USS REID FFG-30

The fourth Reid was laid down on 8 October 1980, at San Pedro, Calif., by Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation (Los Angeles Division); launched on 27 June 1981; sponsored by Mrs. William C. Abhau, the second great granddaughter of Capt. Samuel Chester Reid; and commissioned on 19 February 1983, at Long Beach, Calif., Capt. Thomas J. Barnett, in command.

Faced with far-ranging international commitments and the need for free and open sea lanes, Reid was representative of the U.S. Navy’s strategy to provide “in-depth protection required for military and merchant shipping, underway logistics groups, amphibious forces and aircraft carrier battle groups.” As a modern guided missile frigate, Reid’s primary functions included the ability to detect and attack submarines, neutralize anti-ship missiles, and destroy hostile surface ships. Additionally, her design included an innovative electronic combat system that reduced the number of people required to operate her.

Homeported at Naval Station (NS) San Diego, Calif., and assigned to Destroyer Squadron One, Reid got underway for the first time as a commissioned U.S. Navy ship on 30 March 1983. A few weeks later, on 17 April, she commenced her shakedown cruise.

On 13 February 1984, Reid was used as a tracking ship for the Chief of Naval Operations Project on Tomahawk Cruise Missile Survivability. A few months later in May 1984, Reid was returning from a cruise in the Caribbean Sea, when she encountered and subsequently captured the drug smuggling vessel Sea Waltz. Shortly after returning to port at San Diego, Reid stood out to sea on 1 June, for the multi-national exercise Rim of the Pacific (RimPac) 1984. Between 2 and 12 October she also participated in Composite Training Unit Exercise 85-1.

The following year, on 15 May 1985, Reid stood out from San Diego for a six-month deployment with the Seventh Fleet, operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. In the course of the voyage, she also spent two months patrolling the waters of the Persian Gulf. The frigate participated in two major exercises during the deployment, Inferno Creek and Coral Sea 85, which involved Australian and American air and sea forces as part of a series of exercises “designed to enhance the professional capabilities and readiness of the naval forces of both nations.” Following port visits in Australia, American Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga, Reid returned to San Diego on 11 November 1985.

Reid spent almost all of 1986 either in upkeep or conducting exercises. On 17 February 1987, Reid set out on six-month deployment to the Western Pacific and then forward deployed to the Persian Gulf. While operating in the Persian Gulf on 17 May, Reid assisted fellow guided missile frigate Stark (FFG-31) after the warship was struck by two Iraqi AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles. Reid’s crew helped combat fires and fought flooding on board Stark for 32 hours. In the course of the deployment, Reid also visited Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Karachi, Pakistan; Phuket, Thailand; and Hong Kong before returning to San Diego on 13 August 1987.

In the succeeding years, Reid participated in several more deployments to the Middle East and Western Pacific. From 16 September 1988 to 16 March 1989, she completed a Middle East Force Deployment. From 16 March 1990 to 12 October 1990, she deployed to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf. During the majority of 1991, the frigate underwent extensive upkeep and engaged in several exercises. She deployed to the Middle East again from 4 August 1992 to 7 April 1993. The following summer, she got underway on 22 July 1994 for another major Middle East Force deployment.

Reid stood out of San Diego on 13 May 1996, for RimPac 96, during which she operated with naval forces of Chile, Canada, South Korea, Australia and Japan. That summer she prepared for another major Western Pacific deployment.

On 11 October 1996, Reid set out as a member of the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk (CV-63) Battle Group bound for the Western Pacific. While conducting maritime interception operations in the North Arabian Gulf, she intercepted the Liberian flagged (and Greek owned) oil tanker Katerina P., which was suspected of violating United Nations sanctions then in place against Iraq. Reid crewmembers, accompanied by a Coast Guard boarding team, escorted and navigated the ship “for further investigation of the 19,000 metric tons of Iraqi oil” contained therein.

Reid set out on her final deployment on 23 April 1998, operating in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea. In the course of the cruise, Reid primarily participated in counter narcotics operations. On 27 May, while patrolling in the Caribbean, Reid, aided by a Coast Guard Law Enforcement detachment, captured the drug-running vessel Foot Luse and detained her crewmembers. The “drug runners were later turned over” to Colombian authorities. In the course of her patrol in the area, Reid seized a total of 3,160 pounds of cocaine in international waters.

On 17 June 1998, Reid transited back to the Pacific and continued conducting counter narcotics operations in those waters for another month. She finally arrived back at her homeport in San Diego on 17 July, and then on 3 August she sailed for Seal Beach Naval Weapons station to offload her remaining ammunition in preparation for decommissioning.

Reid de-fueled at pier 13, NS San Diego and then on 25 September 1998, after 15 years of service and eight deployments, she was decommissioned. Her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register that same day.

The ex-Reid was disposed of through the Security Assistance Program. She was eventually sold to Turkey and re-named Gelibolu (F.493).