USS Klakring (FFG-42) is a decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Thomas B. Klakring (1904–1975), who was awarded three Navy Crosses as commander of the submarine during World War II.

Construction and commissioning

Klakring was laid down on 19 February 1982 by the Bath Iron Works Corp. Bath, Maine; launched on 18 September 1982; sponsored by Beverly Bohen, niece of Rear Admiral Klakring; and commissioned on 20 August 1983 at Bath.

Service history

1980s

1983

Klakring completed a light-off examination on 8 September 1983, followed on 15 September by her initial crew certification. Prior to leaving for Charleston, South Carolina, Klakring visited Newport, Rhode Island. The Klakring crew was able to explore Newport while the America's Cup battle was underway. Many sailors experienced getting their "land legs" back after their first days at sea. The ship reached her initial home port of Charleston, South Carolina, on 18 September. Family members and friends on the pier displayed homemade banners while they welcomed the ship as she maneuvered up the Cooper River on 28 September.

1991

November, the day after Thanksgiving, the ship went underway for a six-month cruise to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield. The ship conducted exercises in the Mediterranean with an eight-day stop in Haifa, Israel, before entering the Suez Canal.

2000s

From August to November 2000, USS Klakring (FFG-42) participated in UNITAS 41, conducting exercises with Latin American partner navies and circumnavigating South America.

2010s

From 2001, Klakring was homeported at NAVSTA Mayport, Florida, and was part of Destroyer Squadron 14. In March 2008 and 2009, the ship was the subject of protests from pro-Russian activists in Sevastopol, Ukraine, when it visited the port for five-day "friendly" visits.

Klakring was decommissioned on 22 March 2013.

Awards

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| colspan="3"|Navy Unit Commendation

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||Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

|Navy E Ribbon 2nd award

|National Defense Service Medal w/1 star

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|Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/2 stars

|Southwest Asia Service Medal w/1 star

|Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

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|Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

|Armed Forces Service Medal w/7 stars

|Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/20 stars

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|Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon w/3 stars

|Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon w/1 star

|NATO Service (Iraq-Afghanistan-Sudan)

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References

  • (1982-1990)
  • (1991-1994)
  • (1995-2003)
  • (2004-2013)
  • USS Klakring at navysite.de
  • USS Klakring FFG-42 pages at MaritimeQuest
  • USS Klakring command histories at the Naval History & Heritage Command