USS Crommelin

Individually and as a fighting family, they gained fame in World War II, attaining outstanding combat records and multiple decorations.

Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyard, Seattle, Washington on 27 April 1979 as part of the Fiscal year 1979 program, Crommelin was laid down on 30 May 1980, launched on 2 July 1981, and commissioned on 18 June 1983.

On 14 January 1985, the ship was underway from San Diego for READIEX 85-1, the second major fleet exercise for LAMPS MK III, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light, Four Three, Detachment ONE embarked USS Crommelin.

During this deployment Crommelin distinguished herself by setting a Fifth Fleet record for number of vessels boarded and tonnage of illegal Iraqi petroleum seized and diverted.

Crommelin completed a demanding nine-week private sector SRA in early 1999, where she made major repairs and upgrades throughout the ship.

With her training cycle complete, Crommelin departed Pearl Harbor on 24 August 1999 for a three-month deployment to the Eastern Pacific in support of counter narcotics operations.

Upon her return to Pearl Harbor on 24 November 1999, Crommelin immediately began the work up cycle for her next deployment with the Abraham Lincoln battle group in August 2000.

From 12 May 2004 to 12 November 2004, Crommelin was deployed to the SOUTHPAC AOR with Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 105 in support of the war on drugs, conducting counter-narcotics operations in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

In that time, she became the most second most successful counter-narcotics ship with the seizure of 44,806 lb (20,324 kg) of cocaine, including 26,369 pounds from the Belize-flagged vessel San Jose on 23 September 2004.

She held that record until the bust of the Panamanian flagged motor vessel Gatun off the coast of Panama in March 2007, carrying approximately 42,845 lb (19,434 kg) of cocaine.

[2] During this deployment, America's Battle Frigate also participated in exercises UNITAS-04 and PANAMAX-04, training the Navies and Coast Guards of various Central- and South-American countries in counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism tactics at sea.

Upon returning to home port, she entered an intensive dry dock period and as of May 2007, is preparing herself for continued operations in the wars on terror and drugs.

Nearing the end of the deployment the frigate was awaiting the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington into the Eastern Pacific AOR for a refueling operation.

As the two ships came alongside each other George Washington had a major fire break out onboard damaging 92 spaces within as well as shutting down part of their nuclear reactor.

She quickly made for San Diego to conduct repairs while Crommelin was left short on food and even lower on fuel.

The central chevronel over which an anchor is placed alludes to the surface ship career of Vice Admiral Henry Crommelin, the second-oldest and first to serve of the brothers.

The linked chevronels suggest the strength and determination of U.S. naval forces in their efforts to regain enemy held territories of the Pacific Ocean throughout World War II.

The Crommelin brothers.
Crommelin outward bound past Diamond Head, May 2004.
Crommelin with an Argentine Navy P-3 Orion during joint operations at the Panama Canal .
A US Coast Guard C-130 flies overhead with the FSM patrol boat Independence in the foreground.