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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia About the Ship's Coat of Arms About the Name "Laboon" Image Gallery to end of page

USS Laboon (DDG 58)

USS LABOON is the eighth ship in the ARLEIGH BURKE class and the first ship in the Navy named after Captain John Francis Laboon.

General Characteristics:Keel Laid: March 23, 1992
Christened: February 20, 1993
Commissioned: March 18, 1995
Builder: Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
Propellers: two
Blades on each Propeller: five
Length: 505,25 feet (154 meters)
Beam: 67 feet (20.4 meters)
Draft: 30,5 feet (9.3 meters)
Displacement: approx. 8.300 tons full load
Speed: 30+ knots
Aircraft: None. But LAMPS 3 electronics installed on landing deck for coordinated DDG/helicopter ASW operations.
Armament: two Mk 41 VLS for Standard missiles, Tomahawk; Harpoon missile launchers, one Mk 45 5-inch/54 caliber lightweight gun, two Phalanx CIWS, Mk 46 torpedoes (from two triple tube mounts)
Homeport: Norfolk, VA
Crew: 23 Officers, 24 Chief Petty Officers and 291 Enlisted


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS LABOON. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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About the Ship’s Coat of Arms:

(Click on the Coat of Arms for a larger version)

This ship's coat of arms is highly symbolic of the ship's namesake Captain John Francis Laboon and his heroism, loyalty and devotion to duty.

The shield, in Navy blue and gold, represents the sea, and excellence highlighting Chaplain LABOON's dedicated naval service. The color white signifies integrity and purity of purpose. The quartered shield suggests a cross reflecting the chaplain's mission. The upright trident symbolizes sea prowess and highlights the ship's vertical launch capabilities with the three tines representing Anti-Submarine, Anti-Surface and Anti-Air Warfare. The trident, with its bottom spike pointing to the ocean depths, also represents Chaplain Laboon's service as a submariner both as a line officer and a chaplain.

The foundation of the crest is a life preserver which symbolizes Chaplain Laboon's heroic rescue of the downed fighter pilot. The preserver's straps which are red, reflect courage and sacrifice and denote his service with the Marines in Vietnam. The star commemorates the Chaplain's Silver Star and also represents his five successful submarine combat patrols. The wreath of laurel is emblematic of honor and accomplishment.


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About the Ship’s Name, about Captain John Francis Laboon:

USS LABOON honors the distinguished career of captain John Francis "Jake" Laboon, Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy. Known to most simply as "Father Jake", he devoted his life to service to God, Country and the Navy.

A Football star at the National Championship Lacrosse All American, Laboon graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy as a member of the class of 1944. Assigned to the submarine USS PETO (SS 265) then Lieutenant Junior Grade Laboon won the Silver Star for bravery for diving from his moving submarine to rescue a downed aviator under heavy enemy fire. At the close of World War II, Lieutenant Laboon left the Navy to become a Jesuit priest.

In 1958 Father Laboon returned to the Navy he loved so much as a member of the Chaplain Corps. Over the next 21 years, he served in virtually every branch of the Navy and Marine Corps. His assignments included tours in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan and Vietnam. As Chaplain with the Marines in Vietnam, Father Laboon earned a Legion of Merit with Combat "V". In addition to his heroic service in two wars, Father Laboon became the first chaplain for the Polaris Submarine Program and later became the Senior Catholic Chaplain at the Naval Academy.

The Naval Academy has honored Father Laboon by renaming the Chaplain's Center in his honor. When he retired in 1979, Captain Laboon was the Fleet Chaplain, Atlantic Fleet. When his naval career ended, Father Laboon returned to Annapolis as the house manager for the Jesuit retreat facility, Manresa-on-Severn. His final tour of duty was as pastor of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Church in Woodstock, Maryland.

When he passed away in 1988, Father Jake left behind countless service members and their families whose lives he had touched with his compassion and understanding. His courage and genuine concern for all his shipmates was then, is now, and will forever remain an extraordinary example for young sailors and marines everywhere.




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The photo below was contributed by ENS Geoff Belanger, USN, and shows LABOON as seen from USS MAHAN (DDG 72).



The photos below were taken by me and show the LABOON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on November 9, 2008.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LABOON during her Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (E-DSRA) at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair at Norfolk, Va. The photos were taken on October 28, 2013.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LABOON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 23, 2014.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LABOON undergoing a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) at the Marine Hydraulics International Inc. Shipyard at Norfolk, Va., on October 6, 2015.



The photos below were taken by Steven Collingwood and show the LABOON departing Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on December 15, 2015. LABOON is departing for sea trials after a refit period.

        



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LABOON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 12, 2016.



The photos below were taken by me and show the USS LABOON arriving at Naval Base Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on July 4, 2017, respectively berthed in the west lock at the Naval Base shortly after the arrival. LABOON is probably support ship for President Trump's visit to the G20 summit in Hamburg. The ship is presently in the sixth month of a deployment that already took her to the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea.



The photos below were taken by me on July 6, 2017, and show the USS LABOON at Naval Base Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The ship is in the sixth month of a deployment that already took her to the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea. The port visit to Wilhelmshaven is LABOON's final stop before heading home to Norfolk, Va. While at Wilhelmshaven, LABOON probably acted as support ship for President Trump's visit to the G20 summit in Hamburg. Special thanks to the German Navy and the PAO of USS LABOON for their generous help in making these photos possible.

Click here for more Photos.


The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS LABOON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 21, 2018.



The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the USS LABOON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on December 7, 2019.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS LABOON at the Marine Hydraulics Industries (MHI) Ship Repair & Services shipyard at Norfolk, Va., on December 26, 2021. LABOON entered the shipyard on August 17, 2021.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS LABOON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 6, 2022. Note the silver-colored stacks instead of the usual black.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS LABOON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 9, 2023.



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