USS Moosbrugger ( DD - 980 ) USS " Moosbrugger " ( DD - 980 ) was a " Spruance " - class destroyer built for the United States Navy by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula , Mississippi . Affectionately nicknamed the " Moose " by her crews , she was named in honor of Vice Admiral Frederick Moosbrugger who is best known for his service in World War II as a highly successful commander of destroyer squadrons . History . " Moosbrugger " was laid down 3 November 1975 , launched 23 July 1977 and commissioned 16 December 1978 . She arrived at her new home port at Charleston , South Carolina just prior to Christmas 1978 becoming the first of her class at that base . She conducted shakedown operations at Fleet Training Center , Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . She visited Port - au - Prince , Haiti , and Saint Thomas , United States Virgin Islands during this time . Following shakedown , " Moosbrugger " returned to her builders for post - commissioning refits and upgrades . While at Pascagoula , she was ordered to conduct an emergency sortie in order to avoid the worst effects of Hurricane Frederic , spending several days in the Gulf of Mexico while the storm system passed . Following her return to port , " Moosbrugger " supplied electrical power to portions of the shipyard to allow her refit to complete . It was in this refit that a pair of moose antlers were installed on the ship , just below the bridge windows . " Moosbrugger " deployed to the Mediterranean Sea on 14 July 1980 , acting as flagship for Commander , Destroyer Squadron 20 for the entire deployment . She conducted anti - submarine warfare and amphibious support operations during the deployment . Port visits included Rota , Spain , Naples , Italy , Cagliari , Italy , La Spezia , Italy , Marseilles , France , Benidorm , Spain , Cartagena , Spain , and Palma de Mallorca . She returned from this deployment on 11 December 1980 . She was the test platform for the AN / SQR 19 ( V ) Tactical Towed Array Sonar ( TACTAS ) in 1982 . In 1989 , Moosbrugger made the final " Cold War " deployment to the SIXTHFLT as the primary ASW element of the USS Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group . 1990s . In August 1990 , USS " Moosbrugger " was part of the initial United States response to Saddam Hussein ' s invasion of Kuwait . She deployed on six days notice for Operation Desert Shield to join the rapidly formed USS John F Kennedy Battle Group . She deployed from Charleston SC and joined Kennedy enroute to the Red Sea via the Mediterranean SIXTHFLT . In the months of coalition build - up prior to the beginning of hostilities , the " Moosbrugger " performed several important tasks . She was first tasked to delay her suez transit by several weeks in order to be the US contribution to the standing up of NATO ' s Standing Naval Force Mediterranean making port calls in Italy and Balearic Islands . Completing her short stay with NATO , Moosbrugger transited the Suez in early September to rejoin Kennedy and immediately took a station in the North Red Sea entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba tasked with Visit , Board , Search and Seizure ( VBSS ) to support enforcement of UN Iraq Sanctions . In September and early October she stopped and boarded nearly 30 merchant ships bound for Jordan . Following a short maintenance period in Jidda , Saudi Arabia , she took onboard small contingents of U . S . Coast Guard personnel and Navy SEALS , both trained in VBSS and continued search and seizure operations until transiting back North through the Suez . Moosbrugger spent Christmas 1990 in Haifa , Israel , departing the following day back to the Suez Canal and Red Sea . When Operation Desert Storm began in January 1991 , " Moosbrugger " was again assigned maritime interdiction patrol at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba . Her assignment was to stop , board , and search merchant vessels flagged by nations sympathetic to Iraq ; and to prevent any war materials found onboard from reaching Jordan and ultimately Iraq . When hostilities ceased , " Moosbrugger " made ports - of - call in Egypt , Crete , and Gibraltar before crossing the Atlantic for the United States . " Moosbrugger " was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for service during the Persian Gulf War . " Moosbrugger " relocated to Mayport , Florida , on 11 March 1995 , from its previous home port of Charleston , South Carolina . The " Spruance " - class ship was the sixth of eleven ships scheduled for relocation to Mayport as a result of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision . " Moosbrugger " deployed in 1996 , along with " La Moure County " ( LST - 1194 ) , " John L . Hall " ( FFG - 32 ) and " Narwhal " ( SSN - 671 ) , to take part in UNITAS 96 , a series of combined tactical at - sea operations , amphibious operations and in - port exercises with participating South American naval forces . During that deployment , " Moosbrugger " spent almost two weeks in Venezuelan waters conducting anti - submarine warfare , electronic warfare and anti - air gunnery exercises in the Caribbean Sea . She then departed for Brazil for the next phase of UNITAS . " Moosbrugger " deployed in 1998 , along with " La Moure County " , " Doyle " ( FFG - 39 ) and " Boston " ( SSN - 703 ) , to take part in UNITAS 39 – 98 , serving as the USCOMSOLANT flagship . UNITAS , Latin for unity , consists of at - sea operations , amphibious operations , riverine operations and in port exercises conducted with nine South American navies over a four - month period . The U . S . task group circumnavigated South America in a clockwise direction , returning to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in November . The 40 - year - old operation promotes a cooperative maritime strategy in the region while supporting the U . S . policy of continued engagement in South America through forward presence . The navies of Canada , United Kingdom , the Netherlands and South Africa joined the United States and South American navies for the first phase of UNITAS . This phase was led by the United States and conducted in the vicinity of Puerto Rico . The U . S . Navy ' s longest - running annual deployment began at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico , as seven ships from four foreign navies joined a five ship U . S . task group . While in Puerto Rico , on 20 April 1998 , " Moosbrugger " took part in Independent Deployer Exercise ( INDEX ) 98 - 2 , off the coast of Puerto Rico . During the exercise , " Moosbrugger " fired two Sea Sparrow s from her deck at guided target drones launched from the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads . The exercise also included target drones fired from A - 4 Skyhawk aircraft . Following this , the task force then headed for Venezuela on 18 July as Venezuela , Brazil , Uruguay , Argentina , Chile , Paraguay , Peru , Ecuador , and Colombia each directed , in turn , their own phase of UNITAS . Overall , U . S . forces worked with host navies from Venezuela , Brazil , Uruguay , Argentina , Paraguay , Chile , Peru , Ecuador and Colombia . The specific exercises conducted in each phase are determined by the host navy , making each phase unique . Exercises included all areas of modern naval warfare including anti - air , amphibious , anti - surface and anti - submarine warfare . Fate . " Moosbrugger " was placed in commission , in reserve on 16 October 2000 at Mayport , Florida to prepare for decommissioning . On 15 December 2000 , she was decommissioned and subsequently brought to Philadelphia Naval Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility . She was maintained there in Maintenance Category B for activation in time of national emergency until 2006 , when she was towed to Brownsville , Texas , for dismantling . Ship ' s crest . The official crest of USS " Moosbrugger " symbolizes the dedication and courage displayed by her namesake , Vice Admiral Frederick Moosbrugger , during World War II . The trident , an attribute of Neptune , god of the seas , represents the awesome strength and dominance of the modern destroyer . It also resembles the letter " M , " an allusion to the initial letter of " Moosbrugger " , the ship ' s namesake . The ship ' s motto is " More than Required " . Through the heraldic fountain for water , the grappling iron ( a device used for close range , early naval encounters ) , and the torpedo , the crest commemorates the Battle of Vella Gulf in the South Pacific during World War II . The then - Commander Moosbrugger led his ships into exceedingly close range against Japanese naval forces ; took the enemy by surprise , and delivered a devastating torpedo attack , thereby annihilating the hostile force . For this action , he was awarded the Navy Cross . The gold laurel wreath is symbolic of Vice Admiral Frederick Moosbrugger ' s long and distinguished career .