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USS Barney (DDG-6)
Encyclopedia
USS Barney (DDG-6) was a Charles F. Adams-class
guided missile destroyer
in the United States Navy
. She was the third Navy ship named for Commodore
Joshua Barney
USN (1759–1818).
Her original designation was DD-956. On April 23, 1957, it was decided to build her as a guided missile destroyer.
Barney was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey
on August 10, 1959, launched on December 10, 1960, sponsored by Mrs. Harry D. Wortman, and commissioned
at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
on August 11, 1962, Comdr. Joseph J. Doak in command.
and missile firings at Roosevelt Roads near Puerto Rico
. At the conclusion of that mission, she arrived in Norfolk, Virginia
, on December 8 and remained there until the end of the year. Barney embarked upon her shakedown cruise on New Year's Day 1963 and returned to Norfolk on February 20, 1963 for availability alongside a destroyer tender before moving north to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
in mid-March for a post shakedown overhaul. The guided missile destroyer completed the overhaul on May 31 and began normal operations out of Norfolk with the 2nd Fleet. That fall, she headed for the Mediterranean Sea
for a five month cruise with the 6th Fleet. During that deployment, she made port visits and conducted training operations with units of the 6th Fleet and with ships of Allied navies. The warship returned to Norfolk in March 1964 and resumed operations with the 2d Fleet.
In September 1964, she returned to sea to participate in a series of NATO exercises. Those evolutions continued into November when Barney headed back to Norfolk. Type training and 2d Fleet operations carried her into the New Year. On February 15, 1965, she embarked upon her second tour of duty in the Mediterranean. For the next five months, the warship steamed the length and breadth of the "middle sea" in the screen of a fast carrier task force. She visited a number of ports in France, Italy, and Turkey and participated in a bilateral, American French, anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) exercise, Operation "Fairgame III." Barney returned to Norfolk on July 12, 1965. Second Fleet operations out of Norfolk kept her busy for the remainder of 1965 and the first two months of 1966. Those evolutions included a tour of duty at Key West, Florida
, early in January as school ship for the Fleet Sonar School. On March 1, Barney entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
to begin her first regular overhaul.
Repairs complete, the guided missile destroyer put to sea on September 26 to conduct ship's qualification tests and missile firings. On November 7, she began a month of post overhaul refresher training out of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
. Following that, the warship conducted a missile firing exercise on the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range located near Puerto Rico and a gun shoot at Culebra Island. After a visit to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands
, Barney returned to Norfolk on December 19 and remained in the Hampton Roads
area for the rest of 1966.
In mid February 1967, the warship departed Norfolk bound for the Far East and her only cruise in the combat zone during the Vietnam War
. That deployment lasted almost exactly seven months. On the outbound voyage, she stopped at Mayport, Florida; Guantanamo Bay; the Panama Canal
Zone; Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii; Midway Island; Guam
in the Marianas
; and at Subic Bay
in the Philippines
. While off Vietnam
, Barney served in various ways. She performed duty as sea air rescue controller, interdicted Viet Cong seaborne logistics, and shelled targets ashore in both North and South Vietnam
. On several occasions, the guided missile destroyer came within range of enemy shore batteries. She suffered no hits, but a member of her crew was wounded by a shell fragment from a near miss. The warship also visited Hong Kong and ports in the Philippine Islands and in Japan.
Reversing her outbound itinerary—and adding a stop at Okinawa--Barney returned to Norfolk on September 19, 1967 and began a post deployment leave and upkeep period. Following the standdown time, the warship resumed operations along the Atlantic seaboard. That occupation continued until early in March 1968 when Barney departed Norfolk for her third deployment with the 6th Fleet. Exercises and port visits constituted her main fare as they had in the past. The warship concluded her assignment with the 6th Fleet on July 12 when she departed Pollença
Bay, Majorca, to return to Norfolk. She reentered her homeport on July 22, 1968.
After completing the usual post-deployment standdown, Barney resumed 2d Fleet operations out of Norfolk. Those operations included the annual winter exercise in the West Indian waters in January 1969 and ASW exercises off the coast of Florida late in February and early in March. She returned to Norfolk on March 5, 1969 to prepare for overseas movement. The guided missile destroyer stood out of Norfolk again on April 1, bound for European waters. Later that month before Barney joined the 6th Fleet, she participated in a trilateral ASW exercise with American, Spanish, and Portuguese warships. That operation was followed by hunter killer exercises in cooperation with . Between 14 and May 22, the guided missile destroyer visited Portsmouth, England, for the naval review celebrating the 20th anniversary of NATO. She resumed hunter-killer exercises on May 22 and continued them until June 2 when she entered the Mediterranean.
Immediately upon joining the 6th Fleet, Barney took part in a bilateral ASW exercise with other units of the fleet and ships of the French Navy
. She then visited several ports before joining in an amphibious exercise conducted at Sardinia
early in August. More port visits and a carrier screening exercise followed. Finally, on September 28, she was relieved by at Pollença Bay, Majorca. On the 30th, Barney headed back to the United States and arrived in Norfolk on October 10. The customary leave and upkeep period followed. On December 1, 1969, the guided missile destroyer entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to begin regular overhaul.
ports. On December 8, 1970, she departed Rota, Spain, to return to the United States. She tied up at Norfolk on the 15th and began post deployment and holiday standdown.
Resuming normal operations at and out of Norfolk on January 15, 1971, she underwent various efficiency inspections and got underway frequently for multiship exercises, type training, and single ship drills. She remained so occupied through the summer and into the fall. In October, Barney began preparations for another tour of duty with the 6th Fleet. On December 1, the warship stood out of Norfolk wearing the pennant of the Commander, Destroyer Squadron
(DesRon) 2. She joined the 6th Fleet at Rota on the 9th and, for the next six months, cruised in the Mediterranean in company with other ships of the 6th Fleet, most frequently in a task group built around John F. Kennedy. The guided missile destroyer visited ports on the European, African, and Middle Eastern shores of the "middle sea." She frequently engaged in intelligence surveillance missions directed at Soviet ships in the area. She also participated in at least one bilateral exercise—with of the Royal Navy
--as well as in a number of unilateral exercises with other units of the 6th Fleet. On June 22, she departed the Mediterranean to return home. Barney arrived back in Norfolk on June 29, 1972. After the normal leave and upkeep period, she resumed operations out of Norfolk. Those evolutions continued until November 8 when work began to convert her main propulsion plant to the use of Navy distillate fuel.
Barneys fuel conversion lasted until early in the spring of 1973. On April 23, she got underway from Norfolk for refresher training in the West Indies. The warship returned to Norfolk on May 19 and remained there until June 25 when she got underway to join NATO's Standing Naval Force, Atlantic. Barney arrived in Plymouth
, England, on July 6 and operated with the NATO force in European waters for the next five months. During that period, she participated in three multinational maneuvers. One took her into the Baltic where she shadowed Soviet bloc warships. Another saw her cross the Arctic Circle, while the third took place in the North Sea. On December 5, Barney headed back to the United States. She arrived in Norfolk on December 17, 1973 and began the usual post deployment standdown period. She remained at Norfolk through the end of the year and for the first three months of 1974. On April 4, she made the short, round trip to Yorktown and back to unload ammunition in preparation for regular overhaul. She stood out of Norfolk on April 10 and arrived at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard the next day.
Barney completed her overhaul on February 24, 1975 and arrived back in Norfolk the 26th. She spent the rest of the year operating out of Norfolk, first engaged in post-overhaul refresher training and qualifications and, later, conducting normal Atlantic Fleet operations. That employment carried her into 1976. On July 7, 1976, the guided missile destroyer departed Norfolk bound for the Mediterranean. She reached Rota on July 17 and relieved . For the next six months, she cruised the "middle sea" making port visits and conducting exercises with other units of the 6th Fleet and with elements of allied navies. On January 28, 1977, Barney departed Leixoes
, Portugal, to return to the United States. She tied up at Norfolk on February 7 and, after two weeks of leave and upkeep, went into the drydock at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for repairs to her sonar dome. The guided missile destroyer completed repairs on April 14 and, after sea trials, resumed normal operations out of Norfolk a week later. Training evolutions and inspections occupied her for the remainder of the year and for the first 10 weeks of 1978.
On March 16, 1978, Barney departed Norfolk on her way back to the Mediterranean. After stops at Bermuda and at Ponta Delgada
in the Azores
, she arrived in Rota on the 27th and joined the 6th Fleet. However, Barney remained in the "middle sea" only briefly. On April 6, she transited the Suez Canal
and became a unit of the Middle East Force. The warship conducted exercises and made port visits at various East African and Persian Gulf
ports over the next four months. She also collected intelligence on Soviet ships operating in the vicinity. On August 12, she retransited the Suez Canal and briefly rejoined the 6th Fleet. After a stop at Rota on August 21 and 22, she headed back to the United States and reached Norfolk on September 1. After three weeks of post deployment leave and upkeep, the guided missile destroyer entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on September 29 for a regular overhaul.
to begin the long voyage home. Steaming via the Suez Canal and performing a short tour of duty with the 6th Fleet en route, Barney arrived back in Norfolk on April 9. After post deployment leave and upkeep, she resumed 2d Fleet operations out of Norfolk.
Three other six month deployments would occur during the 80's....another Red Sea/Persian Gulf/Indian Ocean Cruise in 84-85. In 1987-1988 Barney embarked on a Med Cruise that involved a stint with other NATO countries in a joint exercise with other NATO ships and crews...Then Barneys final six month deployment was another Med in 1989-1990...Duties in between deployments included ship yard repair stints..one in Norfolk and another extended ship yard stay in Baltimore (Dundalk) Md...also refresher training in Gitmo was accomplished twice along with a couple joint Navy/Coast Guard drug ops cruises in the Caribbean...
on November 20, 1992 and sold for scrap on April 15, 1994. The scrap contract was terminated on October 1, 1996 and the ship resold on February 10, 1999.
Charles F. Adams class destroyer
The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided missile destroyers built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty three ships were built for the United States Navy, 3 for the Royal Australian Navy, and 3 for the West German Bundesmarine. The ships were based on the existing Forrest Sherman class, but...
guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. She was the third Navy ship named for Commodore
Commodore (USN)
Commodore was an early title and later a rank in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and a current honorary title in the U.S. Navy with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four ranks until 1862, considerable importance...
Joshua Barney
Joshua Barney
Joshua Barney was a commodore in the United States Navy, born in Baltimore, Maryland, who served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.-Revolutionary War:...
USN (1759–1818).
Her original designation was DD-956. On April 23, 1957, it was decided to build her as a guided missile destroyer.
Barney was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
on August 10, 1959, launched on December 10, 1960, sponsored by Mrs. Harry D. Wortman, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
on August 11, 1962, Comdr. Joseph J. Doak in command.
1960s
After outfitting at Philadelphia, the guided missile destroyer put to sea on September 27 to conduct pre-shakedown qualification tests off the Virginia CapesVirginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
and missile firings at Roosevelt Roads near Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. At the conclusion of that mission, she arrived in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on December 8 and remained there until the end of the year. Barney embarked upon her shakedown cruise on New Year's Day 1963 and returned to Norfolk on February 20, 1963 for availability alongside a destroyer tender before moving north to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
in mid-March for a post shakedown overhaul. The guided missile destroyer completed the overhaul on May 31 and began normal operations out of Norfolk with the 2nd Fleet. That fall, she headed for the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
for a five month cruise with the 6th Fleet. During that deployment, she made port visits and conducted training operations with units of the 6th Fleet and with ships of Allied navies. The warship returned to Norfolk in March 1964 and resumed operations with the 2d Fleet.
In September 1964, she returned to sea to participate in a series of NATO exercises. Those evolutions continued into November when Barney headed back to Norfolk. Type training and 2d Fleet operations carried her into the New Year. On February 15, 1965, she embarked upon her second tour of duty in the Mediterranean. For the next five months, the warship steamed the length and breadth of the "middle sea" in the screen of a fast carrier task force. She visited a number of ports in France, Italy, and Turkey and participated in a bilateral, American French, anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) exercise, Operation "Fairgame III." Barney returned to Norfolk on July 12, 1965. Second Fleet operations out of Norfolk kept her busy for the remainder of 1965 and the first two months of 1966. Those evolutions included a tour of duty at Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, early in January as school ship for the Fleet Sonar School. On March 1, Barney entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
to begin her first regular overhaul.
Repairs complete, the guided missile destroyer put to sea on September 26 to conduct ship's qualification tests and missile firings. On November 7, she began a month of post overhaul refresher training out of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Following that, the warship conducted a missile firing exercise on the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range located near Puerto Rico and a gun shoot at Culebra Island. After a visit to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, Barney returned to Norfolk on December 19 and remained in the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
area for the rest of 1966.
In mid February 1967, the warship departed Norfolk bound for the Far East and her only cruise in the combat zone during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. That deployment lasted almost exactly seven months. On the outbound voyage, she stopped at Mayport, Florida; Guantanamo Bay; the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
Zone; Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii; Midway Island; Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
in the Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
; and at Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. While off Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Barney served in various ways. She performed duty as sea air rescue controller, interdicted Viet Cong seaborne logistics, and shelled targets ashore in both North and South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. On several occasions, the guided missile destroyer came within range of enemy shore batteries. She suffered no hits, but a member of her crew was wounded by a shell fragment from a near miss. The warship also visited Hong Kong and ports in the Philippine Islands and in Japan.
Reversing her outbound itinerary—and adding a stop at Okinawa--Barney returned to Norfolk on September 19, 1967 and began a post deployment leave and upkeep period. Following the standdown time, the warship resumed operations along the Atlantic seaboard. That occupation continued until early in March 1968 when Barney departed Norfolk for her third deployment with the 6th Fleet. Exercises and port visits constituted her main fare as they had in the past. The warship concluded her assignment with the 6th Fleet on July 12 when she departed Pollença
Pollença
Pollença is a town and municipality situated in the far north corner of the island of Majorca, near Cap de Formentor and Alcúdia. It lies about 6 km west of its port, Port de Pollença.-History:...
Bay, Majorca, to return to Norfolk. She reentered her homeport on July 22, 1968.
After completing the usual post-deployment standdown, Barney resumed 2d Fleet operations out of Norfolk. Those operations included the annual winter exercise in the West Indian waters in January 1969 and ASW exercises off the coast of Florida late in February and early in March. She returned to Norfolk on March 5, 1969 to prepare for overseas movement. The guided missile destroyer stood out of Norfolk again on April 1, bound for European waters. Later that month before Barney joined the 6th Fleet, she participated in a trilateral ASW exercise with American, Spanish, and Portuguese warships. That operation was followed by hunter killer exercises in cooperation with . Between 14 and May 22, the guided missile destroyer visited Portsmouth, England, for the naval review celebrating the 20th anniversary of NATO. She resumed hunter-killer exercises on May 22 and continued them until June 2 when she entered the Mediterranean.
Immediately upon joining the 6th Fleet, Barney took part in a bilateral ASW exercise with other units of the fleet and ships of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
. She then visited several ports before joining in an amphibious exercise conducted at Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
early in August. More port visits and a carrier screening exercise followed. Finally, on September 28, she was relieved by at Pollença Bay, Majorca. On the 30th, Barney headed back to the United States and arrived in Norfolk on October 10. The customary leave and upkeep period followed. On December 1, 1969, the guided missile destroyer entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to begin regular overhaul.
1970s
Barney completed repairs in June 1970. After post-repair trials, she departed Norfolk on July 7 for refresher training in the West Indies. That assignment lasted until September when she began missile exercises. Those, however, were cut short by an urgent need for her presence in the eastern Mediterranean in response to the Jordanian crisis that resulted when open fighting erupted between the Jordanian Army and PLO guerillas. Barney departed Norfolk on September 23 and arrived on station with Task Group (TG) 60.1 on October 7. Built around carrier , TG 60.1—with Barney in the screen—cruised the eastern Mediterranean until the crisis abated early in November. The guided missile destroyer operated with the 6th Fleet for about another month during which time she visited Spanish, Italian, and MalteseMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
ports. On December 8, 1970, she departed Rota, Spain, to return to the United States. She tied up at Norfolk on the 15th and began post deployment and holiday standdown.
Resuming normal operations at and out of Norfolk on January 15, 1971, she underwent various efficiency inspections and got underway frequently for multiship exercises, type training, and single ship drills. She remained so occupied through the summer and into the fall. In October, Barney began preparations for another tour of duty with the 6th Fleet. On December 1, the warship stood out of Norfolk wearing the pennant of the Commander, Destroyer Squadron
Destroyer squadron
A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger and "flotilla" for smaller vessels, both may be used...
(DesRon) 2. She joined the 6th Fleet at Rota on the 9th and, for the next six months, cruised in the Mediterranean in company with other ships of the 6th Fleet, most frequently in a task group built around John F. Kennedy. The guided missile destroyer visited ports on the European, African, and Middle Eastern shores of the "middle sea." She frequently engaged in intelligence surveillance missions directed at Soviet ships in the area. She also participated in at least one bilateral exercise—with of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
--as well as in a number of unilateral exercises with other units of the 6th Fleet. On June 22, she departed the Mediterranean to return home. Barney arrived back in Norfolk on June 29, 1972. After the normal leave and upkeep period, she resumed operations out of Norfolk. Those evolutions continued until November 8 when work began to convert her main propulsion plant to the use of Navy distillate fuel.
Barneys fuel conversion lasted until early in the spring of 1973. On April 23, she got underway from Norfolk for refresher training in the West Indies. The warship returned to Norfolk on May 19 and remained there until June 25 when she got underway to join NATO's Standing Naval Force, Atlantic. Barney arrived in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England, on July 6 and operated with the NATO force in European waters for the next five months. During that period, she participated in three multinational maneuvers. One took her into the Baltic where she shadowed Soviet bloc warships. Another saw her cross the Arctic Circle, while the third took place in the North Sea. On December 5, Barney headed back to the United States. She arrived in Norfolk on December 17, 1973 and began the usual post deployment standdown period. She remained at Norfolk through the end of the year and for the first three months of 1974. On April 4, she made the short, round trip to Yorktown and back to unload ammunition in preparation for regular overhaul. She stood out of Norfolk on April 10 and arrived at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard the next day.
Barney completed her overhaul on February 24, 1975 and arrived back in Norfolk the 26th. She spent the rest of the year operating out of Norfolk, first engaged in post-overhaul refresher training and qualifications and, later, conducting normal Atlantic Fleet operations. That employment carried her into 1976. On July 7, 1976, the guided missile destroyer departed Norfolk bound for the Mediterranean. She reached Rota on July 17 and relieved . For the next six months, she cruised the "middle sea" making port visits and conducting exercises with other units of the 6th Fleet and with elements of allied navies. On January 28, 1977, Barney departed Leixoes
Leixões
Leixões is located 4 km to the north of Douro River mouth, in Matosinhos municipality, near the city of Porto. Leixões is one of Portugal's major seaports. Leixões Sport Club, commonly knows simply as Leixões, is Matosinhos' sports club....
, Portugal, to return to the United States. She tied up at Norfolk on February 7 and, after two weeks of leave and upkeep, went into the drydock at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for repairs to her sonar dome. The guided missile destroyer completed repairs on April 14 and, after sea trials, resumed normal operations out of Norfolk a week later. Training evolutions and inspections occupied her for the remainder of the year and for the first 10 weeks of 1978.
On March 16, 1978, Barney departed Norfolk on her way back to the Mediterranean. After stops at Bermuda and at Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, she arrived in Rota on the 27th and joined the 6th Fleet. However, Barney remained in the "middle sea" only briefly. On April 6, she transited the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and became a unit of the Middle East Force. The warship conducted exercises and made port visits at various East African and Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
ports over the next four months. She also collected intelligence on Soviet ships operating in the vicinity. On August 12, she retransited the Suez Canal and briefly rejoined the 6th Fleet. After a stop at Rota on August 21 and 22, she headed back to the United States and reached Norfolk on September 1. After three weeks of post deployment leave and upkeep, the guided missile destroyer entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on September 29 for a regular overhaul.
1980s
The repairs lasted for more than a year. She returned to active duty on November 5, 1979 and for the remainder of that year conducted post overhaul refresher training. Over the next year, she operated along the east coast and in the West Indies training and undergoing inspections. On November 18, 1980, Barney stood out of Norfolk bound for the Mediterranean Sea. She arrived in Rota, Spain on the 29th and joined the 6th Fleet. On December 21, she transited the Suez Canal once again and joined the Middle East Force. Again, she visited many East African and Persian Gulf ports. That assignment lasted until February 22, 1981 when she departed BahrainBahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
to begin the long voyage home. Steaming via the Suez Canal and performing a short tour of duty with the 6th Fleet en route, Barney arrived back in Norfolk on April 9. After post deployment leave and upkeep, she resumed 2d Fleet operations out of Norfolk.
Three other six month deployments would occur during the 80's....another Red Sea/Persian Gulf/Indian Ocean Cruise in 84-85. In 1987-1988 Barney embarked on a Med Cruise that involved a stint with other NATO countries in a joint exercise with other NATO ships and crews...Then Barneys final six month deployment was another Med in 1989-1990...Duties in between deployments included ship yard repair stints..one in Norfolk and another extended ship yard stay in Baltimore (Dundalk) Md...also refresher training in Gitmo was accomplished twice along with a couple joint Navy/Coast Guard drug ops cruises in the Caribbean...
Decommissioning
Barney was decommissioned on December 17, 1990, stricken from the Naval Vessel RegisterNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on November 20, 1992 and sold for scrap on April 15, 1994. The scrap contract was terminated on October 1, 1996 and the ship resold on February 10, 1999.