DESTROYER SQUADRON THREE ONE first appeared in the Organization List of the
United States Navy in September 1939.  During World War II, DESRON 31 ships
saw duty as members of the Northeastern Escort Force in Atlantic Fleet
convoy escort operations.  One squadron ship, USS TRUXTUN (DD 229) was
credited with the first sighting of an enemy submarine in the "Short-of-War"
period just prior to World War II.  On 31 October 1941, another squadron
ship, USS REUBEN JAMES (DD 245) became the first U.S. warship lost to enemy
action during World War II when she was torpedoed by a German U-Boat while
on convoy escort operations.

Disestablished in San Diego, California following World War II, DESRON 31
remained inactive until 01 February 1968, when the squadron was reactivated
as a unit of the Seventh Fleet operating in waters off Southeast Asia.
Deactivated again in early 1970, the squadron was reactivated for a second
time on 15 June 1971 and has remained on continuous active duty since then.

On 01 September 1985, DESRON 31 was designated as the Pacific Fleet
Ant-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Squadron and was tasked with enhancing
interoperability between U.S. and allied forces.  It served as the core for
ASW training and has fostered ASW tactical development.  While no longer
acting as the Pacific Fleet ASW squadron, DESRON 31 remains a key ASW
Surface Component for Pacific Fleet.  DESRON 31 shifted homeport to its
current location in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1991.

Between April 1993 and April 1997, COMDESRON 31, as an operational element
of Fifth and Seventh Fleets, completed four deployments to the Arabian Gulf
in support of Maritime Interception Operations and Operations DESERT STORM,
SOUTHERN WATCH and VIGILANT WARRIOR.  While in the Gulf, DESRON 31 also
coordinated and conducted fourteen multi-lateral exercises with naval units
from ten different allied and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.

In August 2002, COMDESRON 31 embarked USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) as Sea
Combat Commander (SCC) for Carrier Strike Group actions in support of
Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM.  COMDESRON 31, as Submarine
Operations Coordinating Authority (SCOA), coordinated submarine operations
to support SSN Tomahawk strikes and in conjunction with Commander, Task
Force 50, was instrumental in developing and implementing Theater Ballistic
Missile Defense (TBMD) and Air Defense CONOPS.

In January 2005, COMDESRON 31 embarked USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) as SCC for
Carrier Strike Group actions in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and
IRAQI FREEDOM.  DESRON 31 returned to Pearl Harbor on 01 August 2005
following a seven-month, around-the-world deployment.

In June 2006, COMDESRON 31 embarked USS O'KANE (DDG 77) as Deputy Bi-Lateral
Force (BIF) and SCC in support of Rim of the Pacific 2006.  COMDESRON 31
also deployed on a four-month cruise to Southeast Asia as Mission Commander
for the 2007 PELELIU Pacific Partnership humanitarian assistance deployment
and  repeated their Pacific Partnership deployment efforts in 2008.

From 2009 through 2012, COMDESRON 31 conducted a series of bi-lateral
exercises with the countries of Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia,
Republic of the Philippines, Cambodia and Singapore in support of Exercises
Cooperative Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and Southeast Asia
Cooperation against Terrorism (SEACAT).

In 2016, COMDESRON 31 was the command element for Pacific Surface Action
Group (PACSAG), leading USS MOMSEN (DDG 92), USS DECATUR (DDG 73), USS
SPRUANCE (DDG 111) and two embarked detachments from HSM-49 Helicopter
Maritime Strike Squadron. PACSAG conducted real-world operations in the
Western Pacific for seven months, operationalizing the two concepts of Third
Fleet Forward and Distributed Lethality.  In 2017, COMDESRON 31 successfully
completed PASCAG 2, leading USS STERETT (DDG 104), and USS DEWEY (DDG 105)
in the Western Pacific for four months.

In 2018, COMDESRON 31 was the mission commander for Pacific Partnership
which provided humanitarian assistance.  Countries visited included
Malaysia, Palau, Yap, Thailand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.  COMDESRON 31 was
also the Surface Task Group commander for Pacific Dragon 2018, the largest
Allied Maritime Ballistic Missile Defense event in Indo-Pacific Command
history.

In 2019, three COMDESRON 31 destroyers deployed mission-ready to
Indo-Pacific areas of operation.  Their training, readiness, and technical
acumen provided COMSEVENTHFLT operational commanders with exceptional
warfighting capabilities.

In 2020, two COMDESRON 31 destroyers deployed mission-ready to Indo-Pacific
areas of operation.   Additionally in 2020, COMDESRON 31 was the mission
commander for Pacific Partnership which provided humanitarian and disaster
relief assistance in the INDOPACIFIC area of responsibility (AOR).
COMDESRON 31 was also the Surface Task Group commander for two emergent
first-of-kind national taskings and Pacific Dragon 2020.

Currently, COMDESRON 31 is the Operational Immediate Superior in Command
(ISIC) for USS MOMSEN (DDG 92), USS OKANE (DDG 77), USS BENFOLD (DDG 65),
USS SAMPSON (102). USS CHUNG HOON (DDG 93), USS HALSEY (DDG 98), and
USS DANIEL INOUYE (DDG 118). As operational ISIC, COMDESRON 31 directly supports
these seven surface combatants in the execution of their various mission taskings.

Click here for most recent past leadership