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Sadly, the Figs are all gone now. But for over thirty years, the Oliver Hazzard Perry guided missile frigates provided stalwart service to the Navy and the nation as the low end of the warship spectrum. With relatively small crews (compared to other combatants) it was inevitable that the crews would become tight knit, and…
Sadly, the Figs are all gone now. But for over thirty years, the Oliver Hazzard Perry guided missile frigates provided stalwart service to the Navy and the nation as the low end of the warship spectrum. With relatively small crews (compared to other combatants) it was inevitable that the crews would become tight knit, and as close as family.
For sure, I know several readers here have experience on frigates.
This is quite long, so grab a cup of coffee.
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I did realize that they were gone. Guess I thought that frigates were a key component of our Naval structure.
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First, decom of the Perrys is mass stupidity and done only to not show up the utter inadequacy of the LCS.
Second (and I need old salts on this one), is there anything like plank owner for the crew that brings a ship into decom?
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Captain Ned-
Necessity is what led to a lot of the Figlets being decommed. Stupidity is what led to the necessity. By the turn of the century you could needlegun through the hulls. I found one place in the bilges of the MER on my last Figlet where someone had done exactly that, then patched with (no shit) rigger tape and bubble gum, then painted over it all. When we saw this in late 2002 / early 2003, there were a LOT of accumulated layers of paint on that piece of tape, so who knows how long the hull had been like that.
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High speed missile catcher. Combat life expectancy of 10 minutes. Rode like shit, rolled their guts out.
Gawd I loved those ships.
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I have a friend who deployed for a WestPac on the Davis about ten years ago. Nothing like a guided missile frigate sans missiles, at least their helo detachment was theoretically lethal and was effective in exercises.
This was the cruise where they had a low key change of command while anchored off Port Townsend, Wa. followed by the oil spill caused by a junior engineer f’ing up a fuel transfer and showed up in Everett (about 25mi. away) for their homecoming about eight hours later than scheduled. Those of us waiting on the pier were confused but at least I got a good tour of the ship when they finally arrived.
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I like the concept of an all male crew. Probably no space to accommodate women. I did see a shot of one snipe wearing a bun. As low sweat as frigate live could be, I doubt that it has gotten to the point where man buns were de rigueur.
The Navy sent out some destroyers to WestPac in the early ’60 with all single men aboard. They had quite a time on liberty (or so I’ve been told at the AmLegion post bar.
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We used to call them Destroyer Escorts.
Life expectancy in peace time was about 20 years. Courtney went that, but with Weapon Alpha being removed, the keel was buckling and probably should have been decommed earlier.
If the steel gets thin enough you pierce it with a needle gun, you’ve waited to long to send it tot eh breaker’s yard.
I’ve never heard the term that was the equivalent of plank owner for the Decomm crew. I’ve used the term “plank burner” and no has “set me straight” yet. I’m a Courtney plank burner. In fact, I was the last crewman off the ship when the ship was taken to the Inactive Ship facility at the Norfolk yard.
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XBradTC 
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