USS Shiloh (CG-67)

History

1990s

On 3 September 1996, while in the carrier battle group, Shiloh launched six Tomahawk cruise missiles in Operation Desert Strike against Iraq.

2000s

She deployed with the Battle Group again in July 2002, and was among the first cruisers to launch missiles in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In March 2003 Shiloh was assigned to Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three. The Shiloh returned to her homeport San Diego, California on 25 April 2003, ending an unusually long nine-month deployment.

In January 2005, she participated in Operation Unified Assistance, rendering aid to those who suffered from the 26 December 2004 tsunami off the coast of Aceh, Indonesia. Shiloh was one of the first American ships to arrive on scene.

On 22 June 2006, a Standard Missile Three (or SM-3) launched from Shiloh intercepted a multi-stage ballistic missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Hawaii.

In August 2006, she arrived on station at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan, replacing , as part of a joint U.S.-Japanese ballistic missile defense program.

On 8 July 2009, Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Geathers fell from the ship's fantail into Tokyo Bay while rigging shore power cables. A two-and-a-half-day search failed to locate Geathers and he was declared missing and later was declared dead. A Navy investigation, led by Rear Admiral Kevin Donegan, commander of Task Force 70, found that the accident was preventable, in part because Shiloh personnel had observed Geathers working without proper safety equipment, but had failed to intervene. Nevertheless, the report did not recommend disciplinary action against any of the ship's crewmembers.

2010s

In June 2017, a gas turbine systems technician named Peter Mims thought to have been lost at sea was found after seven days hiding in the engine room. Following the Mims incident, several sailors contacted the Navy Times about severe morale problems on the ship to which they attributed the Mims incident. The Navy Times requested "command climate surveys" through a Freedom of Information Act request.

These surveys, completed voluntarily by sailors on the ship, reported extensive morale problems universally blamed on the CO, Captain Adam M. Aycock. Among the complaints were widespread depression and suicidal tendencies, a dysfunctional ship that sailors felt was ill-prepared for combat, an overworked and deeply stressed crew, and a constant worry of extreme punishment for minor infractions. Sailors were dismayed that despite a significant number of the ship's crew filing severely critical complaints of Aycock's leadership in the command climate surveys, the only action taken by the Navy was to counsel him. Capt. Aycock was relieved of command after completing his full 26-month tour.

2020s

In 2020, a US Navy budget plan proposed putting Shiloh, as well as her sisters , , and , on a path to early decommissioning, as they had not been modernized.

In December 2020 the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that the ship was planned to be placed Out of Commission in Reserve in 2024.

In the US Navy's 2024 proposed budget, presented in 2023, Shiloh was proposed for retirement. Navy Undersecretary Erik Raven stated that this was due to the ship's "material condition, life remaining, cost, ... time to upgrade ... and the warfighting value."

In September 2023, USS Shiloh departs Yokosuka, Japan after 17 years of forward-deployed service. She will be homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Shiloh is projected to be inactivated during FY2026.

Awards

Shiloh has earned the following awards during her service life:

• Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award winner for food service excellence US Navy for 1997.
• Battle Efficiency E Awards for: 2013 & 2021

In popular culture

• The ship is featured prominently in the 2012 naval thriller, Fire of the Raging Dragon, by Don Brown.

References

References

1. Toppan, Andrew. (10 March 2003). "World Navies Today: US Navy Aircraft Carriers & Surface Combatants".
2. (22 June 2006). "A Standard Missile Three (SM-3) is launched from the guided missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67)".
3. Reynolds, Isabel. (August 29, 2006). "U.S. missile defense ship arrives in Japan".
4. Slavin, Eric. (13 July 2009). "Navy calls off search for USS Shiloh sailor". [[Stars and Stripes (newspaper).
5. Slavin, Eric. (6 January 2010). "Report: Sailor's overboard death was preventable". Stars and Stripes.
6. Cohen, Zachary. (June 17, 2017). "US Navy loses sailor on ship for 7 days".
7. Ziezulewicz, Geoff. (30 December 2017). "How Peter Mims spent a week hiding in a warship's engine room (EXCLUSIVE)". [[Navy Times]].
8. Ziezulewicz, Geoff. (11 October 2017). "'I now hate my ship': Surveys reveal disastrous morale on cruiser Shiloh". Navy Times.
9. Ziezulewicz, Geoff. (11 October 2017). "'USS Bread and Water': Old and rare punishment loomed over a demoralized crew". Navy Times.
10. Eckstein, Megan. (10 February 2020). "Navy's New Shipbuilding Plan 'Dead on Arrival,' Lawmakers Say".
11. (9 December 2020). "Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels".
12. Fabey, Michael. (15 March 2023). "Pentagon budget 2024: US Navy targets ships for early retirement".
13. "USS Shiloh departs Yokosuka, Japan after 17 years of forward-deployed service". U.S. Pacific Fleet.
14. Cavas, Chris. (9 June 2024). "U.S. Navy's Cruiser Countdown".
15. US Navy Supply Corps. (1997). "Ney and Hill Award Winners Announced". US Navy Supply Systems Command, Navy Department.
16. (4 April 2014). "USS Shiloh wins battle E". dvidshub.net.
17. (6 May 2022). "USS Shiloh Receives 2021 Battle "E"". navy.mil.