USS ''Chandler'' (DDG-996) was the final ship in the ''Kidd'' class of guided-missile destroyers operated by the U.S. Navy. Derived from the ''Spruance class'', these vessels were designed for

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

in hot weather. She was named after

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

Theodore E. Chandler Theodore Edson Chandler (December 26, 1894 – January 7, 1945) was a Rear admiral of the United States Navy during World War II, who commanded battleship and cruiser divisions in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. He was killed in action when ...

. Originally named ''Andushirvan'', the ship was originally ordered by the Shah of Iran, but was undelivered when the 1979

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

occurred. Subsequent to this, the U.S. Navy elected to commission her for service in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea, as she was equipped with heavy-duty air conditioning and was also well suited to filtering sand and the results from

NBC warfare A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natural ...

. She was commissioned in 1982. ''Chandler'' was decommissioned in 1999. She was transferred to the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

, renamed ''Wu Teh'' (DDG-1805) in 2004, and finally recommissioned as ROCS ''Ma Kong'' (DDG-1805) in 2006.

Accident

In June 1985, ''Chandler'' was involved in an accident on the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

. The ship itself was sued under

Admiralty law Admiralty law or maritime law is a body of law that governs nautical issues and private maritime disputes. Admiralty law consists of both domestic law on maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between priva ...

in the United States by a barge owner who claimed that ''Chandler''s negligent action on the Columbia River caused a dangerous swell called a soliton. The District Court of Oregon heard the case and held that the officers on ''Chandler'' breached their duty to exercise reasonable care in avoiding creation of the dangerous swell and the plaintiff was able to recover for the damages.Bernert Towboat Co. v. USS Chandler (DDG 996), 666 F. Supp. 1454, 1987 A.M.C. 2919 (D. Ore. 1987).

Awards

* Navy

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...

– (Nov 1987 - March 1988) *

Battle "E" The Battle Effectiveness Award (formerly the Battle Efficiency Award, commonly known as the Battle "E"), is awarded annually to the small number of United States Navy ships, submarines, aviation, and other units that win their battle effectiveness c ...

– (1985–86, 1988–89, 1991–92, 1994, 1997) *

Humanitarian Service Medal The Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under . The medal may be awarded to members of the United States military (includi ...

– (12 December 1987) Rescue of oil tanker crew from Iran attack *

Southwest Asia Service Medal The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SASM or SWASM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members ...

- (1991–92)

References

External links

Navysite.de pageUSSChandler.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler (DDG-996) Kidd-class destroyers Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi 1980 ships Cold War destroyers of the United States