USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29)

• Namesake: USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29) was named after Ensign Stephen W. Groves, a U.S. Navy pilot who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the Battle of Midway in World War II. • Class & Type: She was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate, designed for anti-submarine warfare, air defense, and escort missions. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned on 17 April 1982 at Bath, Maine, with Mrs. Ruth Groves, the mother of Stephen W. Groves, serving as the ship’s sponsor. • Maiden Deployment: Her first deployment was to the Middle East in 1983, where she participated in operations to ensure the safe passage of ships during the Iran-Iraq War. • Operation Earnest Will: USS Stephen W. Groves took part in Operation Earnest Will, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers through the Persian Gulf amid threats from Iranian forces in the late 1980s. • Counter-Narcotics Operations: She was actively involved in numerous counter-narcotics missions in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, intercepting drug traffickers and seizing significant quantities of illegal narcotics. • Rescue of MV Magellan Star: In September 2010, the ship played a key role in the rescue of the merchant vessel MV Magellan Star from Somali pirates, successfully capturing nine pirates without any casualties. • Homeport: Her homeport for most of her service was Naval Station Mayport, Florida, and later Naval Station Pascagoula, Mississippi. • Decommissioning: USS Stephen W. Groves was decommissioned on 24 February 2012 after nearly 30 years of service and was later sold for scrap. • Legacy: The ship received multiple awards during her service, including the Navy Unit Commendation and the Battle "E" Efficiency Award, reflecting her crew’s dedication and operational excellence.