US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) paid a visit to Pearl Harbor on December 4 on the return leg of a six-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific and the Persian Gulf.
Pinckney left her homeport of San Diego in June with an embarked detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75.
Part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, the ship and her crew sailed nearly 52,000 miles during the deployment – equivalent to roughly twice around the world. Sailors participated in high-value unit escort missions and supported a joint task force during president Donald Trump’s Southeast Asia visit.
The crew also provided support to Operation Inherent Resolve in the Arabian Gulf and conducted training and operations with foreign navies including the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy.
“Over the last six months we have worked with Nimitz Strike Group and our international partners to ensure maritime security and the free flow of commerce from San Diego to the Middle East,” said Cmdr. Frank Walter, commanding officer, Pinckney.
HSM 75 flew more than 600 hours during deployment, executing 213 flights from Pinckney in support of strike group operations and national tasking. Throughout her deployment, Pinckney carried out two Strait of Malacca transits, 12 escorts of USNS and US-flagged cargo and support vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el Mandeb.
Pinckney visited various ports during the deployment, including Pearl Harbor; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Pattaya, Thailand; and Duqm, Oman. Sailors volunteered to spend time and play with children at the Child Protection and Development Center in Pattaya City, Thailand, fostering a positive relationship with the local community.
During the deployment, 114 Sailors qualified as Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialists and 55 Sailors qualified Enlisted Air Warfare Specialists. Administrative personnel processed 82 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and gained 39 and transferred 23 personnel while sustaining 15 changes in personnel routing instruction messages.
Supply personnel handled more than 6,700 pounds of outgoing mail, received more than 375 pallets of food costing more than $600,000 and generated more than $210,000 in sales, contributing $50,000 in ship store profits to morale, welfare and recreation.
The Pinckney crew received the Force Health and Wellness Award, also known as the Green “H.” The award recognizes sailors who have demonstrated their dedication to helping shipmates make constructive changes in their life by conducting activities like CPR training, smoking cessation courses, regular health fairs, fitness sessions, and education on healthy living practices. Pinckney also received the Battle Effectiveness Award, known as the Battle “E,” for work conducted in 2016. The Battle “E” is presented throughout the navy to ships whose crews consistently exhibit excellence in wartime capabilities and optimal mission readiness within their hull class and region.