USS John Rodgers (DD-983)

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USS John Rodgers (DD-983) was a Spruance-class destroyer in the United States Navy. Named for three generations of the Rodgers family who served in the Navy, the ship was laid down in 1976, launched in 1978, and commissioned in 1979. It sailed out of Charleston, South Carolina, as home port from 1979 to 1995, and then Mayport, Florida, from 1995 to 1998. John Rodgers was decommissioned in 1998 and ultimately scrapped in Brownsville, Texas, in 2006.

What it could do
- Size and power: about 8,040 long tons, roughly 529 feet long, with a speed of about 32.5 knots. Crew of around 334 (19 officers and 315 enlisted).
- Weapons: two 5-inch guns, anti-ship missiles, anti-air missiles, torpedoes, several close-in defense systems, and a Tomahawk cruise missile launcher. The ship could also launch two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
- Sensors: a range of radars for air search, fire control, and surface tracking, plus sonar for underwater detection.

Notes from its service
- The John Rodgers began overseas duty in 1980, serving in the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans.
- In September 1983, during operations off Lebanon, it became the first ship to use the 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 45 gun in combat, firing in support of American and allied forces.
- It supported Operation Desert Shield after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and later underwent an upgrade in 1985 to install Tomahawk missiles and other systems.
- In 1993, it served as the flagship for UNITAS XXXIV, a long-running multinational cruise in the South Atlantic, visiting many ports along the way.
- In 1995, John Rodgers joined NATO’s Standing Naval Force Atlantic and helped with Maritime Interdiction Operations in the Adriatic Sea during the Yugoslav conflicts.
- The ship’s final years included training and exercises with allied navies, such as Bright Star (Egypt) and Reliant Mermaid (Israel and Turkey), and a final deployment with the Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group in 1997–1998.

Fate and legacy
- Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on September 4, 1998.
- Sold for scrap and broken up in Brownsville, Texas, by 2006.

The ship’s crest and name honor the Rodgers family’s naval service. The sea eagle on the crest represents John Rodgers’ role in detection and strike, while the other elements symbolize the ship’s diverse, multi-mission capabilities and the enduring legacy of the Rodgers generations.