NARRATIVE OF EVENTS FOR 1989
USS STERETT began the New Year in its homeport of Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, with a period of holiday leave and general upkeep. STERETT then spent four days at sea verifying repair work and fine-tuning its weapons systems for the annual missile training exercise. The weapons systems responded well, as STERETT successfully fired one SM – 1 ER missile against a high-speed, high-altitude drone.
Next, the crew prepared for refresher training, paying particular attention to damage control. During REFTRA, from 26 January to 6 February, STERETT tested the skills for which she had trained. Daily General Quarters drills and material inspections highlighted areas of strengths and weaknesses and helped hone the crew’s skills.
STERETT then joined the MIDWAY Carrier Battle Group for work-ups in anticipation of Exercise Team Spirit ’89. The Battle Group spent three days at sea conducting exercises designed to enhance its coordination and effectiveness. After the work-ups, STERETT spent three days in Subic Bay with the Battle Group, making final preparations for Team Spirit.
On 18 February, Battle Group Alfa departed Subic Bay northward. On the 20th, STERETT detached from the battle group and proceeded to a port visit in Pusan, Korea. Departing Pusan on 27 February, STERETT joined Battle Group Alfa and the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). After a brief visit to Pohang, Korea, for pre-exercise conferences, STERETT assumed duties as advance force commander and anti-air warfare commander for the amphibious operating area off the coast of Korea. Operating near land, STERETT and the ships under her control successfully defended the ARG against daily saturation raids from Orange forces based in Korea.
Upon completion of Team Spirit, STERETT proceeded south with Battle Group Alfa to Hong Kong for a week of rest and relaxation. Returning to Subic Bay on 5 April, the ship began a month long Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) in preparation for its next assignment. On 7 May, STERETT returned to Hong Kong for a rendezvous with the SEVENTH FLEET Flagship, USS BLUE RIDGE, and USS RODNEY M. DAVIS.
STERETT, BLUE RIDGE, and DAVIS set sail from Hong Kong on 16 May for a historic visit to Shanghai, China. The three-day port visit, the first of its kind for U. S. warships in forty years, included a picnic held at the American Consulate, receptions held aboard USS BLUE RIDGE and STERETT and reciprocal ship visits. Against the background of burgeoning pro-democracy demonstrations, the crew took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the Chinese people and explore the city of Shanghai.
STERETT returned to Subic Bay on 26 May. On 27 May she departed for the South China Sea to conduct local operations, including a second missile exercise.
After a brief period back in Subic, the ship once again joined the MIDWAY Battle Group to conduct local operations in the South China Sea. These operations included anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine exercises designed to improve the effectiveness of the Battle Group. Following a brief visit to Subic Bay, Battle Group Alfa transited to Phattaya Beach, Thailand. The STERETT crew enjoyed a five-day port visit in Thailand over the Fourth of July holidays.
Returning to Subic Bay, STERETT spotted and rescued forty-eight Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea. The refugees spent five days on board receiving clothes, food, and medical care. On 12 July, STERETT arrived in Subic Bay. On 15 July, 28 U. S. midshipmen stepped on board to begin their summer training cruise. The midshipmen learned the basics of shipboard life and gained an appreciation of the jobs they would undertake as commissioned officers. Placed in charge of the US-Japanese midshipmen exchange cruise this year and arriving in Eta Jima, Japan, on 20 July, STERETT exchanged its U.S. midshipmen for 17 midshipmen from the Japanese Navy. For four days, the Japanese midshipmen performed the same duties aboard as their American counterparts. The exchange also provided an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of cooperation between the navies of the United States and Japan. The Japanese midshipmen disembarked in Yokosuka, Japan, on 26 July, after which the STERETT crew enjoyed two days of liberty and functions with the Japanese before steaming back to Subic Bay.
At the end of August, STERETT rejoined Battle Group Alfa for local operations and, subsequently, exercises off Thailand. Two Thai junior officers spent the next several weeks on board STERETT as part of an exchange program. On the way back home to Subic, we rescued another group of Vietnamese refugees, six men and a woman adrift and without water.
In port Subic from 3 to 23 September, STERETT participated in the annual Bearing Guard exercise, an exercise designed to test the security measures of the U.S. facilities in the Philippines.
On 23 September, STERETT steamed for Japan, acting as escort commander for the underway replenishment group bound for Pacific Exercise ’89. Two staffs, DESRON 15 and Japan’s COMCORTFLOT 3, embarked in Yokosuka, Japan, as the STERETT served as their flagship for ANNUALEX ’89. After this exercise, COMCORTFLT 3 departed and COMCRUDESGRU 1 embarked for the Valiant Blitz Exercise with the Republic of Korea.
Returning to Subic Bay on 31 October, STERETT enjoyed a few days at home before once again putting to sea. On 5 November, STERETT participated in work-ups with the ENTERPRISE Battle Group (Foxtrot) in preparation for that Battle Group’s Indian Ocean deployment. These work-ups proved to be very beneficial inasmuch as STERETT was tasked to rendezvous with the NEW JERSEY Battle Group (Romeo) on 23 November for Indian Ocean operations.
STERETT joined Battle Group Romeo in the Straits of Malacca and accompanied it on its transit to the North Arabian Sea. There, STERETT escorted the NEW JERSEY into the Persian Gulf. After an overnight stay in Bahrain, STERETT and NEW JERSEY steamed through the Straits of Hormuz and began the voyage back to Subic Bay. STERETT detached from the Battle Group and was authorized to proceed independently at higher speed in order to get home to Subic Bay on Christmas Eve. The ship refueled in Singapore on 20 December and dropped below the Equator on 21 December to enable all pollywogs to become shellbacks. Arriving in Subic the morning of 24 December, STERETT received a heartwarming homecoming for the holidays.