View source for USS O'Brien (DD-975)

{{short description|Spruance-class destroyer}}
{{Other ships|USS O'Brien}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS O'Brien DD-975.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''O'Brien'' at sea
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|2004}}
|Ship name=''O'Brien''
|Ship namesake= *[[Jeremiah O'Brien]]
*Gideon O'Brien
*John O'Brien
*William O'Brien
*Dennis O'Brien
*Joseph. O'Brien
|Ship ordered=26 January 1972
|Ship builder=[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]]
|Ship laid down=9 May 1975
|Ship launched=8 July 1976
|Ship acquired=14 November 1977
|Ship commissioned=3 December 1977
|Ship decommissioned=24 September 2004
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=24 September 2004
|Ship identification=*[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: NECG
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Echo}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Golf}}
*[[Hull number]]: DD-975
|Ship honours=
|Ship motto=''Loyalty, Unity, Freedom''
|Ship badge=[[File:DD975crest.png|150px|Ship's crest]]
|Ship fate=[[Target ship|Sunk as target]], 9 February 2006
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Spruance class destroyer infobox ship characteristics}}
|}
'''USS ''O'Brien'' (DD-975)''' was a {{sclass|Spruance|destroyer}} built by the [[Ingalls Shipbuilding]] Division of [[Litton Industries]] at [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]]. It was named for [[Captain]] [[Jeremiah O'Brien]] and his five brothers: Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph. The O'Briens were crew members on board the sloop ''Unity'', which captured [[HMS Margaretta|HMS ''Margaretta'']] at the entrance to [[Machias, Maine|Machias]] harbor on 12 June 1775. ''O’Brien'' was decommissioned on 24 September 2004, and was later sunk as part of a training exercise in 2006.

== History ==
The destroyer has completed seven major deployments to the Western [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]]/Indian Oceans and seven deployments to the [[Persian Gulf]].

During her third deployment (13 January 1984 – 1 August 1984), which included 81 consecutive days at sea in the Indian Ocean, ''O'Brien'' took part in two refugee rescue missions, earning the [[Humanitarian Service Medal]].

''O'Brien''{{'}}s fourth western pacific deployment (January 1986 – June 1986) took the destroyer further north. Operations included joint U.S./[[Military of South Korea|Korean]] naval exercises TEAM SPIRIT 86 and TAE KWAN DO 86-1. Ports visited: Subic Bay and Manila, Philippines; Okinawa, Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan; Pohang and Pusan, Korea; Hong Kong

Following the installation of an advanced towed array sonar system in 1987, ''O'Brien'' conducted experimental sonar evaluation operations in the Northern Pacific and [[Bering Sea]].

During her fifth deployment, ''O'Brien'' became part of the Middle East Force. ''O'Brien'' participated in [[Operation Earnest Will]], escorting reflagged [[Kuwait]]i tankers, and [[Operation Praying Mantis]], during which ''O'Brien'' was a key member of the three-ship surface action group that engaged and sank the [[Iran]]ian guided missile frigate {{ship|Iranian frigate|Sahand||2}}.
[[File:330-CFD-DN-SC-88-07248 (22085577706).jpg|left|thumb|USS ''O'Brien''<nowiki/>'s crewmember on 18 April 1988]]
''O'Brien'' underwent an extensive overhaul and received major weapon systems improvements in 1988 including the Mk&nbsp;41 [[Vertical Launch System]] (VLS) for the [[BGM-109 Tomahawk|Tomahawk cruise missile]], the SQR-1 tactical towed array sonar system and the LAMPS MK III [[helicopter]] system.

While assigned to the Middle East Force from September to December 1990, ''O'Brien'' participated in [[Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield|Operation Desert Shield]]. Conducting Persian Gulf patrols in support of the [[Sanctions against Iraq|United Nations embargo of Iraq]], ''O'Brien'' investigated over four hundred vessels.

In December 1991 and again from February to April 1992, ''O'Brien'' conducted counter narcotic operations off the coasts of [[Central America|Central]] and South America.

In August 1992, ''O'Brien'' departed [[San Diego]] to become a member of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. En route from San Diego to [[Yokosuka]], ''O'Brien'' conducted follow-on testing and evaluation of the vertically launched anti-submarine rocket and the SQQ-89 sonar system on the Pacific Missile Test Range off [[Kauai, Hawaii]]. ''O'Brien'' arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, in October 1992.

In June 1993, ''O'Brien'' departed Yokosuka for her third deployment to the Middle East Force where she conducted Persian Gulf patrols in support of [[Operation Southern Watch]] and surveillance operations in the [[Gulf of Oman]].

''O'Brien'' participated in several joint exercises with the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]] and [[United States Air Force|Air Force]], as well as combined exercises with the Armed Forces of Singapore, Brunei, and the [[Republic of Korea]]. ''O'Brien'' departed on her fourth Middle East Force deployment on 17 February 1995 and continued to conduct operations in support of the United Nations embargo on Iraq.

''O'Brien''{{'}}s operational tempo remained very high throughout 1996, including her fifth Middle East Force Deployment, participating in the large [[Military exercise|naval exercise]] [[RIMPAC]] '96 as well as a member of the [[Taiwan]] contingency force. During Pacific Middle East Force (PACMEF), ''O'Brien'' continued conducting operations in support of the United Nations embargo on Iraq and her efforts resulted in the seizure of over 1.5 million gallons of contraband oil.

''O'Brien'' was away from homeport for 233 days in 1996, but was awarded with the [[Battle E Device]], [[Meritorious Unit Commendation]], Humanitarian Service Award and then nominated for the prestigious [[Spokane Trophy]].

In 1999, ''O'Brien'' participated in exercises with the [[Philippine Navy]] and in CROCEX '99 with the [[Royal Australian Navy]].

2000 was yet another high tempo year with 188 days spent underway. ''O'Brien'' participated in Counter Special Operations Forces Exercise (CSOFEX) in Korea, COBRA Gold 2000, [[East Timor]] operations and completed an entire tactical training cycle in a record 19 days.

[[File:US Navy 031105-N-0000D-003 USS O'Brien launches a surface-to-air NATO Sea Sparrow missile.jpg|thumb|USS ''O'Brien'' launches a [[RIM-7 Sea Sparrow|Sea Sparrow missile]] on 5 November 2003|left]]
All of the previous years' hard work paid off in 2001 when ''O'Brien'' participated in PACMEF '01, conducting maritime interdiction operations, including boarding over thirty merchant vessels throughout the summer in the Persian Gulf. On 11 September, ''O'Brien'' emergency sortied from [[Bahrain]] to the [[Arabian Sea]]. She participated in the opening Tomahawk cruise missile strikes into [[Afghanistan]] in support of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]].

=== Sinking ===
In early 2006, the ex-USS ''O'Brien'' was sunk by missiles from {{HMCS|Vancouver|FFH 331|6}}, {{convert|5|in|mm|adj=on|0}} shells from {{USS|Lake Erie|CG-70|6}} and two [[P3C Orion]] patrol aircraft in a combined fleet training exercise off the Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kauai, Hawaii.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GkOCM1a-ik Video of USS ''O'Brien'' sinking]</ref>

== Ship's crest ==
''O'Brien''{{'}}s official crest, as exhibited, symbolizes the rich tradition of courage and determination initiated by Jeremiah O'Brien, and continued by those ships that bore his name.

The golden pile and its associated elements are resplendent in symbolism. The pile, in conjunction with the way bars, represents a ship at sea and is symbolic of the grand tradition of the U.S. Navy. Taken by itself, the pile also represents the [[Roman numeral]] "V", equaling the total number of ships, including DD-975, to be honored with the name of ''O'Brien''. The [[shamrock]] centered at the top of the pile alludes to Jeremiah O'Brien's Irish ancestry and, in addition, to the arms of the previous {{USS|O'Brien|DD-725|3}}.

The crossed nautical tridents overlapped by the single cannon dedicate the first naval battle of the [[American Revolution]] in which Jeremiah O’Brien and his men defeated the British warship, ''Margaretta''. O'Brien and his men, armed with only limited muskets, axes, and pitchforks (represented by the crossed tridents) boarded ''Margaretta'' and defeated an enemy armed with superior guns and training.

Pine trees on either side of the cannon symbolize the state of [[Maine]], the home of Jeremiah O'Brien and the site of his famed victory. Reflected in the ship's motto, "Loyalty, Unity, Freedom", are the qualities of Captain O'Brien's contribution to the American Revolution. The motto also displays the guile of a long line of U.S. Navy sailors on ships named ''O'Brien''.

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="nolines">
An aerial starboard bow view of the destroyer USS O'BRIEN (DD 975) underway - DPLA - d5d74184a1c650fe48ff688a869cf376.jpeg|USS ''O'Brien'' on 6 May 1983
330-CFD-DN-SC-92-06790 (22111694255).jpg|USS ''O'Brien'' on 1 April 1987
The destroyer USS O'BRIEN (DD 975) pulls alongside the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70). A Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 2 (HC-2) SH-3 Sea King helicop - DPLA - 1fe566b7b00f2484fc91931d4f1539c5.jpeg|USS ''O'Brien'' on 1 October 1988
DD-975.jpg|USS ''O'Brien'' at [[Port of Yokosuka]], Japan on 14 October 2002
US Navy 040924-N-7949W-002 Crewmembers assigned to the Spruance-class destroyer USS O'Brien (DD 975) leave the ship for the final time.jpg|USS ''O'Brien'''s decommissioning ceremony on 24 September 2004
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[List of destroyers of the United States Navy]]

==References==
<references />

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DD975|title=Naval Vessel Register entry for ''O'Brien''}}
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/975.htm navsource.org: USS ''O'Brien'']
* [http://www.united-states-navy.com/dd/dd975.htm united-states-navy.com: USS ''O'Brien'']
* [http://www.dd-975.com/ USS ''O'Brien''Crew pictures]

{{Spruance class destroyer}}
{{2006 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien (Dd-975)}}
[[Category:Spruance-class destroyers]]
[[Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Gulf War ships of the United States]]
[[Category:1976 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Ships sunk as targets]]