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USS Howard (DDG 83)


USS HOWARD is the fifth OSCAR AUSTIN class guided missile destroyer and the first ship in the Navy named after Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jimmie E. Howard.

General Characteristics:Keel laid: December 9, 1998
Launched and christened: November 20, 1999
Commissioned: October 20, 2001
Builder: Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
Propellers: two
Length: 508,5 feet (155 meters)
Beam: 67 feet (20.4 meters)
Draft: 30,5 feet (9.3 meters)
Displacement: approx. 9,200 tons full load
Speed: 32 knots
Aircraft: two SH-60 (LAMPS 3) helicopters
Armament: one Mk-45 5"/62 caliber lightweight gun, two Mk-41 VLS for Standard missiles and Tomahawk ASM/LAM, two 20mm Phalanx CIWS, two Mk-32 triple torpedo tubes for Mk-50 and Mk-46 torpedoes, two Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm machine gun systems
Homeport: Yokosuka, Japan
Crew: approx. 320


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Crew List:

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


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USS HOWARD Cruise Books:


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About the Ship’s Name:

The ship is named in honor of Gunnery Sgt. Jimmie E. Howard, USMC, (1929-1993), recipient of the Medal of Honor for his leadership of a platoon against repeated attacks by a battalion-sized Viet Cong force. After receiving severe wounds from an enemy grenade, he distributed ammunition to his men and directed air strikes on the enemy. By dawn, his beleaguered platoon still held their position. Howard also received the Silver Star Medal for service in Korea. A previous HOWARD (DD 179) (1920-1945), named for Charles W. Howard, a U.S. Navy hero from the Civil War, earned six battle stars in World War II.

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About the Christening Ceremony:

The ARLEIGH BURKE class guided missile destroyer, HOWARD was christened November 20, 1999, during a 9 a.m. (EST) ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Alford L. McMichael delivered the ceremony’s principal address. Mrs. Theresa M. Howard, served as ship’s sponsor in honor of her late husband. Joining Mrs. Howard as co-sponsor was Mrs. Jill Hultin, wife of Under Secretary of the Navy Jerry Hultin. In the time-honored Navy tradition, Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Hult broke a bottle of champagne across the bow and formally christened HOWARD.


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The photos below were taken by Ian Johnson and show the HOWARD at Fremantle, Australia, on September 28, 2004 (the first three photos), September 29, 2004, and October 3, 2004 (the last photo). At the time, HOWARD was assigned to the USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) Strike Group and was the first Flight II ARLEIGH BURKE - class DDG to visit Western Australia.



The photo below was taken by me and shows the HOWARD at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 10, 2008.



The photos below were taken by me and show the HOWARD at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 23, 2010.



The photos below were taken by me and show the HOWARD at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on May 10, 2012.



The photos below were taken by me and show the HOWARD dry-docked at BAE Ship Repair in San Diego, Calif. The HOWARD entered the shipyard on June 17, 2012, and is undergoing the DDG Modernization Upgrade. The photos were taken on October 3, 2012.



The photo below was taken by Henry Schnutz and shows the HOWARD at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on August 27, 2013.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HOWARD at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair undergoing a Selected Restricted Availability. The photos were taken on December 27, 2014.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HOWARD at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HOWARD at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on April 18, 2016.



The photos below were taken by Sebastian Thoma and show the HOWARD moored at Pier 10 at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 20, 2016.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HOWARD undergoing a modernization availability at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair on September 28, 2018.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HOWARD undergoing a modernization availability at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair on March 2, 2019.



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