Master Chief Operation Specialist Stephen “Steve” P. Hayes served honorably twice aboard USS STERETT – first on DLG-31 as a Radarman Second Class from 1968 to 1970 and then as CG-31’s Command Senior Chief from 1981 to 1984.
Master Chief Hayes exemplified the meaning of dauntless – showing fearlessness and determination – in everything he faced, not only while in uniform, but outside the Navy as well, leading the USS STERETT Association for over eight years from 2011 to 2019.
The following Sailors of the Year embody the spirit that Master Chief Hayes lived by during his lifetime, and their names have been inscribed on the perpetual plaque that is displayed in USS STERETT (DDG 104) mess decks.