On 26 July 2003, a twilight commissioning ceremony was held at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California.

He married Corinne DeForest Montague, great-granddaughter of Commodore Arthur Sinclair, and a first cousin and close confidante of Wallis Simpson.

Simpson gained notoriety for her controversial relationship with King Edward VIII of Great Britain who abdicated his crown to marry her in 1936.

Lieutenant Commander Mustin, also a Naval Academy graduate (class of 1962) earned a Bronze Star during the Vietnam War for river patrol combat action.

In July 2006, Mustin and her crew of 300 were deployed to Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, home of the Navy's Seventh Fleet, for permanent assignment.

[7] On 28 May 2020, Mustin conducted a freedom of navigation operation past the Paracel Islands, which the Navy said it "upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging the restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and also by challenging China’s claim to straight baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands".

[8][9] On 19 December 2020, Mustin transited the contested Taiwan Strait, which the US Navy said was "in accordance with international law" to "demonstrate the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

It perfectly encapsulates this moment in time as the US Navy, and the rest of the western world, looks on as China’s military continues its meteoric rise.

"[12]Later, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener claimed the photo was evidence that the carrier had "operating restrictions" with her escorts which allowed the US warship to get so close.

[14] The shield has background of blue with four gold stars, an inflamed delta, a triple barreled battleship gun, annulet and polestar.The crest consists thirteen stars over a Surface Warfare Officer device bounded by palm fronds and dolphins.The motto is written on a scroll of white with blue trim.The ship's motto is "Toujours L'Audace" or "Always be Bold".