Series Introduction

Why do our destroyers carry the names they do? Most of us can rattle off Arleigh Burke or John Paul Jones, yet once the list gets longer the stories blur. This project sets out to fix that. Over the coming months I’ll publish a run of short, punchy profiles, roughly 700 to 1,000 words each, covering every active Arleigh Burke-class DDG. Each piece will unpack two things: the life of the ship’s namesake and the vessel’s own record in the fleet. The aim is straightforward: hand sailors, historians, and curious readers a crisp reference that shows why each namesake earned a place on the hull, how the ship keeps that legacy alive, and why honoring those stories still matters today.

We start with the lead ship, USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), commissioned on July 4, 1991, a fitting flagbearer for the class.​​

Who Was Arleigh Burke?

Admiral Arleigh Albert Burke (1901–1996) served more than forty years in the United States Navy, rising to become one of its most decorated and influential figures. A 1923 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Burke led the “Little Beavers” Destroyer Squadron 23 in World War II. His squadron gained a reputation for aggressive, coordinated attacks in the Solomon Islands, taking out or crippling more than a dozen Japanese vessels between 1943 and 1944.[1] Burke received the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service in these actions.[2]

In his later career, Burke became the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in 1955 and served three terms in that position under Eisenhower (1890–1969) and Kennedy (1917–1963). He played a major role in the development of missile technology, was an advocate of the Polaris ballistic-missile program, and ensured the strategic role of the surface fleet in interservice rivalry over nuclear deterrence.[3]

Why He Mattered

Burke's impact extended well beyond combat. As CNO, he left his mark on Cold-War naval doctrine and steered the Navy into the missile age. He pushed for technological innovation and made destroyers and submarines central to the American global strategy.[4] Burke’s emphases on speed, flexibility, and readiness have since shaped Navy policy at a crucial time in U.S. history. He was also known for his personal leadership style, direct, uncompromising, and loyal to the men under his command.[5]

Photo Right: Admiral Arleigh Burke (1901 -1996), Chief of Naval Operations. Portrait photograph, dated 15 December 1958. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.15 December 1958. Source: US Naval Institute. https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nara-series/kn-series/KN-10000/KN-12924.html. Author: United States Navy.

The naming of DDG-51, then, was about more than an honorary gesture; it bestowed a symbolic endorsement of Burke’s strategic legacy. USS Arleigh Burke was commissioned on July 4, 1991 as the lead ship in the Aegis destroyer class, which has become the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface capabilities. It was the first American destroyer to feature increased survivability, reduced radar cross-section, and the Aegis combat system. Burke himself attended the commissioning ceremony, a rare distinction for any military figure.[6] The class has grown to more than seventy hulls.

Fun Facts[7]

• Burke was nearly forced into retirement during the war due to mandatory age limits, but Admiral Nimitz (1885–1966) intervened, recognizing his value as a fleet commander.
• He maintained extensive personal notebooks on tactics, later used to inform post-war destroyer doctrine.
• As CNO, Burke reportedly bypassed Pentagon red tape by installing a direct phone line to the White House, a testament to his insistence on operational clarity and civilian-military alignment.

Ship Connection and Legacy Today

As of December 2024, USS Arleigh Burke is homeported in Rota, Spain, operating under Destroyer Squadron 60 as part of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. The ship supports ballistic-missile defense operations and maintains a persistent forward presence in European and Mediterranean waters.[8] Commander Ethan Reber assumed command in December, returning to the ship after previous tours as Weapons Officer and Combat Systems Officer.[9]

Since her commissioning in 1991, Arleigh Burke has compiled a distinguished operational record. In 1993 she deployed to the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, serving as “Green Crown” during Operation Provide Promise, supporting humanitarian efforts in the Balkans. She returned to the Mediterranean in 1995 to support enforcement of the no-fly zone over Bosnia as “Red Crown.” Between 1998 and 2001 the ship conducted multiple deployments to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf, enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq and participating in multinational exercises.[10]

In 2003 Arleigh Burke launched Tomahawk missiles during the opening of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She later participated in anti-piracy patrols off Somalia in 2007 and maritime-security operations off the Horn of Africa in 2009. On September 23, 2014 she again launched Tomahawks, this time from the Red Sea against ISIS targets in Syria.[11]

Photo Left: USS Arleigh Burke responds to man overboard | U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa / U.S. Sixth Fleet. Creator: MC1(AW/SW) RJ Stratchko. Credit: U.S. Navy
Copyright: Public Domain

Following her 2021 relocation to Rota, Arleigh Burke completed extended patrols across the Barents, Baltic, Mediterranean, and Arctic Seas, covering more than 44,000 nautical miles in support of NATO operations. In 2024 she became the first U.S. Navy warship to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles in flight during combat operations in the Eastern Mediterranean.[12]

Over her career, Arleigh Burke has received multiple commendations, including three Navy Unit Commendations, three Meritorious Unit Commendations, and eight Battle-Efficiency “E” awards. She also holds the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, thirteen Sea-Service Deployment Ribbons, and the Overseas Service Ribbon.[13]

DDG-51 remains an enduring symbol of Admiral Burke’s doctrine: readiness, deterrence, and speed.

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Notes

[1] Samuel Eliot Morison, History of United States Naval Operations in World War II: Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, 22 July 1942 – 1 May 1944 (Boston: Little, Brown, 1950), 254-56.

[2] United States Navy Department, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15 790 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1953), 62.

[3] Norman Friedman, U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004), 341-43.

[4] Edward J. Marolda, By Sea, Air, and Land: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy and the War in Southeast Asia (Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, 1994), 15.

[5] Arleigh A. Burke, Reminiscences (U.S. Naval Institute Oral-History Program, 1973).

[6] John B. Hattendorf, “The Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer: The Navy’s Newest Warship,” Naval War College Review 45, no. 1 (1992): 5.

[7] Arleigh A. Burke, Reminiscences (U.S. Naval Institute Oral-History Program, 1973).

[8] John B. Hattendorf, “The Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer: The Navy’s Newest Warship,” Naval War College Review 45, no. 1 (1992): 5.

[9] Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, “USS Arleigh Burke Change of Command,” 18 December 2024, https://www.surflant.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article/4012113.

[10] Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, “USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51),” accessed 30 April 2025, https://www.c6f.navy.mil/About-Us/Our-Task-Forces/CTF-65/USS-Arleigh-Burke-DDG-51/.

[11] Naval History and Heritage Command, “USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51),” accessed 30 April 2025, https://www.history.navy.mil.

[12] Sea Forces Online, “USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51),” accessed 30 April 2025, https://www.seaforces.org/usnships/ddg/DDG-51-USS-Arleigh-Burke.htm.

[13] Ibid.

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Bibliography

Arleigh A. Burke. “Reminiscences.” U.S. Naval Institute Oral-History Program, 1973.

Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic. “USS Arleigh Burke Change of Command.” 18 December 2024. https://www.surflant.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article/4012113.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. “USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51).” Accessed 30 April 2025. https://www.c6f.navy.mil/About-Us/Our-Task-Forces/CTF-65/USS-Arleigh-Burke-DDG-51/.

Edward J. Marolda. By Sea, Air, and Land: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy and the War in Southeast Asia. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, 1994.

John B. Hattendorf. “The Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer: The Navy’s Newest Warship.” Naval War College Review 45, no. 1 (1992): 1-17.

Naval History and Heritage Command. “USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51).” Accessed 30 April 2025. https://www.history.navy.mil.

Norman Friedman. U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004.

Samuel Eliot Morison. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II: Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, 22 July 1942 – 1 May 1944. Boston: Little, Brown, 1950.

Sea Forces Online. “USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51).” Accessed 30 April 2025. https://www.seaforces.org/usnships/ddg/DDG-51-USS-Arleigh-Burke.htm.

United States Navy Department. Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual. NAVPERS 15 790. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1953.

USS Arleigh Burke Association. “Ship History.” Accessed 30 April 2025. https://ddg51.org/ship/.

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Kyle Iorio is an Airborne Infantry veteran turned historian. He graduated summa cum laude with a
B.A. in History from the American Public University System and is now completing an M.A. in American
History. Following his military service, he worked as a geospatial-intelligence engineer for the Department
of Defense, sharpening the research skills he brings to his writing. His scholarship centers on American
naval and military history, and he plans to transition into college-level teaching.



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