USS Halyburton (FFG-40)

USS Halyburton (FFG-40), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, is a ship of the United States Navy named for Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William D. Halyburton, Jr. (1924–1945). Halyburton was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism while serving with the 5th Marines, during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

USS Halyburton (FFG-40)
History
United States
Name: Halyburton
Namesake: Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William D. Halyburton, Jr.
Builder: Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington
Laid down: September 26, 1980
Launched: October 13, 1981
Commissioned: January 7, 1984
Decommissioned:
  • September 6, 2014 (ceremonial)
  • September 8, 2014 (NVR)
Stricken: September 8, 2014
Homeport: Mayport, Florida
Identification:
Motto:
  • "Non sibi, sed Patriae"
  • (Not for self, but for Country)
Status: Stricken, to be disposed of
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate
Displacement: 4,100 long tons (4,200 t), full load
Length: 453 feet (138 m), overall
Beam: 45 feet (14 m)
Draft: 22 feet (6.7 m)
Propulsion:
Speed: over 29 knots (54 km/h)
Range: 5,000 nautical miles at 18 knots (9,300 km at 33 km/h)
Complement: 15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-60 LAMPS detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted maintainers
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 AN/SLQ-32
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 2 × SH-60 LAMPS III helicopters

Construction

Halyburton was laid down on September 26, 1980 by the Todd Pacific Shipyards Co., Seattle Division, Seattle, Washington; launched on October 13, 1981, sponsored by Mrs. William David Halyburton, Sr., mother of PhM2 Halyburton; and commissioned on January 7, 1984, Commander Robert K. Peters in command.

Operations
Halyburton replenishes from the battleship USS Iowa during Ocean Safari 85

Over its commissioned service, Halyburton earned numerous Battle 'E' awards for combat readiness. Halyburton was also one of the escorts for USS Constitution on July 21, 1997 as "Old Ironsides" celebrated her 200th birthday and her first unassisted sail in 116 years.

Maersk Alabama incident
Main article: Maersk Alabama hijacking

On April 8, 2009, Somalia pirates captured U.S.-flagged motor vessel Maersk Alabama and her 22 crewmembers, 300 miles from the Somali coast. The crew recaptured their ship along with one of the pirates, but the three surviving pirates held the vessel’s master, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage on a lifeboat. Halyburton was part of a U.S. Navy rescue mission, along with amphibious assault ship Boxer (LHD-4), guided missile destroyer Bainbridge (DDG-96), off the Horn of Africa. A ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system provided timely intelligence during the confrontation. U.S. Navy SEALs, on board Bainbridge, brought the standoff to an end by simultaneously shooting and killing all three pirates in the lifeboat, then being towed by Bainbridge, and rescued Phillips on April 12. The fourth pirate was on board USS Bainbridge at the time of the shooting, negotiating the hostage's release, and was taken into custody.[1][2]

Constable's Dues ritual

On July 16, 2009, Halyburton visited the Port of London, mooring in South Dock, West India Quay for three nights. On Saturday July 18, she became the first non-British ship to take part in the Tower of London's Constable's Dues ritual. Dating back to the 14th century, the ceremony involved the crew being challenged for entry into the British capital, mirroring an ancient custom in which a ship had to unload some of its cargo for the sovereign to enter the city. Commander Michael P Huck and Ship's Officer, Lieutenant Commander Tony Mortimer led the crew to the Tower's West Gate, where after being challenged for entry by the Yeoman Gaoler armed with his axe, they were marched to Tower Green accompanied by Beefeaters, where they delivered a keg of Castillo Silver Rum, representing the dues, to the Tower's Constable, Sir Roger Wheeler.[3]

2014

Halyburton departed her homeport of Naval Station Mayport in January 2014, for her final deployment. She was scheduled to be decommissioned in late 2014.[4]

On February 6, 2014, a Panamanian helicopter crashed while working with Halyburton on illicit trafficking operations. The Bell 412 helicopter had nine people aboard, one of whom died in the crash.[5]

Halyburton was ceremonially decommissioned on September 6, 2014 at Naval Station Mayport.[6][7] Halyburton was formally decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register, September 8, 2014. Ex-Halyburton was listed as being berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[8] She may be transferred to the Turkish Navy in 2015.[9] In 2013, a bill to transfer Halyburton to Turkey in 2015 passed the US House of Representatives. However, the Senate did not take action on the bill and it did not become law.[10][11]

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References
  1. "American captain rescued, pirates killed, U.S. official says". CNN. April 12, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  2. Evans, Mark L. (July 14, 2015). "Halyburton (FFG-40)". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  3. "US ship in ancient Tower ceremony". BBC News. July 18, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  4. "USS Halyburton Deploys". Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  5. Day, LT Mark (February 6, 2014). "USS Halyburton Assists in Rescue of Panamanian Crashed Helicopter". Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  6. Santarelli, LTJG Stephanie (September 8, 2014). "Halyburton is Decommissioned". US Navy News Service. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  7. "Frigate Halyburton decommissioned after 30 years of service". Navy Times. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  8. "Halyburton". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  9. "Farewell, Halyburton,American's First Combat Drone Carrier". War is Boring. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  10. "H.R. 6649 (112th): Naval Vessels Transfer Act of 2012". Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  11. "Congress rejects surplus U.S. frigates for Turkey". World Tribune. 15 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.

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