| US Navy Commissions Missile Destroyer Named After War Hero |
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The US Navy proved its love for tradition and respect for war heroes once again as it commissioned its new missile destroyer named after Scio, New York native Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham. Jason is the first Marine to have won the highest gallantry award of The United States, the Congressional Medal of Honor in the War on Terror and the first person to win the prestigious honor after the military debacle known as the Vietnam War.
The marine threw his body to cover a live grenade and saved the life of at least two of his fellow marines during the Operation Iraqi Freedom. The new ship U. S. S. Jason Dunham is the fifty ninth guided missile destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class which is made by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship was christened by the mother of the marine Debra Dunham. The keel of the ship was laid down on April 11, 2008 and it was launched on August 1, 2009. The ship has been assigned Norfolk, Virginia as its home port. The motto of the ship is 'Semper Fidelis, Semper Fortis' which translates to Always Faithful, Always Strong. The total displacement of this new US Navy ship is 9200 long tons. Its total length is 510 feet, its beam is 66 feet and its draft is 33 ft. The US Navy has deployed a crew of 380 officers and enlisted personnel to man the new ship. USS Jason Dunham has speed of up to 30 knots. It also carries a couple of SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters which can be used in anti ship and anti submarine roles as well limited naval air warfare. The most important advantage that US navy is drawing from this ship is that it is built around the Aegis Combat System. Just like the namesake of the ship gave his life to protect his fellow marines, USS Jason Dunham is meant to be a shield against missile attacks. The ship uses very powerful radar and computer systems to track any incoming missile and has heavy armament to destroy the projectile in flight. The ship can be counted as one of the most powerful destroyers ever built by the US. The ship also makes use of special stealth design and technologies to make it less vulnerable to detection by enemy radars. The ship itself uses the SPY 1 radar which is known to be one of the best phased array radars in use currently. The ship is under the first command of Commander M. Scott. The Commander along with the crew remarked that they were humbled by the sacrifice of the brave marine and considered serving on this ship a great honor. Related Articles
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