USS ''Sterett'' (DDG-104) is a Flight IIA

guided missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers who have a prim ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Etymology

USS ''Sterett'' is the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named after

Andrew Sterett Andrew Sterett (January 27, 1778 – January 9, 1807) /sup> was an officer in the United States Navy during the nation's early days. He saw combat during the Quasi-War with France and in the Barbary Wars, commanding the schooner USS ''Enter ...

, a U.S. naval officer who fought in the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War (french: Quasi-guerre) was an undeclared naval war fought from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States. The ability of Congres ...

and the

Barbary Wars The Barbary Wars were a series of two wars fought by the United States, Sweden, and the Kingdom of Sicily against the Barbary states (including Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli) of North Africa in the early 19th century. Sweden had been at war with ...

History

The contract to build USS ''Sterett'' was awarded to

Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics. It is the fifth-largest de ...

Corporation in

Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...

on 13 September 2002. On 17 November 2005, her

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

, and she was christened on 19 May 2007. The ship's sponsor was Michelle Sterett Bernson, a familial descendant of Andrew Sterett, who himself had no children. The vessel's commissioning took place in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland, Andrew Sterett's birthplace, on 9 August 2008. The ship's home port is

Naval Base San Diego Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, cons ...

. The ship was attacked without warning by Somali pirates using

rocket-propelled grenade A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads are a ...

s on 22 February 2011, during negotiations with the pirates for the release of four U.S. hostages, who were eventually killed. The ship was under the control of Commander

Carrier Strike Group 9 Carrier Strike Group 9 (CSG-9 or CARSTRKGRU 9) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore. Commander Carrier Strike Group 9 (COMCARSTRKGRU 9 or CCSG 9) is res ...

In popular culture

*USS ''Sterett'' served as one of the filming locations for the TNT's television series ''The Last Ship'' and its fictional setting, USS ''Nathan James'' (DDG-151). *USS ''Sterett'' served as the backdrop for a historic visit to Naval Base Point Loma by President Joe Biden in March 2023. The crew gave him a "line-the-rail" salute.

References

External links

USS ''Sterett'' Association

Official Ship's Site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sterett (DDG-104) Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Ships built in Bath, Maine 2007 ships