USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) –
USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) was recently awarded the 2021 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) Bloodhound Award representing the best in the Atlantic Fleet., Mar. 9.
The Naval Surface Forces award is presented annually to one Pacific Fleet and one Atlantic Fleet ship for exceptional performance in the ASW mission area. Roosevelt maintains one of the Fleet’s most advanced ASW capabilities and her crew employs these assets with great technical skill.
Though Roosevelt is new to the Forward Deployed Naval Forces Europe (FNDF-E) force, completing a successful home port shift from Mayport, Florida. in March of last year, she participated and excelled in numerous anti-submarine warfare exercises and missions within the Sixth Fleet operating area.
"Before our homeport shift to Sixth Fleet, we knew that Roosevelt's ASW capabilities would be put to the test in the Barents Sea, Black Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea,” said Lt.j.g Evan P. Oltmanns, Roosevelt’s anti-submarine warfare officer. “What we didn't know is just how much we would accomplish. I am incredibly proud of my team and what they have accomplished in 2020."
During the NATO Allied Maritime Command-led exercise Dynamic Mongoose 2020, Roosevelt conducted simulated integrated submarine engagements with USS Indiana (SSN 789) as well as naval forces from Canada, France, Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Roosevelt was an integral player in the exercise boasting the SQQ-89A(V)15 sonar suite and an embedded, organic MH-60R Knighthawk helicopter capability.
"Roosevelt’s ASW team diligently pursues excellence in training and real-world operations. Their expertise paired with the most advanced technology in the Fleet has distinguished Roosevelt as a capable leader in anti-submarine warfare,” said Cmdr. Ryan Kendall, commanding officer of USS Roosevelt. “We are eager to continue honing our skills and working with our NATO partners in future ASW exercises and missions.”
In a ceremony later this month, Capt. Joseph Gagliano, commodore, Destroyer Squadron 60, will present Roosevelt with the Bloodhound Pennant which will be flown throughout 2021.
"The Bloodhound award is that award you find out about in 'A' school but seems to be so rare that you rarely meet someone who has won it,” said Sonar Technician 1st Class Thomas D. Buchinsky. “To have won the Bloodhound and be seen as the best ASW ship in the Atlantic fleet is a great honor.”
U.S. Navy vessels routinely conduct training with allies and partners in order to increase capacity and capability as they work together to strengthen regional ties. The ship’s operations in the European and African theaters strengthen interoperability among NATO allies and partners and demonstrate collective resolve to regional security and peace.
Roosevelt is one of four U.S. Navy destroyers based in Rota, Spain, and assigned to Commander, Task Force 65 in support of NATO’s Integrated Air Missile Defense architecture. These Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe ships have the flexibility to operate throughout the waters of Europe and Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic Circle, demonstrating their mastery of the maritime domain.
U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.