USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) Awarded Navy Battle “E” Excellence Award during Change of Command Ceremony

by Courtesy Story Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

26 April 2024 SAN DIEGO – Cmdr. Peter C. Schunk relieved Cmdr. Kevin M. Schaeffer as commanding officer of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) during a change of command ceremony in San Diego beneath the destroyer’s bow on the deck of the General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) floating dry-dock, April 26.

The crew of USS Chung-Hoon was awarded the Navy’s coveted Battle Effectiveness or Battle ‘E’ Award for the year 2023. The award was presented by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) Nine Capt. Emily A. Cathey.

“It was an honor and privilege to serve with this truly incredible crew,” said Schaeffer. “Being awarded the Battle ‘E’ for 2023 is a testament to and direct reflection of the hard work this team put in day in and day out. This Chung-Hoon Ohana is something special and serving with them is an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life. IMUA!”

The Navy’s Battle ‘E’ recognizes sustained superior performance in an operational environment and sustained continuous readiness. Governed by Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Battle ‘E’ is awarded each year to the ship or unit in a particular group or squadron that has best exemplified these values. USS Chung-Hoon earned the award for faithfully and proficiently executing and overcoming a year of demanding missions and challenges.

Chung-Hoon began its deployment to the western Pacific Ocean in late December 2022 and spent the first seven months of 2023 executing a variety of missions in the region. The crew promoted a free and open Indo-Pacific, executed freedom of navigation operations, protected free trade, and projected American forward presence. The crew not only proved their tactical proficiency but also contributed to the strengthening of foreign relations with partners and allies in the region through combined military exercises and in-port community events.

Following the deployment, USS Chung-Hoon served as the “ready-duty” ship at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Often called upon and never failing to get underway. As the “ready-duty” ship, USS Chung-Hoon executed missions in both U.S. Third and Seventh fleet. Shortly after returning to homeport, the crew set sail again to participate in the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise Black Widow 2023.

In November, USS Chung-Hoon shifted homeports from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to Naval Base San Diego. Now in San Diego, the ship has begun undergoing extensive upgrades during a depot modernization period.

USS Chung-Hoon is an Arleigh Burke-class Guided Missile Destroyer. She is named in honor of Rear Admiral Gordon Pai’ea Chung-Hoon who earned the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism while commanding and saving the destroyer USS Sigsbee after it suffered a direct Japanese aircraft kamikaze attack during World War II.