triangle, Virginia, Com- mander Spicer graduated from the U.S. Naval A cademy in 1979. His initial assignment following commissioning was as Damage Control Assistant and, then, as Combat Information Center Officer in USS ROBERT E. PEARY (FFG 1073), in Pearl Harbor. In 1983, he reported to staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washing- ton, D.C., where he served as an opera- tions briefer to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. He w was later assigned as Naval Aide to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and, then, as Flag Lieutenant to the Com- mander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii. Returning to sea in 1987, Commander Spicer served as Weapons Officer in USS YORKTOWN (CG 48), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. One year later, he as- sumed duties as YORKTOWN ' s Combat Systems Officer, where he served until 1990. His next assignment was as Officer in Charge of the AEGIS Combat System Engineering Development Site in Moorestown, New Jersey where he was responsible for the test and evaluation of combat system computer programs de- veloped for fleet AEGIS-class cruisers and destroyers. Commander Spicer served as Executive Officer, USS ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51), a Norfolk based ship, from Septem- ber 1992 to April 1994. Most recently, he was assigned as Executive Assistant to the Deputy and Chief of Staff, U.S. At- lantic Fleet. He assumed command of USS MITSCHER (DDG 57) on May 3, 1996. Commander Spicer ' s personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Navy Achievement Medal. He is mar- ried to the former Beth Castellano of Haddonfield, New Jersey.

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USS MITSCHER (DDG 57) WiaJden ef2lcu menb - Hied 6 -96 About USS MITSCHER. USS Ml rSCHER (DDG 57) is the seventh ship of the Arlcigh Burke Class of AE- i;uided missile destroyers (DDGs), the capable class of destroyers in the world. Ill- unprecedented capabilities of USS MIT- SCHER and her sister AEGIS destroyers are fleet proven in operations around the world. She is trained and ready to conduct prompt, sustained combat operations at sea in support of joint battle groups and amphibious assault groups, and as an integral part of interdiction forces. USS MITSCHER can operate offensively in J high density, multi-threat environment in the blue oceans of the world. She can defeat hostile surface ships, submarines, and aircraft simultaneously, while delivering long range offensive land attacks. .Almost as long as two football fields and •hing more than 8,000 tons, USS MIT- ll ' R is home to 340 officer and enlisted nnel. She is a floating self contained city iding support services such as fresh wa- lighting, heating and cooling, berthing. dming, and laundering fur months at sea at a time. Eour LM-2500 Marine Gas Turbine En- gines generating a combined total of 100,000 shaft horsepower propel her through the wa- ter at speeds in excess of 30 knots. Her two controllable pitch propellers provide rapid ac- celeration (zero to 32 knots in under two minutes) and uncanny maneuverability. DDG 57 ' s diverse combat capabilities are orchestrated by the AEGIS Combat System, the only fully integrated electronic detection, engagement, and fire control system in the world today. AEGIS enables her to detect, evaluate, and engage her targets with greater firepower and accuracy than any combat sys- tem in recorded history. USS MITSCHER ' s SPY- ID I ' hased Array Radar can detect ob- jects smaller than a humble bee traveling at many times the speed of sound, pinpointing these high speed targets and destroying them at altitudes many times higher than those t)f commercial airliners. When necessary, her PHALANX Close-in Weapon Systems, firing 4,500 rounds per minute, can engage and destroy incoming antiship missiles. These sys- tems are supplemented by electronic warfare countermeasure systems. USS MITSCHER ' s antisubmarine suite is equally unmatched. Her trio of underwater surveillance equipment consists of a hull- Seize THE Day mounted sonar, a towed acoustic array sonar, and the SH-60B Light Airborne ' Multi- purpose System (LAMPS) helicopter. These systems give DDG 57 the ability to detect and prosecute submarines hundreds of miles away, making her a true multiwarfare mission capable combatant. USS MITSCHER can also project power ashore. Witness the devastating effect of the TOMAHAWK cruise missile during Operation DESERT STORM. MITSCHER can launch TOMAHAWK from a distance of more than 1,000 mi les to hit precisely on a target the size of a stop sign. Her five-inch deck gun can provide gunfire support to Marines and sol- diers ashore at ranges greater than ten miles. DDG 57 ' s TOMAHAWK and HARPOON Antiship Missiles in tandem with her five- inch gun and STANDARD missiles provide the capability to engage and destroy enemy surface vessels for hundreds of miles in any direction. USS MITSCHER (DDG 57) combines the best of capabilities, versatility, and flexibility to successfully engage any adversary today and well into the 21st century. She is ready, today, to Seize The Day: serving her Navy and her Nation around the globe in all areas of national interest.

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