Future USS Jason Dunham Completes "Super Trials"

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Future USS Jason Dunham Completes "Super Trials"
UNITED STATES - 21 MAY 2010

WASHINGTON -- The future USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), the 58th ship of the Arleigh Burke-class, successfully completed a combined builder's and acceptance "super trial" May 20, after spending four days at sea operating in the Atlantic Ocean.

Because of the maturity of the class, the U.S. Navy holds only one round of trials on each ship prior to delivery, instead of separate builder's and acceptance trials. This "super trial" requires less time, fuel and manpower than the typical method.

During the trial, Bath Iron Works and the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) tested the ship's weapons, communications, and propulsion systems as well as conducting several other inspections including habitability, water purification and food preparation.

"DDG 109 performed extremely well for INSURV and proved that the DDG 51 class continues to meet the Navy's expectations in both cost and schedule performance," said Capt. Pete Lyle, DDG 51-class program manager for the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "The success of these trials illustrates the cost and schedule advantages realized with a program well into serial production."

The DDG 51 class ship is a multimission guided missile destroyer designed to operate in multithreat air, surface and subsurface threat environments. The class provides outstanding combat capability and survivability characteristics while minimizing procurement and lifetime support costs due to the program's maturity. The DDG 51 program continues to reinforce affordability and efficiency in its shipbuilding program, with a commitment to deliver ships at the highest possible quality allowing seamless transition to the fleet.

These trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the U.S. Navy. The future USS Jason Dunham is expected to deliver this summer, and to be officially commissioned in November.

As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all major surface combatants, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and special warfare craft. Currently, the majority of shipbuilding programs managed by PEO Ships are benefiting from serial production efficiencies, which are critical to delivering ships on cost and schedule.

File Photo: Christening of USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109)

 

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Cpl. Jason Dunham

Jason Dunham (November 10, 1981 – April 22, 2004) was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps who served with 4th Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (3/7), 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
While fighting with his unit in Karabilah, Iraq, an enemy soldier threw a grenade that landed next to him. Rather than allow the grenade to explode and kill or injure not only himself but several other Marines in the area he sacrificed himself and dove on top of the grenade. When it exploded Dunham was seriously injured and died eight days later.
On November 10, 2006, at the dedication of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, President George W. Bush announced that Dunham would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 14, 2004 near Husaybah, Iraq. Dunham became the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq, and the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

Military service
Dunham joined the Marine Corps in 2000 after graduating high school and after completing recruit training, he served as a Security Force sentry at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia.[1]
In early 2004, he was serving with 4th Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (3/7), 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.[2] On April 14, 2004, Corporal Dunham was leading a Marine patrol near Husaybah, Iraq, investigating an attack on a Marine convoy. His patrol intercepted a number of cars spotted near the scene of the attack. An individual in one of the vehicles attacked Dunham. During the fighting, the individual dropped a live Mills bomb-type hand grenade. Dunham, to save the rest of his men, threw himself on the grenade, attempting to use his helmet to shield himself and others from the explosion.[1]

Corporal Dunham was severely wounded as a result of the grenade blast and was taken to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He died eight days later, on April 22, 2004.[3] Shortly beforehand, Marine Corps Commandant Michael Hagee presented Dunham with the Purple Heart. Dunham died on April 22, 2004 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland where he was being treated for his injuries. General Hagee, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John L. Estrada and Dunham's parents were at his bedside when he died.[4] He was buried in Fairlawn Cemetery, Scio New York.[5]
[edit]Honors and awards

In addition to the Medal of Honor and his other military decorations Dunham has also received other honors including being the namesake of a United States Navy destroyer, a post office and Marine Corps barracks.

United States Marine Corps Sergeant Mark Dean, one of Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Jason Dunham's close friends, and Major Trent A. Gibson, Dunham's former company commander, carefully sort out the pieces of the Kevlar helmet Dunham used to help absorb the blast of a grenade in the streets of Iraq in 2004. The pair delivered the helmet to the National Museum of the Marine Corps July 9 to be displayed in the coming years.

RIP.

 

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 20, 2010) The Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Jason Dunham (DDG 109) conducts sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean. Jason Dunham successfully completed a combined builder's and acceptance "super trial" during four days at sea. The trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the U.S. Navy in summer 2010. The ship will be commissioned in November 2010.

Class and type: Arleigh Burke class destroyer (U.S. Navy)

Length: 509 ft 6 in (155.3 m)

Beam: 66 ft (20 m)

Draft: 31 ft (9.4 m)

Propulsion: 4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)

Speed: > 30+ knots

Armament:
1 × 32 cell, 1 × 64 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems --> 96 × RIM-66 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles

1 × 5/62 in (127/62 mm), 2 × 25 mm, 4 × 12.7 mm guns

2 × Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes, 2 × Mk. 15 Phalanx CIWS or RIM-116RAM

Aircraft carried: 2 × SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters