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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia About the Ship's Coat of Arms History Homeports of USS John S. McCain Accidents aboard the Ship About the Name "McCain" Image Gallery to end of page

USS John S. McCain (DDG 56)

USS JOHN S. McCain is an ARLEIGH BURKE - class guided missile destroyer and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name However, DDG 56 is the first ship to honor three members of the McCain family: John S. McCain, Sr.; John S. McCain, Jr. and John S. McCain III.

General Characteristics:Keel Laid: September 3, 1991
Launched: September 26, 1992
Commissioned: July 2, 1994
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: Everett, Wash.
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 JOHN S. McCAIN. 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:

Dark blue and gold, the colors traditionally associated with the Navy and represent the sea and excellence; red is emblematic of courage and sacrifice. The three sections of the shield honor the famous navy family, the McCains. The crossed sabers symbolize strength, unity and cooperation, while honoring the naval heritage of the McCain family.

The oriental deagon is symbolic of "good fortune", is known for its bravery, resourcfulness and dedication. It is also dangerously armed and able to strike quickly with deadly accurace, recalling the family's participation in support of the Pacific theater in World War II.

The trident symbolizes sea prowess while alluding to the modern weapons of USS John S. McCain: the Verticle Launch and AEGIS systems; while the three tines represent anti-submarine, -surface, and -air warfare. The eagle denotes strength, vigilance and the principles of freedom. The broken chain highlghts breaking the grip of tyranny in World War II by US forces. The palm, indigenous to the Pacific, is expressive of victory.



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History of USS JOHN S. McCAIN:

The U.S. Navy commissioned the guided missile destroyer JOHN S. McCAIN on Saturday, July 2, 1994 at Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine, commencing at 10 a.m.

Former President of the United States George Bush, Sr., was the ceremony's principal speaker. Mrs. Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Senator John McCain, was the ship's sponsor.

Senator McCain also attended the ceremony.

Initially homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI., JOHN S. McCAIN currently serves as part of the US Seventh Fleet forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan.

USS JOHN S. McCAIN was in the Persian Gulf in late 1996 in support of Operation Southern Watch, where it took part in maritime inderdiction operations as part of a force augmentation in the region.

In 1998, USS JOHN S. McCAIN again deployed to the Arabian Gulf with the USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62) Battle Group. INDY was then relieved by the USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) Battle Group.

In September 1999, McCAIN took part in a Y2K operational testing excercise along with other vessels.

USS JOHN S. McCAIN became the first U.S. Navy ship to do community relations work ashore in war-torn Dili, the capital city of newly independent East Timor. It visited East Timor in 2000.

USS JOHN S. McCAIN took part in Excercise Tandem Thrust in May 2001. Tandem Thrust is a combined military training exercise involving more than 18,000 U.S., Australian, and Canadian personnel who are training in crisis action planning and execution of contingency response operations.
McCAIN participated in Exercise Tandem Thrust as part of the USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) Battle Group.

In July 2001, McCAIN participated in CSOFEX with the South Korean military and United States Army and Naval forces. Several members from the Korean Navy and the United States Sixth Cavalry were brought aboard JOHN S. MCCAIN to simultaneously execute a joint exercise while conducting training.


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Homeports of USS JOHN S. McCAIN:

PeriodHomeport
commissioned at Bath, Maine
1994 - 1997Pearl Harbor, Hi.
1997 - 2021Yokosuka, Japan
2021 - presentEverett, Wash.


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Accidents aboard USS JOHN S. McCAIN:

DateWhereEvents
August 21, 2017east off Singapore
USS JOHN S. McCAIN collides with the Liberian-flagged 600-foot oil and chemical tanker (gross tonnage of 30,000) ALNIC MC while underway to Singapore for a port visit. The collision was reported at 5:24 a.m. local time. Significant damage to JOHN S. McCAIN's hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms. Damage control efforts by the crew halted further flooding.

There are currently 10 sailors missing and five injured. Four of the injured were medically evacuated by a Singapore Armed Forces helicopter to a hospital in Singapore for non-life threatening injuries. The fifth injured sailor did not require further medical attention. No injuries were reported aboard the ALNIC MC.

Following the collision, the JOHN S. McCAIN sailed under her own power to Changi Naval Base in Singapore arriving there a few hours later. At that point, no fuel or oil was visible on the water's surface near the ship. ALNIC MC also continued to Singapore under her own power.

Search and rescue efforts continue in coordination with local authorities. The Republic of Singapore patrol ships RSS GALLANT (97), RSS RESILIENCE (82), and Singaporean Police Coast Guard vessel BASKING SHARK (55) are in the area rendering assistance. Additionally, MH-60S helicopters and MV-22 Ospreys from the amphibious assault ship USS AMERICA (LHA 6) are in the area providing search and rescue assistance.


        


On August 24, Navy and Marine Corps divers recovered and identified two of the missing sailors while the search for the eight other missing sailors continued in flooded compartments of the ship.


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About the Ship's Name:

The original namesakes of USS JOHN S. McCAIN are two McCains, John Sidney Sr., and John Sydney Jr., both served in World War II and both were Navy Admirals.

John Sidney Sr. graduated from Annapolis in 1906 and was sent to the Asiatic where he served on the battleship OHIO, the cruiser BALTIMORE, the destroyer CHAUNCEY, and the gunboat PANAY. He was on the CONNECTICUT, one of Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet. McCain escorted convoys during World War I. In 1936, McCain, as a Captain, became a naval aviator.

John Sidney Sr., went on to command two naval air stations and the carrier USS RANGER, and was promoted to Rear Admiral in Feb. 1941. In May 1942 he became the commander of all land-based naval aircraft in the South Pacific. After a stint in Washington as Chief of Naval Aeronautics, where he was promoted to Vice Admiral, McCain Sr. was sent back to the Pacific in the Summer of 1944, as Commander of the Second Fast Carrier Force in the Pacific and Task Force 38.1. Three months later he took over Task Force 38. He was awarded the Navy Cross for defending the crippled cruisers HOUSTON and CANBERRA. McCain was present on the USS MISSOURI as the instruments of surrender were signed in August 1945. At the end of his career he was an Admiral.

John S. Jr., entered Annapolis at the age of 16, in 1927. He graduated in 1931 and was sent to the battleship OKLAHOMA. After being turned down for flight school due to a heart murmur, McCain applied to submarine school where he later graduated. McCain went on to teach at Annapolis.

After the start of World War II McCain went on to command three different submarines in the Pacific, where he won the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his achievements. Following the war, McCain went on to command a submarine division and other various duties. He ultimately reached the rank of Admiral, and went on to command Amphibious Forces Atlantic, was Military Representative to the United Nations, was Commander Naval Forces Europe, and from 1968 to 1972 was CINCPAC.

On July 11, 2018, just 1 1/2 months before he died, at a rededication ceremony, Senator John McCain was added as a namesake, along with his father and grandfather.


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The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee during USS JOHN S. McCAIN's port visit to Hong Kong June 16 - 20, 2014, while the ship was assigned to the USS George Washington (CVN 73) Strike Group.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS JOHN S. McCAIN at Yokosuka, Japan, on August 3, 2019.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS JOHN S. McCAIN at Naval Station Everett, Wash., on June 12, 2022.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning on June 9 and 10, 2023, and show USS JOHN S. McCAIN (DDG 56) during the Rose Festival in Portland, Or.

Click here for more Photos.


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