USS THOMAS HUDNER
DDG 116

U.S.S. Thomas Hudner (DDG 116)

The Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) is the 66th Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship is named in honor of U.S. Naval Aviator Captain (Ret.) Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., the last living Navy recipient of the Medal of Honor to have served in the Korean War.

February 28, 2012 General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, was awarded a $663 million fixed price incentive contract for DDG 116 construction. February 16, 2015 The keel authentication ceremony for the future USS Thomas Hudner was held at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine.

April 1, 2017 The Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Thomas Hudner was christened during an 1130 a.m. EDT ceremony at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Georgea Hudner, wife of the ship’s namesake, and Barbara Miller, the wife of retired Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller, served as sponsors of the ship. Cmdr. Nathan W. Scherry is the prospective commanding officer. April 2?, PCU Thomas Hudner was launched for the first time from a floating dry dock and moored at Pier 2 on Bath Iron Works shipyard. March 31, 2018 The Thomas Hudner moored at Pier 2 on Bath Iron Works shipyard after a three day underway for Builder’s (Alpha) sea trials; Underway for acceptance trials with the INSURV on May 2; Moored at Pier 3 on May 3.

June 15, U.S. Navy officially accepted delivery of the PCU Thomas Hudner during a short ceremony on board the ship. June 18, General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works was awarded a $10,7 million order against the previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-16-G-2301) for the USS Thomas Hudner’s Post Shakedown Availability (PSA). Work is expected to be completed by July 2019.

October 10, The Thomas Hudner departed Bath Iron Works shipyard for the last time en route to Mayport, Florida; Moored at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Va., on Oct. 1?. October 22, DDG 116 moored at Berth 6, Pier 10 on Naval Station Norfolk; Moved to Berth 3, Pier 9 on Oct. 24; Underway on Oct. 26. October 30, PCU Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf F1 in its homeport of Naval Station Mayport, Florida, for the first time; Underway again on Nov. 23.

November 26, The Thomas Hudner moored at Berth 8, Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston, Massachusetts, for a week long port visit in preparation for its commissioning ceremony. December 1, USS Thomas Hudner was commissioned during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts.

December 7, USS Thomas Hudner moored outboard the USS Lassen (DDG 82) at Wharf A2 on Naval Station Mayport. January 22, 2019 The Thomas Hudner moved from Alpha Wharf to Wharf D2 on Naval Station Mayport; Moved to Wharf C2 on Feb. 4; Moored outboard the USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) at Wharf E3 on Feb. 6. February 15, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf D1 on Naval Station Mayport after a four day underway in the Jacksonville Op. Area. February 21, BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair was awarded a $23,2 million contract for the USS Thomas Hudner’s Post Shakedown Availability (PSA). Work is expected to be completed by May 2020. March 4, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf C2 on Naval Station Mayport after a 10 day underway for Combat Systems Ship’s Qualification Trials (CSSQT) at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) range; Underway again on March 8; Moored outboard the USS Lassen at Wharf A2 on March 15. March 29, DDG 116 moored at Wharf C2 after an eight day underway for CSSQT; Moored at Wharf A2, after a two-day underway in the Jacksonville Op. Area, on April 18; Moored at Wharf C2 after a brief underway on May 1; Moved to Wharf A2 on May 8.

August 23, Cmdr. Richard B. Litchfield relieved Cmdr. Nathan W. Scherry as commanding officer of the Thomas Hudner.

August 30, USS Thomas Hudner moved from Alpha Wharf to Wharf B3 on Naval Station Mayport; Moved to Wharf C2 on Sept. 5; Moved to Wharf A2 on Sept. 16; Underway for sea trials, following a four month Post Shakedown Availability (PSA), from Sept. 23-27; Underway again on Oct. 16. October 1, The Thomas Hudner moored at deperming crib on Lambert’s Point Magnetic Treatment Facility in Norfolk for magnetic treatment (DEPERM); Underway on Oct. 24; Moored at Wharf B1 in Naval Station Mayport on Oct. 28. November 7, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf C1 on Naval Station Mayport after a two day underway in the Jacksonville Op. Area; Underway again on Nov. 19; Moored at Wharf B1 on Nov. 25. December 11, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf D1 on Naval Station Mayport after a two day underway in the Jacksonville Op. Area. December 20, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf B2 on Naval Station Mayport after a six day underway in support of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) demonstration, in the Key West Op. Area; Underway in support of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) CSG's COMPTUEX on Jan. 11. January 18, 2020 The Thomas Hudner made a brief stop in Naval Station Mayport for personnel transfer; Moored at Wharf C1 from Jan. 29- Feb. 1; Moored at Wharf B1 on Feb. 13; Underway again on Feb. 23.

February 25, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Va., for a three day ammo onload; Returned home on March 6.

April 10, The Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf B2 on Naval Station Mayport after a three day underway in the Jacksonville Op. Area; Underway again on May 4; Moored at Wharf B3 on May?; Underway again on May 13. From May 15-18, the Thomas Hudner conducted operations at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) range, off the east coast of Andros Island, Bahamas; Moored at Wharf B1 on May 20; Underway again from May 22-25, June 2-3 and June ?-12. June 22, USS Thomas Hudner moved from Bravo Wharf to Wharf C2 on Naval Station Mayport; Moved back to Wharf B1 on June 2?; Underway again on July 19; Conducted operations off the coast of Virginia Beach on July 22; Moored at deperming crib on Lambert's Point Magnetic Treatment Facility from July 27- Aug. 1.

August 4, The Thomas Hudner recently arrived off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, to participate in the maritime component of Operation NANOOK-TUUGAALIK 2020; Transited northbound, off the coast of St. John's, Newfoundland, on Aug. 7; Entered the Labrador Sea on Aug. 9; Arrived off the coast of Nuuk, Greenland, on Aug. 12. August 13, USS Thomas Hudner transited the Nuup Kangerlua Fjord, around the Qeqertarsuaq Island, along with the HDMS Triton (F358); Conducted a replenishment-at-sea with the Royal Canadian Navy supply ship MV Asterix on Aug. 15 and 19th; Transited southbound, off the coast of Newfoundland, on Aug. 21.

August 29, DDG 116 moored at Wharf C2 on Naval Station Mayport; Underway again on Sept. ?; Moored at Berth 6, Pier 6 in Naval Station Norfolk on Sept. 7; Underway for Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise and Task Force Exercise (TFEX) on Sept. 24. October 12, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf F2 on Naval Station Mayport; Underway again on Oct. 27; Moored at NWS Yorktown for ammo onload from Nov. 2-6; Moored at Wharf C2 on Nov. 8; Underway in support of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise on Nov. 13; Brief stop off Naval Station Norfolk on Nov. 24; Moored at Wharf B3 in Naval Station Mayport on Nov. 2?.

December 18, Cmdr. Richard M. Meyer relieved Cmdr. Richard B. Litchfield as the 3rd CO of Thomas Hudner during a change-of-command ceremony on board the ship.

January 2, 2021 USS Thomas Hudner departed Mayport for its maiden deployment, as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) CSG. January 7, The Thomas Hudner moored at Berth 6, Pier 12 on Naval Station Norfolk; Underway for a Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), in the Cherry Point, Charleston and Jacksonville Op. Areas, on Jan. 26; Moored at Berth 6, Pier 4 from Feb. 14-20; Brief stop off the coast of Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Feb. 26; Transited the Strait of Gibraltar eastbound on March 8.

March 20, USS Thomas Hudner transited the Bosporus Strait northbound; Transited southbound on March 23; Transited the Suez Canal southbound on April 2.

April 28, The Thomas Hudner conducted a replenishment-at-sea with the USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8), while underway in the northern Arabian Sea; Moored at Berth 5, Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) in Hidd, Bahrain, from May ?-6; Conducted a replenishment at sea with the USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8), while underway in the Gulf of Aden, on May 14; Transited the Suez Canal northbound on May 19. May 22, DDG 116 moored at East Refueling Wharf in Souda Bay, Greece, for a two day port call; Joined the FS Charles de Gaulle (R91) CSG, in the eastern Mediterranean, on May 26; Transited the Strait of Gibraltar westbound on June 5; Moored at Pier 2 in Naval Station Rota, Spain, for a brief stop on June 6; Transited the Danish Straits southbound on June 1. June 15, USS Thomas Hudner conducted a replenishment-at-sea with the USNS Supply (T-AOE 6), while underway in the Baltic Sea in suport of annual multinational exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS); Moored at Scheer-Mole, Tirpitzhafen Naval Base in Kiel, Germany, from June 17-21; Transited the Dover Strait southbound on June 22.

July 17, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf F1 on Naval Station Mayport following a six and a half month deployment in the U.S. 2nd, 5th and 6th Fleet Areas of Responsibility (AoR).

August 2?, The Thomas Hudner departed homeport to offload ammunition; Moored at NWS Yorktown from Aug. 23-27; Moored at Berth 2, Pier 5 on Naval Station Norfolk from Aug. 27-31.

September 2, USS Thomas Hudner moored at HMC Dockyard Jetty NB4 on Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a five day port visit, in conjunction with the U.S. Labor Day, before participating in a biannual exercise Cutlass Fury 21; Moored at Wharf F1 in Naval Station Mayport on Sept. 21; Underway again from Oct. 6-18.

October 31, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf D1 on Naval Station Mayport after a nine day underway in the Jacksonville Op. Area; Underway for Submarine Commander’s Course (SCC) on Nov. 5; Arrived at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) range on Nov. 7. November 12, USS Thomas Hudner moored at Wharf A2 on Naval Station Mayport; Underway again on Nov. 30; Moored at NWS Yorktown for ammo offload from Dec. 6-10; Moored at Wharf B3 on Dec. 1?.

April 1, 2022 Cmdr. Shelby M. Nikitin relieved Cmdr. Richard M. Meyer as CO of the Thomas Hudner during a change of command ceremony on board the ship.

September 26, USS Thomas Hudner departed homeport for sea trials following a nine month Selected Restricted Availability (SRA); Moored at NWS Yorktown for ammo onload from Sept. 30- Oct. 7; Moored at Wharf B2 on Oct. 8; Underway in support of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) CSG’s Task Force Exercise (TFEX) on Oct. 10. October 20, The Thomas Hudner moored at Berth 1, Pier 6 on Naval Station Norfolk for a one day port call.