The guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) return to its San Diego homeport July 22, after a six-month maiden deployment to the Western Pacific and U.S. Central Command area of Responsibility (AOR).
Throughout the deployment, Stockdale operated within three carrier strike groups to include USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) (to which Stockdale is assigned), USS George Washington (CVN 73) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Stockdale also integrated into the USS Essex (LHD 2) expeditionary strike group during Cobra Gold 11, completed an Indonesian Freedom of Navigation mission, and a Spratly Island transit.
Commissioned April 18, 2009, Stockdale’s mission includes maritime ballistic missile defense, a core capability of the Navy, which enhances deterrence by providing an umbrella of protection to forward-deployed forces while contributing to the larger architecture planned for defense of the United States.
Stockdale’s port calls included Guam; Sepangar, Malaysia; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; Laem Chabang, Thailand; Singapore, and Chinhae, Korea.
Stockdale helps provide deterrence, promote peace and security, preserve freedom of the sea and humanitarian/disaster response within 3rd Fleet’s 50-million square mile area of responsibility in the Eastern Pacific, as well as supporting the Navy’s Maritime Strategy when forward deployed.
[mappress] Source: navy, June 27, 2011;