Updated at 4:35 p.m., Saturday, September 22, 2007
USS Chafee due to return to Pearl Harbor this morning
Advertiser Staff
PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII — The Pearl Harbor-based guided missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) is scheduled to return at 9:30 a.m. today from a deployment to the Western Pacific and Central Command.Chafee departed Hawai'i on April 9 and joined the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group. During deployment the strike group supported Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, and conducted Maritime Security operations. They also worked closely with allies to build
regional security and long-term stability.
While deployed to the Middle East, Chafee conducted maritime operations with coalition partners off the Horn of Africa to disrupt piracy and terrorist activities in the area. Chafee then entered the Arabian Gulf and began tasking to further regional maritime security goals; including escort of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS
John C. Stennis (CVN 74); oil platform defense off the coast of Iraq; and maritime security patrols.
Chafee's Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) teams conducted small boat
approaches and assisted in operations in the Central and Southern Arabian Gulf to offer goodwill visits to local mariners, helping to foster a spirit of cooperation between Navy coalition partners and the local maritime community.
After departing the Middle East, Chafee rejoined the Nimitz CSG and transited to the U.S. 7th Fleet to participate in exercise Valiant Shield 2007 (VS07) Aug 7-14.
VS07 was a multi-dimensional joint exercise off the coast of Guam with U.S. forces including the Stennis, Nimitz and USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) CSGs and more than 25 Navy ships, as well as numerous sub-surface, and U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft. VS07 was designed to focus on integrated joint training among U.S. military
forces, enabling real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces and in detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on the land and in the cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.
In addition, Chafee and the Nimitz CSG joined the Kitty Hawk CSG and India's aircraft carrier INS Viraat (R 22) to participate in the multilateral exercise Malabar 07-2.
This annual exercise included ships from India, Australia, Japan, and Singapore in the Bay of Bengal to advance mutual maritime understanding and interoperability.
The ship is commanded by Cmdr. Robert P. Tortora and has a crew of more than 350 officers and enlisted personnel.
Guided missile destroyers operate in support of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious groups and replenishment groups and are multi-mission [Anti- Air Warfare (AAW), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW)] surface combatants.
