The U.S. Navy commissioned the Aegis
guided missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) in a twilight ceremony on Saturday, July 26, at Naval Air Station North Island.
The ship is the 18th Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile
destroyer built by Northrop Grumman Corporation's Ship
Systems sector in Pascagoula, Miss.
Adm. Vern Clark, chief of Naval Operations, delivered the
principal commissioning address. "This ship is the embodiment of
credible, persistent combat power, capable of taking American
sovereignty to the far corners of the world, without a permission
slip," Clark said. "This ship and its crew will be the force behind
American diplomacy. But when called into action, they will attack our
enemies and shield our allies with daring."
The new destroyer is named for the Mustin family, whose naval
tradition spans four generations and nearly a century of service.
Sponsors for USS Mustin are Lucy Holcomb Mustin, wife of ship's
co-namesake retired Navy Vice Adm. Henry C. Mustin, II; Jean Phillips
Mustin, wife of ship's co-namesake retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas M.
Mustin; Mrs. Douglas Mustin St. Denis, sister of Henry C. Mustin, II
and Thomas M. Mustin. The sponsors gave the traditional order to the
crew of USS Mustin to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
Responding, Mustin's crew of nearly 400 officers and enlisted personnel
marched aboard their new ship, and saluted the more than 6,000 guests
in attendance.
Dr. Philip A. Dur, president, Northrop
Grumman Ship Systems and
corporate vice president, Northrop Grumman Corporation, addressed the
crowd, "on behalf of the company's 17,000 shipbuilders, and expressing
their pride in the celebration of Mustin joining the fleet, another
instance of 'America's shipyard' building freedom, one great ship at a
time."
Aegis destroyers are equipped to conduct a variety of missions,
from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power
projection, in support of national military strategy. These
multimission ships provide primary protection for the Navy's aircraft
carriers and battle groups, as well as essential escort to Navy and
Marine Corps amphibious forces, combat logistics ships and convoys.
Vice Adm. Tim LaFleur, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S.
Pacific Fleet, hailed the skilled workers of Northrop Grumman for
building such a magnificent ship. Said LaFleur, "Their dedication to
our nation's defense is second to none. USS Mustin is yet another
example in a legacy of shipbuilding that has kept our nation strong."
Cmdr. Ann Phillips of Annapolis, Md., commands USS Mustin, now
officially a member of Destroyer Squadron One in the U.S. Pacific
Fleet.