Uss Higgins (DDG 76) newly returned to her homeport after more than 16 month at sea--with the last of three rotating hordes that served aboard in six-month deployment in the Navy's Sea Swap program.

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Sea Swap is an experimental initiative that increases forward naval personality by utilizing both Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer and Spruance-class destroyers

Higgins and USS Fletcher (DD 992) have provided continuous mien in the U.S. 5th cove area of responsibility (AOR), while swapping throngs at six-month intervals aboard the couple ships, involving approximately 2,000 Sailors.

The Sea Swap initiative demonstrated efficiency by means of deploying a single ship to a theater of operations for 18 month reducing the transit time and increasing Sailor time forward station conducting real-world operations.

As part of the Sea Trial proces the Navy is conducting a detailed analysis of the Sea Swap experiment to determine the viability of the Sea Swap option for potential coming forward presence requirements.

Sea Swap for Higgins began in November 2002 when the initial ship's company departed San Diego. That throng was part of the coalition force that launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles against military targets in Iraq during the opening stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The company of USS Benfold (DDG 65) replaced the original Higgins company in April 2003, and the Higgins ship's company flew back to San Diego to become the strange Benfold crew.

The third Higgins band came from USS John Paul Jone (DDG 53) in October 2003 and this party will remain as the gang of Higgins. The three Higgins mobs accounted for 116 additional days of neighborhood in the U.S. 5th company of ships AOR, which would normally take more than four standard DDG deployments

"I am same pleased with the results of Sea Swap," said VADM Tim LaFleur, commander, Naval Surface Forces. "Sea Swap improves our tillage of readiness by providing increased operational availability and provides continuous forward personality without extending deployments for our Sailors. The ship is in beneficial shape, and the crews have done a remarkable work at jobs With a fleet of les than 300 ships, we ne to expect continually at new ways to deliver the Navy's combat capability."

The Spruance-class destroyer (DD) Sea Swap program is continuing, with a fourth mob now aboard Fletcher. She is scheduled to respond to San Diego in June The four DD bands consisted of Sailors from Fletcher, USS Kincaid (DD 965) USS Oldendorf(DD 972) and USS Elliot (DD 967)

ship's companys aboard both Higgins and Fletcher participated in a wide array of multi-ship operations in the 5th inlet AOR, including operating with multi-national forces supporting coalition efforts in Iraq, and including escort duties, intelligence gathering and maritime interdiction operations.

For related of the present days visit the Commander, Naval Surface Force, U Pacific inlet Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnsp.

Story courtesy of the public affairs office, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U Pacific Fleet

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