USS Higgins

USS Higgins in the Pacific Ocean
History
United States
Name:	USS Higgins
Namesake:	William R. Higgins
Ordered:	19 January 1993
Builder:	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Laid down:	14 November 1996
Launched:	4 October 1997
Acquired:	14 January 1999
Commissioned:	24 April 1999
Homeport:	Naval Base San Diego
Motto:	First to Fight
Status:	in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement:	Light: approx. 6,664 tons Full: approx. 8,756 tons
Length:	505 ft (154 m)
Beam:	66 ft (20 m)
Draft:	31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion:	4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Speed:	>30 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots (8,100 km at 37 km/h)
Complement:	33 commissioned officers 38 chief petty officers 210 enlisted personnel
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPY-1D 3D radar AN/SPS-67(V)2 surface-search radar AN/SPS-73(V)12 surface-search radar AN/SPG-62 fire-control radar AN/SQS-53C sonar array AN/SQR-19 tactical towed array sonar AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III shipboard system
Electronic warfare & decoys:	AN/SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Warfare System AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures MK 36 MOD 12 Decoy Launching System AN/SLQ-39 CHAFF Buoys
Armament:	1 × 29 cell, 1 × 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launching systems with 90 × RIM-156 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-ASROC missiles 2 x Mk 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher SSM 1 × Mark 45 5/54 in (127/54 mm) 2 × 25 mm chain gun 4 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried:	1 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter can be embarked, no hangar

USS Higgins (DDG-76) is a Flight II Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for Colonel William R. Higgins. President George Bush awarded Colonel Higgins the Presidential Citizen’s Award two years after the colonel died. Two years later the president named the ship, which was to be built as the 26th destroyer of her class, after Colonel Higgins. USS Higgins was the 15th ship of this class to be built at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and construction began on 14 November 1996. She was launched and christened on 4 October 1997. On 24 April 1999 she was commissioned during a ceremony at Port Everglades, Florida.

The ship performed logistical support for United States Coast Guard helicopters undergoing relief operations for the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The Commanding Officer (CO) of USS Higgins is the most senior officer that is in command of the ship. Sailors will refer to the CO as "the Captain" (regardless of rank), or sometimes informally as "Skipper". Below is the list of commanding officers of USS Higgins.

The shield has background of blue with a “V” cutting through the center. The griffin is shown in the “V” yielding an axe and a trident.

The traditional Navy colors were chosen for the shield because dark blue, white and gold respectively represent the sea, integrity and excellence. The griffin, holding an axe and a trident, denotes valor and intelligence. The axe indicates her ability and readiness for engaging land based hostilities, while the trident symbolizes her modern weapon systems, giving her air combat and undersea engagement versatility. The “V” of the shield represents victory and the cloverleaf is for good fortune.

The crest consists of an anchor with swords crossing in the middle, both surrounded by wreaths.

The anchor is representative of the U.S. Navy. Two wreaths, one behind and one surrounding the anchor, symbolize the military and civilian honors awarded to Colonel Higgins for some unusual achievements. Crossed swords, a Naval officer’s sword and a Marine Corps Mameluke, represent the long-standing tradition of Navy and Marine Corps cooperation in times of peace and war.