USS Hopper (DDG-70)

The USS Hopper (DDG-70) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, named for the pioneering computer scientist, Rear Admiral "Amazing" Grace Hopper.

The contract to build the USS Hopper was awarded to Bath Iron Works Corporation in Bath, Maine on 8 April 1992 and her keel was laid down on 23 February 1995. She was launched on 6 January 1996 sponsored by Mrs. Mary Murray Westcote, sister of the ship's namesake, and commissioned on 6 September 1997 in San Francisco to be near Silicon Valley, with Commander Thomas D. Crowley in command.

The USS Hopper is only the second U.S. Navy warship to be named for a woman from the Navy's own ranks. The other was the World War II destroyer USS Higbee named for the Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I, Lenah Higbee.

Deployments
The USS Hopper has participated in multiple deployments to East Asia and the Persian Gulf, including RIMPAC 98, three individual PACMEF deployments, an Expeditionary Strike Group deployment to the Persian Gulf in 2004, and a deployment to Southeast Asia in support of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2006. In addition, Hopper has been foremost in the field of Ballistic Missile Defense.

On 12 November 2007, the USS Hopper departed with the USS Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group for a scheduled deployment to the Fifth Fleet and Seventh Fleet.

On 6 January 2008, the USS Hopper was involved in an incident with five Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats. The USS Hopper, the cruiser USS Port Royal and the frigate USS Ingraham were entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz when five Iranian boats approached them at high speed and in a threatening manner. The U.S. ships had been in the Arabian Sea searching for a sailor who had been missing from the USS Hopper for one day. The U.S. Navy said the Iranian boats made "threatening" moves toward the U.S. vessels, coming as close as 200 yd. The U.S. Navy received a radio transmission saying, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes." As the U.S. ships prepared to fire, the Iranians abruptly turned away, the U.S. officials said. Before leaving, the Iranians dropped white boxes into the water in front of the U.S. ships. The U.S. ships did not investigate the boxes.

Officials from the two nations differed on the severity of the incident. The Iranians claimed they were conducting normal maneuvers while American officials claimed that an imminent danger to American naval vessels existed.

On 15 April 2011, the USS Hopper departed from Pearl Harbor on a deployment to Asia and the Middle East.

Blazon
SHIELD: Azure, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued Gules.

"Translation: On a background of blue, a gold lion rising with fore paws in the air as if attacking, claws and tongue of red."

CREST: From a wreath Or and Azure a lozenge Gules charged with a mullet Argent above a demi-trident of the first, between two lightning bolts pilewise of the like and all upon a wreath of laurel and oak Proper.

"Translation: From a two-color roll of gold and blue, a red diamond bearing a white five-point star above a gold three-point spear head, between two wedge shaped lightning bolts also of gold, and all upon a wreath of laurel and oak in their natural colors."

MOTTO: A scroll Argent edged Gules inscribed "AUDE ET EFFICE" Azure.

"Translation: A white scroll edged in red inscribed 'DARE AND DO' (in Latin) in blue."

SEAL: The complete coat of arms in full color as in the blazon upon a white field enclosed by a blue oval border edged on the outside with gold rope and bearing the name USS HOPPER at top and DDG 70 in base all in gold.

Commanding Officers
CDR Thomas Crowley (Sep97-Nov98)

CDR John Peterson (Nov98-Jul00)

CDR John Source (Jul00-Mar02)

CDR Kenneth Auten (Mar02-Aug03)

CDR Michael Selby (Aug03-Mar05)

CDR Peter Driscoll (Mar05-Jan07)

CDR Jeff James (Jan07-Jul08)

CDR Timothy Kott (Jul08-Mar10)

CDR Kevin. Melody (Mar10-Nov11)

CDR Al Lopez (Nov11-May13)

CDR Dave Snee (May13--  )