USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964)

• Namesake Hero: USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964) was named after Vice Admiral Paul Frederick Foster, a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the U.S. intervention at Veracruz, Mexico, in 1914. • Sprey Class Leader: She was the lead ship of the Spruance-class of destroyers, a revolutionary class built for anti-submarine warfare and general fleet escort duties during the Cold War. • Innovative Gas Turbine Power: Among the first major U.S. Navy surface warships powered by gas turbine engines, she could accelerate quickly and required fewer crew for engineering. • Commissioned in 1976: USS Paul F. Foster was commissioned on 21 February 1976 at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in California. • First Female Surface Warfare Officer: In 1998, Lieutenant Commander Susan Tant became the first woman to command a U.S. Navy combatant ship when she took command of USS Paul F. Foster. • Operation Praying Mantis: She participated in the 1988 Operation Praying Mantis, the largest surface naval battle for the U.S. since World War II, retaliating against Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. • Missile Launch Platform: She was among the first destroyers equipped to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, enhancing her long-range strike capability. • Decommissioned and Reborn: Decommissioned in March 2003, she wasn't sent for scrap; instead, she was converted into the Navy's Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) for advanced weapons testing. • Remote-Controlled Ship: As the SDTS, the Paul F. Foster operated unmanned, remotely controlled from ashore or by a skeleton crew, allowing live-fire tests of modern naval defense systems. • Green Fuel Pioneer: In 2011, she became the first U.S. Navy vessel to run on alternative biofuel as part of the Navy's Great Green Fleet initiative, demonstrating the use of algae-based fuel at sea.