USS Simpson ( FFG - 56 ) USS " Simpson " ( FFG - 56 ) is an " Oliver Hazard Perry " - class guided missile frigate of the United States Navy , named for Rear Admiral Rodger W . Simpson . She is currently responsible to Commander , Destroyer Squadron 14 ( COMDESRON 14 ) . History . " Simpson " was laid down a Bath Iron Works , Maine , on 27 February 1984 , launched on 31 August 1984 sponsored by Mrs . Gloria Fowles - Simpson widow of Rodger W . Simpson and commissioned on 21 September 1985 in Newport , Rhode Island , Cmdr . H . Wyman Howard Jr . in command . The ship was delivered 13 September 1985 . BIW plans called for delivery to occur 9 August 1985 , but that date slipped due to an extended strike at Bath Iron Works that began 30 June 1985 . " Simpson " was homeported at Naval Station Newport until switching to Naval Station Norfolk on 31 March 1994 . " Simpson " moved to Naval Station Mayport in July 2001 . In January 1986 , " Simpson " participated in search and recovery operations following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster . Beginning January 1988 , " Simpson " ' s first overseas deployment was to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Earnest Will , to escort reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers during the Iran – Iraq War . On 17 April 1988 , " Simpson " took part in Operation Praying Mantis , the U . S . response to the mining of the frigate , which hit an Iranian M - 08 mine on 14 April 1988 . On 18 April , " Simpson " , along with and , destroyed Iranian naval and intelligence facilities on the oil platform Sirri in the Persian Gulf . Later that day , the ships encountered the Iranian Kaman Class ( Combatte II type ) missile patrol boat " Joshan " , which launched a Harpoon missile . " Simpson " immediately returned missile fire , striking " Joshan " in her superstructure . " Joshan " was then sunk by combined gunfire . " Simpson " was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award and the Combat Action Ribbon for this operation , and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for the deployment . " Simpson " is one of two presently commissioned ships in the US Navy to have sunk an enemy vessel with her shipboard weaponry ( as opposed to aircraft ) . The other is the . 1990s . 20 February 1990 , " Simpson " rescued 22 crew members from MV " Surf City " , a reflagged Kuwaiti tanker carrying $ 9 million in naphtha and gas oil . " Surf City " was transiting near the Iranian island of Abu Musa when it exploded killing two and forcing the crew to abandon ship . According to Central Command , " Simpson " was not escorting the tanker , but was monitoring its progress from away and responded immediately to rescue the crew . The fire was so intense that US ships could not approach it and " Surf City " would burn for two weeks . At the time it was feared to be the result of an attack or a mine , but the NTSB later determined it to be an accident . In March 1992 , during " Simpson " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s third deployment , " Simpson " and escorted and two supply ships into the Persian Gulf . At the time , Iraq was refusing to comply with UN weapons inspection and the ships departed the Persian Gulf in early April after inspections resumed . In August 1993 on " Simpson " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s fourth deployment she was again assigned to escort Carrier Group Six with " America " . During the deployment " Simpson " participated in Operation Deny Flight and Operation Provide Promise in the Adriatic Sea and supported Operation Continue Hope off Somalia . " Simpson " returned to homeport in February 1994 . In May 1994 , " Simpson " was one of the ships enforcing United Nations sanctions on Haiti . " Simpson " deployed to the Caribbean Sea for counter drug operations in late 1994 and again in February 1995 . In November 1995 , " Simpson " deployed to the Mediterranean joining the United States Sixth Fleet NATO ' s Standing Naval Force Atlantic . " Simpson " operated in the Adriatic Sea enforcing UN arms embargo against Croatia and Bosnia - Herzegovina and participating in Operation Sharp Guard . " Simpson " returned to Norfolk 8 May 1996 . 2000s . Capt . Gerald F . DeConto , " Simpsons " ' commanding officer from September 1998 to April 2000 was killed at the Pentagon during the September 11 , 2001 attacks . In July 2002 , " Simpson " responded to Malpelo Island to medevac a wounded Colombian Marine who had received three gunshot wounds . " Simpson " deployed with HSL - 44 , Det . 10 as part of NATO ' s Standing Naval Forces Atlantic on 22 September 2004 returning 20 December 2004 . " Simpson " visited New York City 12 October 2004 during this deployment . " Simpson " ' s Mk 13 missile launcher was removed sometime in 2005 prior to her next deployment . On 3 January 2006 , " Simpson " deployed with HSL - 42 , Det . 9 , joining Standing NRF Maritime Group 1 and participated in a number of international naval exercises in the North Sea , Norwegian Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Sea returning to Mayport 24 June 2006 . On 5 October 2007 , " Simpson " deployed with HSL - 46 , Det . 7 and U . S . Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment ( LEDET ) 405 , to the eastern Pacific for counter narcotics operations returning April 2008 . During the deployment " Simpson " captured 16 metric tons of cocaine . On 29 November 2007 , " Simpson " interdicted a self - propelled semi - submersible ( SPSS ) capable of carrying 5 – 8 metric tons of cocaine . The sub was sunk by its crew , but the crew was captured and turned over to Colombia . On 17 January 2012 , " Simpson " deployed to the Sixth Fleet Area of Responsibility , participating in Africa Partnership Station 2012 , and Operation Active Endeavor . Ports of call included Funchal , Rota , Casablanca , Dakar , Lagos , Accra , Mindelo , Souda Bay , Sicily , Naples and Praia . On June 8 , 2012 while in port at Rota , Spain an E - 6 Simpson sailor was paralyzed by a tree that had collapsed . She returned to Naval Station Mayport on 17 July 2012 . As of 2013 , " Simpson " was homeported at Naval Station Mayport , Florida , and is part of Destroyer Squadron 14 . " Simpson " has been part of the Active Naval Reserve Force , Category A since 2002 .