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Fletcher Crew Set to Return after First 'Sea Swap'

By Lt. Patrick J. Moakley, USS Fletcher Public Affairs

Story Number: NNS030128-06

Release Date: 1/28/2003 10:42:00 AM

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The crew of USS Fletcher (DD 992), a Pearl Harbor-based destroyer, will return from an Arabian Gulf deployment near the end of January after being away for six months.

However, the crew is returning in a unique fashion -- without their ship.

Fletcher is part of the Navy's Sea Swap Initiative, which involves rotating three crews through a single ship to allow for more time on station in theater. The crew completed the first crew change in Fremantle, Australia, Jan. 23, with the former crew of USS Kinkaid (DD 965) taking over.

Fletcher, along with members of Helicopter Anti-Submarine (HSL) Squadron Light 37, Det. 2, departed for deployment to the Arabian Gulf Aug. 2, 2002, as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Battle Group. While en route they visited Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bahrain.

During Fletcher's five months in the Arabian Gulf, they conducted operations in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch. The ship also conducted maritime interception operations, enforcing United Nations' sanctions against Iraq.

Fletcher crew members boarded 178 suspect vessels, worked with U.S. Navy special warfare teams, Polish special forces, U.S. Coast Guard tactical law enforcement teams, British, Australian, Polish, Greek, Canadian, Kuwaiti and Japanese navies.

The furthest forward-deployed Navy ship close to Iraqi waters for most of the time in theater, Fletcher was also the flagship for two Royal Australian navy commodores who were assigned as Multinational Interdiction Operations Commander.

All told, HSL-37 Det. 2 flew in excess of 775 hours supporting operations against smugglers and Iraqi naval vessels.

After departing the Arabian Gulf, Fletcher made a brief stop in Diego Garcia, then made its final stop as crew and ship together in Fremantle, Australia. In Fremantle, the crew turned over Fletcher to the former crew of Kinkaid to complete the first phase of Sea Swap.

The ship will continue on deployment for another year with two other crews, while the crew will disperse over the next two months, moving on to their next assignments.