Professional Association For Arleigh Burke Crewmembers And Supporters
The Association has recently learned of the passing of OSC (SW) Teddy Dewayne Easter, Plankowner
A Celebration Of Life will be held Tuesday, June 24, 2025, 4:00PM – 6:00PM, at Ocean Lakes Clubhouse, 881 Old Dam Neck Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23454
The latest oral history interview in our History Project is now posted – interview with Andy Summers.
Andy Summers was a key leader in DDG-51 design from initial concept studies, becoming Ship Design Manager as construction was completed and the ship commissioned. If there is anyone who knew why the ship was designed the way is was, it is Andy. And that design has stood the test of time.
The fact that it cost what we said it was going to cost, the fact that it weighed what we said it would, the fact that it actually worked, is for the US Navy not easy on new ships.
You could see there’s still problems, new carriers, LCSs and other ships, all kinds of problems. New classes are tough, really tough. And a lot of these guys that work the 25th ship and they’re tweaking things; it’s not that much risk. But when you’re on the new ship, everything’s a risk.
Andy Summer Interview, page 42
Andy also provided some key historical documents for the association archives, including:
DDG51 Guided-Missile Destroyer Contract Design History – Naval Sea Sysems Command – Jan 1985
DDG51 Guided·Missle Destroyer Preliminary Design History – Naval Sea Systems Command – June 1984 (Rev Aug 1985)
Former Bath Iron Works President William “Bill” Haggett, who led the shipyard from 1981 to 1992, passed away on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Haggett led BIW through some of its most significant program changes, including the successful competition to become the follow yard in producing Ticonderoga-class cruisers and the critical competition to become the lead yard for the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the DDG 51s that have become the longest running Navy shipbuilding program.
https://x.com/GDBIW/status/1897043252760436846
LCDR Lindsey Boyle, DDG51 Plans and Tactics Officer, was recognized with the Admiral Arleigh Burke Surface Warfare Operational Excellence Award – Officer East at the Surface Navy Association Jan 2025 National Symposium.
The award was presented by VADM Vice Adm. Brendan McLane and Rear Adm. Joseph Cahill.
These awards recognize Surface Warriors who are leaders in their fields.
FCA1 Julian Smith was selected as the US Navy Awardee for the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance 2024 Missile Defender of the Year
This is a special night where we gather annually here in the National Capital Region to recognize the best of the best in the missile defense profession. On January 17th in Alexandria Virginia, the 15th annual Missile Defender of the Year awards ceremony took place. In the National Security area, 2024 has been the biggest and most consequential year for missile defense in our history.
United States Navy
Awardee: Fire Controlman Petty Officer 1st Class Julian Smith
Presented by Admiral James Kilby
Recognized for:
Fire Controlman Petty Officer 1st Class Julian Smith distinguished himself for this award by “Revolutionizing fleet tactics,” fundamentally changing the execution of BMD missions. By spearheading this tactical development, he played a critical role in the advancement of tactics, techniques, and procedures at the Task Force and numbered Fleet Commander level, showcasing performance far above what is expected of a first-class petty officer.
https://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/alert/2024-missile-defender-of-the-year/
Awardees receive one of Riki Ellison’s trademark MDAA footballs (if they can catch a throw from a linebacker). Riki was a national championship winning linebacker with USC, then winning three Super Bowls with the 49ers, before working with Dr Edward Teller in early National Missile Defense and later founding the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.
“Weakening the authority of commanding officers to exercise their best judgment in the fog of combat should not be an outcome of the Red Sea investigation.“
By Vice Admiral John Morgan, U.S. Navy (Retired) and Captain John Esposito, U.S. Navy (Retired)
January 2025 – Proceedings – Vol. 151/1/1,463
Read at USNI.org
The Association has recently learned of the passing of Gordon Dale Mathis, GMC (SW), Plankowner.
Funeral service is Wednesday, January 8th at 2:00 PM at Sturtevant Funeral Home, Bennetts Creek Chapel, Suffolk Virginia.
Commander Ethan Reber relieved Commander Tyrchra Bowman as Commanding Officer on December 19, 2024.
Fair Winds and Following Seas to Commander Bowman, who led the ship through two successful FDNF-E deployments, including the first SM-3 operational employment. We look forward to continued success of Arleigh Burke under the leadership of Commander Reber.
USS Arleigh Burke Association