USS Milius (DDG-69) is an (Flight I) Aegis guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy. It is the first US 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 and USS Milius was a goodwill visit to strengthen Philippines–United States relations.

On 23 November 2021, Milius conducted a transit of the Taiwan Strait.

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.

Deployments

  • 26 May 1998 – September 1998: Maiden deployment
  • 22 June 2000 – December 2000: West Pac–Indian Ocean–Persian Gulf
  • May 2018 – TBD: Forward deployed to 7th Fleet, USS Milius changes homeport from San Diego, CA to Yokosuka, Japan.

Coat of arms

The ship's crest honors Captain Paul Lloyd Milius, commemorating his military service, courage, and selfless heroism.

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
  • 01-Jan-2015 to 31-Dec-2015
  • 01-Jan-2019 to 31-Dec-2019
  • CNO Afloat Safety Award (PACFLT) - (2005)
  • 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

{| class="wikitable"

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||Ribbon || style="background:silver; text-align:center;"|Description || style="background:silver; text-align:center;"|Notes

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|Navy "E" Ribbon || with three Battle E devices

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|| National Defense Service Medal ||

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|106px|Ribbon of the GWTEM || Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal ||

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|106px|Ribbon of the GWTSM || Global War on Terrorism Service Medal ||

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|| Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon || with one silver service star

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Milius stood in as a US Navy ship in the 2025 Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World.

References

  • Official USS Milius Web site