Official websites use .mil
Secure .mil websites use HTTPS
Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) 31
KE KOA O KE KAI - The Warriors of the Sea
POLYNESIAN WAR MASK AND OCEAN
Represents the island homeport, Warrior Spirit and Pacific reach of Destroyer Squadron 31
OARED WAR CANOE
Represents the squadron ships working in unison
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 Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC) for USS MOMSEN (DDG 92) and USS DECATUR (DDG 73). As ISIC, COMDESRON 31 is responsible for direct oversight of the training, maintenance, and readiness of these eight surface combatants.
Click here for most recent past leadership
1000 North Rd, STE 228 JBPHH, HI 96860-4460