US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) returned to San Diego on July 22, after serving 15 years in the Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) in Japan.
Mustin executed a change of station to the United States to undergo a planned depot modernization period and will be replaced by Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), who will depart their homeport of Everett, Washington.
“Planned maintenance availabilities like these are critical to ensuring ships are maintained and equipped to perform combat-ready tasking when called upon and achieve their expected service life,” said Cmdr. Robert Briggs, commanding officer of USS Mustin.
Mustin arrived in Yokosuka, Japan in July 2006 and has participated in multiple humanitarian efforts in the Indo-Pacific region while assigned as a FDNF ship. In 2008, as part of USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group, Mustin provided aid to Myanmar in response to Cyclone Nargis.
The ship earned the Humanitarian Service Medal for response to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami as well as Typhoon Haiyan. Also in 2011, at the request of the government of Thailand, Mustin provided aerial surveillance support following flooding.
USS Mustin also carried out several freedom of navigation operations in contested regions of the South China Sea while in the 7th Fleet.
While taking precautions against COVID-19 at the onset of the global pandemic, Mustin successfully participated in a number of training exercises and operations including Integrated Ship and Air Team Training (ISATT), Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT), Freedom of Navigation Operations, and carrier strike force operations with USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
“I couldn’t be more proud of Mustin’s accomplishments,” said Briggs. “As we transition into the maintenance phase over the following months, the crew is focused on upgrading the combat systems and engineering plant, and eventually returning this warship back to sea.”
Commissioned in San Diego nearly 18 years ago on July 26, 2003, Mustin spent three years assigned to Destroyer Squadron 23 as part of US 3rd Fleet before joining the FDNF as part of Destroyer Squadron 15 based out of Yokosuka, Japan, with US 7th Fleet.
The 7th Fleet was recently also reinforced with the arrival of Flight IIA destroyer USS Rafael Peralta in February this year. DDG 115 joined up to 70 other ships and submarines operating under the command.
