USS Kidd Departs on Deployment

By U.S. Third Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO – Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) departed San Diego to continue her scheduled deployment, June 10.

Kidd is scheduled to return to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility to continue its mission in support of SOUTHCOM Enhanced Counter Narcotics Operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

“I am extremely proud of my crew and their coordination with Navy Region Southwest, U.S. Surface Forces Pacific and U.S. Third Fleet as we navigated through our COVID-19 outbreak on board,” said Cmdr. Nathan Wemett, Kidd’s commanding officer. “The strength of the bond throughout the Navy communities ensured we safely and effectively disembarked the crew, disinfected the ship, re-embarked the crew, and will be able to continue our mission out at sea.”

As part of the Navy’s aggressive response to the COVID-19 outbreak on board the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100), the ship arrived at Naval Base San Diego April 28 to provide medical care, quarantine, monitoring for its Sailors, and to clean and disinfect the ship. The ship’s crew had begun a strategic deep-cleaning regimen while still underway that balanced decontamination with preventing damage to the ship’s critical systems.

USS Kidd is assigned to U.S. 3rd Fleet, which leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations. *

SAN DIEGO (June 10, 2020) The guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) departs San Diego following the Navy's aggressive response to a COVID-19 outbreak aboard the ship. Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin C. Leitner