The USS Oscar Austin played a pivotal role as Houthi rebels fired hundreds of rockets and drones towards U.S. ships in the Red Sea this spring. Now, members of its crew from that fight will wear Combat Action Ribbons on their uniforms, the Navy announced Tuesday.
The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer were awarded a Unit Combat Action Ribbon Tuesday upon the ship’s arrival at Naval Station Rota, Spain. As a result, all members of the crew who were aboard will be authorized to wear the Combat Action Ribbon on their uniforms.
Commonly called a CAR, the ribbon can be a major source of pride among servicemembers, especially in an era where deploying to active combat is less likely than in previous decades.
Oscar Austin, one of the Navy’s newest ships, departed Norfolk, Virginia, Sept. 30, 2024, where it had been homeported since the ship was commissioned in 2000. In October, it pulled into its new home, Naval Station Rota, Spain, where it is now assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet, headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy.
As part of the USS Harry S. Truman strike group, the ship sailed into the Red Sea in April. There, the Austin provided air defense against rockets and missile attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
On April 27, U.S. Central Command announced it had been conducting “an intense and sustained campaign” targeting the Houthis since mid-March called Operation Rough Rider. Officials said they were “intentionally” limiting details of the ongoing or future attacks but said they targeted command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities and weapons storage facilities with drones, ballistic and cruise missiles.
While operating in the Red Sea, sailors were exposed to various airborne threats and “acted swiftly and professionally,” according to a Navy news release. The crew provided air and missile defense against Houthi attacks on commercial ships transiting international waters.
In May, the ship returned to the Eastern Mediterranean.
“Executing multiple missions across two theaters, Oscar Austin displayed the immense versatility of the Arleigh Burke class destroyer: from conducting ballistic missile defense in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to seamlessly integrating with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in the Red Sea,” Cmdr. David Nicolas, who took Command in May said in a release. “But overall, it was the crew’s grit and resiliency that fueled the ship’s success throughout the patrol.”
Along with earning the ship’s combat award, six officers earned Surface Warfare Officer pins, 78 enlisted sailors got Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist pins.
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