USE Reuben James (FFG-57)

• Namesake Heroism: USS Reuben James (FFG-57) is named after Boatswain's Mate Reuben James, a U.S. Navy sailor famous for saving his commanding officer during the Barbary Wars in 1804. • Second Ship with the Name: FFG-57 is the second ship to bear the name USS Reuben James. The first was a Clemson-class destroyer (DD-245) that was the first U.S. Navy ship sunk by hostile action in World War II (by a German U-boat in 1941). • Commissioning: USS Reuben James (FFG-57) was commissioned on March 22, 1986, at Long Beach, California. • Oliver Hazard Perry Class: She was the 51st ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates, designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare but also capable of air and surface warfare. • Homeport: Reuben James was homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for much of her career, making her a key asset in U.S. Pacific operations. • Operation Enduring Freedom: The ship participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, providing maritime security and escort duties in the Arabian Sea following the September 11, 2001 attacks. • Last Perry Frigate in the Pacific Fleet: When decommissioned in 2013, she was the last Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate based in the U.S. Pacific Fleet. • Drug Interdiction: Reuben James was involved in several counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific, seizing large quantities of illegal drugs and detaining smugglers. • International Exercises: She frequently participated in multinational exercises, such as RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise), fostering cooperation with allied navies. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS Reuben James was decommissioned on July 18, 2013, and later sunk as a target during the 2016 RIMPAC exercises, providing valuable live-fire training for allied forces.