USS O'Kane (DDG-77) is the 27th (Flight II) Aegis guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship was built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, starting on 8 May 1997. The ship was commissioned on 23 October 1999. She is named for Medal of Honor recipient Rear Admiral Richard O'Kane.

Service history

USS O'Kane, a Baseline 5.3 Flight II Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, is the 27th destroyer of the class and the sixteenth built by Bath Iron Works. O’Kane is the second ship to be commissioned in her home port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She was laid down on 8 May 1997 at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, launched on 28 March 1998, christened on 17 April 1998 and commissioned 23 October 1999.

O'Kane participated in RIMPAC 2000.

In July 2010, O'Kane departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a Middle East deployment as part of Commander, Task Force-Iraqi Maritime, supporting maritime security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AoR). O'Kane returned to Pearl Harbor 15 June 2017.

On 3 November 2017, O'Kane departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor heading towards the Western Pacific. For the next seven months O'Kane remained the ready ballistic missile defense asset for Defense of Guam. During these seven months O'Kane made three short port visits to Guam, Saipan, and at the request of the Commanding Officer, Yokosuka, Japan. O'Kane was welcomed back to Pearl Harbor on 4 June 2018.

O'Kane arrived at the Port of Colombo, situated in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 21 August 2024 on a replenishment visit. The vessel is scheduled to depart the island on 22 August 2024.

Awards

  • Combat Action Ribbon - (Sep-Dec 2024)
  • Navy Unit Commendation - (Sep-Dec 2001)
  • Navy E Ribbon - (2001)
  • Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Energy Conservation Award (Afloat (Small) category) - (2019)

Coat of arms

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Shield

<blockquote>The shield has a background of gold and a blue wave that crosses the middle. In the center is a gold trident. Surrounding the trident is three crosses with a star at the center of each cross.</blockquote>The traditional Navy colors were chosen for the shield because dark blue and gold represents the sea and excellence respectively. The trident at the center of the shield symbolizes the ship's ability to project naval power in hostile environments. The crosses and stars is a reference to the three Navy Crosses and three Silver Stars awarded to Rear Admiral O’Kane, during his Navy career.

Crest

<blockquote>The crest consists of a flaming Naval sword rising from the sea, a reversed star and two dolphins that border the crest on each side.</blockquote>The sword is a symbol that recognizes the naval power displayed by Admiral O’Kane and his crew. The star surrounding the sword is a reference to the Medal of Honor earned by the Rear Admiral for his extraordinary actions at sea. The two dolphins are an allusion to the Rear Admiral's time as a submariner. The red in the sword and in the border of the motto stands for O’Kane's valor and sacrifice, during his time as a prisoner of war in two Japanese Camps during WWII.