USS Milius

	USS Milius USS Milius on 20 May 2003
History
United States
Name	Milius
Namesake	Paul L. Milius
Ordered	8 April 1992
Builder	Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down	8 August 1994
Launched	1 August 1995
Sponsored by	Annette Milius
Christened	28 October 1995
Commissioned	23 November 1996
Homeport	Yokosuka
Identification	MMSI number: 367199000; Callsign: NPLM; ; Hull number: DDG-69;
Motto	Alii Prae Me; (Others Before Me);
Honours and; awards	See Awards
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement	Light: approx. 6,800 long tons (6,900 t); Full: approx. 8,900 long tons (9,000 t);
Length	505 ft (154 m)
Beam	59 ft (18 m)
Draft	31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion	2 × shafts
Speed	In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	33 commissioned officers; 38 chief petty officers; 210 enlisted personnel;
Sensors and ; processing systems	AN/SPY-1D PESA 3D radar (Flight I, II, IIA); AN/SPY-6(V)1 AESA 3D radar (Flight III); AN/SPS-67(V)3 or (V)5 surface search radar (DDG-51 – DDG-118); AN/SPQ-9B surface search radar (DDG-119 onwards); AN/SPS-73(V)12 surface search/navigation radar (DDG-51 – DDG-86); BridgeMaster E surface search/navigation radar (DDG-87 onwards); 3 × AN/SPG-62 fire-control radar; Mk 46 optical sight system (Flight I, II, IIA); Mk 20 electro-optical sight system (Flight III); AN/SQQ-89 ASW combat system:; AN/SQS-53C sonar array; AN/SQR-19 tactical towed array sonar (Flight I, II, IIA); TB-37U multi-function towed array sonar (DDG-113 onwards); AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III shipboard system;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare suite; AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasures; Mk 36 Mod 12 decoy launching systems; Mk 53 Nulka decoy launching systems; Mk 59 decoy launching systems;
Armament	Guns:; 1 × 5-inch (127 mm)/54 mk 45 mod 1/2 (lightweight gun); 2 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS; 2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Mk 38 machine gun system; 4 × 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) caliber guns; Missiles:; 2 × Mk 141 Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher; 1 × 29-cell, 1 × 61-cell (90 total cells) Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS):; RIM-66M surface-to-air missile; RIM-156 surface-to-air missile; RIM-161 anti-ballistic missile; BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile; RUM-139 vertical launch ASROC; Torpedoes:; 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes:; Mark 46 lightweight torpedo; Mark 50 lightweight torpedo; Mark 54 lightweight torpedo;
Aircraft carried	1 × Sikorsky MH-60R

USS Milius (DDG-69) is an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy. It is the first United States Navy Ship named after a POW/MIA from the Vietnam War. She is named after Captain Paul L. Milius, a Naval Aviator presumed killed following the crash of his aircraft over Laos in February 1968. Captain Milius's daughter, Annette, became the sponsor and later christened the ship named in honor of her father.

Service history

In January 2005, Milius participated in Operation Unified Assistance. On 6 December 2006, the ship successfully launched a Block IV Tomahawk cruise missile for the first time in a test of the Block IV configuration. The launch took place in the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Sea Test Range off of California. The missile flew 869 miles before impacting its target on the land range at China Lake, California.

On 12 September 2007, the Embassy of the United States, Manila stated that the arrival of the destroyers USS Chung-Hoon and USS Milius was a goodwill visit to strengthen Philippines–United States relations.^[5]

On 23 November 2021, Milius conducted a transit of the Taiwan Strait.^[6]

On 9 August 2023, The Navy announced plans to extend the ship's service life beyond the initial 35 years, intending to keep Milius in service until at least 2035.^[7]

Milius in May 2007
USS Milius in San Diego Bay, February 7, 2017

Deployments

26 May 1998 – September 1998: Maiden deployment^[8]
22 June 2000 – December 2000: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf^[8]
2 November 2002 – 2 June 2003: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf^[8]
6 December 2004 – 6 June 2005: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf^[8]
10 April 2007 – 8 October 2007: Scheduled Deployment with BHR ESG^[8]
December 2008 – July 2009: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf^[8]
18 May 2010 – 16 December 2010: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf^[8]
11 January 2012 – 11 September 2012: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf^[8]
20 October 2014 – 25 June 2015: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf^[9]
May 2018 – TBD: Forward deployed to 7th Fleet, USS Milius changes homeport from San Diego, CA to Yokosuka, Japan.^[10]

Coat of arms

The ship’s crest is designed in remembrance of the military service of the ship’s namesake, Captain Paul Lloyd Milius, and the courage and dedication that promoted his selfless act of heroism.^[11]

Dark blue and gold are colors traditionally used by the Navy and denote the sea and excellence. The shield itself reflects the power of the Aegis shield. The double-edged battle-ax symbolizes the power of the modern guided missile destroyer. The battle-ax harnesses is a warning that peace should be maintained; provoked and unleashed, the battle-ax is a punishing offensive weapon capable of delivering crushing blows. The trident reflects the prowess of MILIUS, capable of projecting sea power on the land, in the air, and on and beneath the sea. The crossed swords are the modern Navy sword of today and the cutlass of the John Paul Jones era symbolizing the enduring tradition and heritage of the United States Navy. The border, for unity, is red highlighting readiness for action and sacrifice, if necessary. The seven bolts on the border represent the seven lives saved by Captain Milius’ heroic action.^[11]

The lion suggests Captain Milius’ extraordinary heroism as the aircraft commander in Observation Squadron Sixty-Seven for which he received the Navy Cross, represented by the cross plate, and underscored his selfless courage and inspiring devotion to duty.^[11]

Alii Prae Me, or “Others Before Myself,” was chosen to reflect the personal ethic held throughout Captain Milius’ military career and his selfless act under fire.^[11]

Awards

USS Milius has been awarded the Navy Battle "E" four times

01-Jan-2002 to 31-Dec-2002
01-Jan-2012 to 31-Dec-2012^[12]
01-Jan-2015 to 31-Dec-2015
01-Jan-2019 to 31-Dec-2019
PACFLT 2003 Retention Excellence Award Winner
PACFLT 2002 Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
PACFLT Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Bloodhound Award - 2019
Spokane Trophy - (2019, 2022)

Ship awards

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Navy "E" Ribbon	with three Battle E devices
	National Defense Service Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon	with one silver service star

References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

^ "USS Milius Bids Farewell to San Diego and Begins Transit to Japan". public.navy.mil. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Mk46 MOD 1 Optical Sight System". Kollmorgen. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
^ Rockwell, David (2017-07-12). "The Kollmorgen/L-3 KEO Legacy". Teal Group. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
^ Hart, Jackie (2023-12-17). "Decoy Launch System Installed Aboard USS Ramage". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
^ "US warships arrive in RP on 'goodwill visit'". newsinfo.inquirer.net. 12 September 2007. Archived from the original on 14 September 2007.
^ Wilson, Alex (23 November 2021). "Navy sends another warship through Taiwan Strait, nearing a dozen transits this year". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
^ "Navy extends service lives of four more destroyers". navytimes.com. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Named in honor of Navy pilot Captain Paul L. Milius". Archived from the original on 2013-06-27.
^ "USS Milius Returns from Deployment > U.S. Indo-Pacific Command > 2015".
^ "PHOTOS: USS Milius Arrives In New Homeport Yokosuka - USNI News". 22 May 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "USS Milius". www.public.navy.mil. Archived from the original on 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-09-03. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ "Milius earns Battle 'E'". Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2014-03-07.

External links

Media related to USS Milius (DDG-69) at Wikimedia Commons
Official USS Milius Web site
navsource.org: USS Milius

[1] "USS Milius Bids Farewell to San Diego and Begins Transit to Japan". public.navy.mil. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.

[2] "Mk46 MOD 1 Optical Sight System". Kollmorgen. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-01-26.

[3] Rockwell, David (2017-07-12). "The Kollmorgen/L-3 KEO Legacy". Teal Group. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.

[4] Hart, Jackie (2023-12-17). "Decoy Launch System Installed Aboard USS Ramage". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2023-01-26.

[5] "US warships arrive in RP on 'goodwill visit'". newsinfo.inquirer.net. 12 September 2007. Archived from the original on 14 September 2007.

[6] Wilson, Alex (23 November 2021). "Navy sends another warship through Taiwan Strait, nearing a dozen transits this year". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 23 September 2022.

[7] "Navy extends service lives of four more destroyers". navytimes.com. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.

[public.navy.mil-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Named in honor of Navy pilot Captain Paul L. Milius". Archived from the original on 2013-06-27.

[9] "USS Milius Returns from Deployment > U.S. Indo-Pacific Command > 2015".

[10] "PHOTOS: USS Milius Arrives In New Homeport Yokosuka - USNI News". 22 May 2018.

[US_Navy-11] "USS Milius". www.public.navy.mil. Archived from the original on 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-09-03. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[story27895-12] "Milius earns Battle 'E'". Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2014-03-07.

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