USS Elrod (FFG-55)

• Namesake: USS Elrod (FFG-55) was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Henry T. Elrod, a Marine aviator who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the defense of Wake Island in World War II. • Class and Commissioning: Elrod was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate, commissioned on 18 May 1985 at Bath, Maine. • Rescue Mission: In October 1991, Elrod rescued 23 crew members from the burning Turkish merchant vessel M/V Yusuf Cepnioglu in the Aegean Sea, earning international recognition. • Operation Earnest Will: Elrod participated in Operation Earnest Will in the late 1980s, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. • Counter-Narcotics Operations: The frigate was active in counter-narcotics patrols in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, seizing or disrupting multiple drug trafficking attempts. • Balkan Operations: Elrod supported NATO operations in the Adriatic Sea during the Yugoslav Wars, including Operation Sharp Guard enforcing United Nations sanctions on the former Yugoslavia. • Humanitarian Assistance: In 2010, Elrod participated in Operation Unified Response, providing disaster relief to Haiti after the devastating earthquake. • Anti-Piracy Success: In April 2010, Elrod’s crew rescued 26 crew members of the MV Sifanos from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, demonstrating the ship’s ongoing role in maritime security. • Flight Deck: The ship could carry two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, enhancing its anti-submarine and search-and-rescue capabilities. • Decommissioning: After nearly 30 years of service, USS Elrod was decommissioned on 30 January 2015 at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day.