WAVY’s Navy Ship Salute is a feature on WAVY News 10 Today. Each month, in partnership with the U.S. Navy, WAVY-TV 10 will profile a different ship based at the world’s largest Navy base: Naval Station Norfolk. The series aims to better introduce our viewers to some of the largest floating taxpayer assets there are, as well as life aboard a U.S. Navy ship.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The USS Stout is a Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer, the fifth of its type build for the Navy.
She was first commissioned in 1994, making her the oldest DDG to be stationed at Naval Station Norfolk. Built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, it is named in honor of Rear Admiral Herald F. Stout, who distinguished himself as the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Claxton during World War II.
USS Stout is 505 feet long and has roughly 250 sailors with her on deployment.
“The 2023 has been a long, long and arduous path for the crew, but they’ve responded well,” Cmdr. Desmond Walker said of his sailors.
Walker was assigned to the command earlier this year after the former CO was removed after leadership lost confidence in him.
Members of the public affairs’ office said he quickly has become one of the “key motivators of the waterfront.”
As a Mississippi native, but also a graduate of both Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University, Walker has now lived in Virginia longer than any other state.
“We are getting ready for our tactical training right now to get ready to to continue to prove our readiness for our upcoming deployment next year,” Walker said.
Training can include everything from preparing for small boat attacks with one of 11 mounted cruiser weapons, including the M2H bravo, .50 caliber machine gun.
They also train on deploying and stowing the ships anchor.
The main, centerline stockless anchor weighs 9,000 pounds with 12 shots of chain.