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USS Fletcher Returns Home to Pearl Harbor

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040601-05

Release Date: 6/1/2004 11:32:00 AM

By Lt.j.g. Lesley Smith, USS Fletcher Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Two years and four crews after deploying, USS Fletcher (DD 992) returned to her homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, May 25, having served successfully as the first of two Sea Swap platforms.

Aug. 2, 2002, Fletcher departed Pearl Harbor to begin Sea Swap, an experimental program that calls for a Spruance-class destroyer to deploy and remain on station for more than 400 days.

Meanwhile, the crew of USS Kinkaid (DD 965) trained for deployment aboard Kinkaid, then conducted an accelerated decommissioning of their ship and were re-assigned en-masse to the deployed Fletcher, relieving that crew in a foreign port. This process continued for two more follow-on crews, with the fourth crew eventually sailing Fletcher back to Hawaii with a follow on transit to San Diego for decommissioning still remaining.

"The amount of time Fletcher was able to be on station in the (Persian) Gulf" was the most successful part of the cruise, said Cmdr. John P. Nolan, Fletcher's commanding officer. "We dedicate so much time and energy training to prepare the crew to be ready for operations in the (Persian) Gulf, and the extra time we were there made us the experts and made all that extra sweat worthwhile."

The original Sea Swap Fletcher crew, under the command of Cmdr. Thomas Neal, set sail in 2002, stopping in Yokosuka, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. While in port Singapore, numerous repairs were accomplished as part of an availability period. Fletcher then headed to the Persian Gulf. The original Fletcher team sailed the ship to the Persian Gulf and spent the next four months conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) in support of United Nations sanctions on Iraq.

The Sea Swap initiative became a reality in January 2003, when the Fletcher crew pulled the ship into Fremantle, Australia, and made preparations to turn it over to the former crew of Kinkaid, referred to as Team Kinkaid. After decommissioning Kinkaid, they had embarked a flight to Australia ready to turn over and assume command of Fletcher. Team Kinkaid then made preparations to take Fletcher back to the Persian Gulf for their six-month deployment.

Shortly after reporting to the Persian Gulf, Fletcher was tasked with Tomahawk missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). During the first and second phase of the war in the spring of 2003, Fletcher fired nearly 20 missiles and remained under way for 89 consecutive days. Fletcher remained on station patrolling the Peraian Gulf as part of the U.S. Security Force for the Iraqi Oil terminals. After four months of operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOR), Fletcher headed for Singapore to complete yet another "swap" with the former crew of USS Oldendorf (DD 972).

Fletcher also spent time on station in the Gulf of Aden supporting the global war on terrorism during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and then transited to the Persian Gulf to continue with security and MIO in the vicinity of the Iraqi oil terminals.

Fletcher departed the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR in early December 2003 en route to Fremantle, Australia, to complete the third and final crew swap.

The former crew of USS Elliot (DD 967) relieved the Oldendorf team Dec. 13 and began an intense maintenance availability with much help from the Australians. Cmdr. John Nolan and Team Elliot set sail from Fremantle, Australia, Jan. 2. Having completed numerous repairs, the new crew pushed themselves to rapidly become familiar with Fletcher.

Jan. 12, Fletcher entered the 5th Fleet AOR for the fourth time in two years and was assigned duties as guard ship for the Iraqi oil terminals in the Persian Gulf. Shortly after reporting on station, the former Elliot crew received word that they had been awarded the Battle "E" Award as best ship in its class for their efforts aboard both Elliot and Fletcher. Team Elliot conducted a total of 84 boardings while operating in support of OIF, confiscating more than 1,500 metric tons of illegal Iraqi oil and conducting security patrols in Iraqi waterways. For the final month of its operations in the 5th Fleet AOR, Fletcher conducted operations off the Horn of Africa in support of OEF.

There were some challenges for the crews as they swapped out aboard Fletcher.

"I think our biggest challenge was preserving USS Elliot's esprit de corps while letting go of the traditional association of crew and hull," said CMDCM (SW) George Dwyer, Fletcher's command master chief. "The crew handled the challenge by working hard to make our new ship as special to us as the one we just decommissioned. Strong deckplate leadership reinforced a sense of purpose, mission and, importantly, ownership of the hull."

During its 23-month underway, Fletcher spent more than 17 months in theater conducting operations in support of OIF and OEF. This significant increase in forward presence and on-station time saved the Navy significant fuel and maintenance costs, eliminating costly and time-consuming Pacific Ocean transits. The additional on-station time that resulted from Fletcher's four crew swaps, each at six-month intervals, equated to five regular west coast deployments.

Team Elliot is now bringing Fletcher home. While Fletcher was originally homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the ship will continue on to San Diego, where it will be decommissioned Oct. 1.