Destroyer Squadron Sixty Destroyer Squadron Sixty ( DESRON 60 ) is a Destroyer squadron of the United States Navy . Destroyer Squadron 60 is one of three U . S . Navy destroyer squadrons permanently based outside the continental United States . History . During World War Two , Destroyer Squadron 60 consisted two destroyer divisions , the 119th and 120th , under the overall command of Captain William L . Freseman . Destroyer Squadron 60 was part of the naval force assigned to Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion of June 1944 . On 6 June 1944 , the " Meredith " struck a mine , and after being towed to the Bay of the Seine , sank on 9 June 1944 . DESRON 60 subsequently was part of Task Force 129 which carried out the shore bombardment of the French seaport Cherbourg . During the Pacific War , Destroyer Squadron 60 initially participated in the Philippines campaign . The squadron was part of the escort screen for Task Group 78 . 3 , the amphibious assault force that invaded Leyte on October 1944 . The squadron also participated in the ensuing Battle of Ormoc Bay . On 3 December 1944 , during an attack on a Japanese convoy , the " Cooper " was torpedoed and sunk . Destroyer Squadron 60 subsequently operated as part of the destroyer screen for Task Group 77 . 2 , the Bombardment and Fire Support Group for the January 1945 Invasion of Lingayen Gulf . Destroyer Squadron 60 next operated with Task Force 38 , the U . S . Third Fleet ' s Fast Carrier Task Force . On 16 – 17 February , TF - 38 flew air strikes against the Japanese home islands , Bonin Islands , and Volcano Islands to prevent any reinforcements of the Japanese garrison on Iwo Jima . During this period , " Barton " and " Ingraham " collided , and " Moale " was detached to escort the two damaged destroyers back to Saipan for repairs . Destroyer Squadron 60 then operated off Okinawa during Operation Iceberg , with Destroyer Division 120 serving as the escort screen for Task Group 52 . 1 , the escort carrier group providing carrier - based close air support to the Allied invasion force . Three units of Destroyer Squadron 60 — , , and — came under intense kamikaze attacks during the squadron ' s operations in the closing months of the Pacific War . On 19 February 2003 , Destroyer Squadron 60 was re - established as a permanently - assigned , forward - based destroyer squadron staff . It was homeported in Gaeta , Italy , the headquarters of the United States Sixth Fleet . At that time , the squadron ' s mission was described as to provide the Commander United States Sixth Fleet with a permanently - assigned , forward - based destroyer squadron staff for the operational control over destroyers and frigates deployed to the Mediterranean Sea . On 29 October 2007 , the first Africa Partnership Station ( APS ) began under the command of Captain John Nowell , who was serving as Commander Destroyer Squadron 60 at the time . Departing from Naples , Italy , the APS task group , CTF - 365 , visited Senegal , Liberia , Ghana , Cameroon , Gabon , Angola , and Sao Tome and Principe . Africa Partnership Station 2007 developed cooperative partnerships among the regional maritime services while improving safety and security for the host nations . APS 2007 also supported over 20 humanitarian assistance projects during this deployment . Commander responsibilities . With the courtesy title of commodore , the commander of Destroyer Squadron 60 ( COMDESRON 60 ) not only oversees U . S . 6th Fleet surface naval warfare operations in the Mediterranean Sea but also throughout Europe and Africa . The squadron commodore also additionally serves as the executive assistant to the commander of U . S . Naval Forces Europe - Africa as well as the NATO commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples . Commander Destroyer Squadron 60 conducts combat and / or non - combat operations as Commander Task Force 60 or as Sea Combat Commander , and when directed , as Maritime Interception Operations Commander . Depending on the missions to be undertaken , COMDESRON 60 employs surface warships , submarines , aircraft , SEAL teams , U . S . Marines , U . S . joint forces , and NATO forces assigned to the Sixth Fleet ' s area of operations to keep open the sea lines of communication s throughout the U . S . European Command ' s area of responsibility . The squadron saw two major changes in 2013 . On 21 March 2013 , the billet of Commander Destroyer Squadron 60 was renamed Commander Task Force 65 , with Task Force 65 being the designation for the Sixth Fleet ' s surface combatant force . Subsequently , on 9 May 2013 , Commander Destroyer Squadron 60 ( COMDESRON 60 ) was formally re - established to provide type - command administrative oversight for those four BMD - capable destroyers assigned to the squadron . In the capacity , COMDESRON 60 supervises the training , readiness , maintenance , schedules , material , supply , discipline , and morale for those assigned BMD - capable destroyers . Commander Destroyer Squadron 60 continued to command Task Force 65 in a " dual - hatted " role , and both Destroyer Squadron Sixty and Task Force 65 are now based at Rota , Spain . Current operations . Africa Partnership Station . During her tour as Commander Destroyer Squadron 60 , then - Captain Cynthia N . Thebaud commanded two multi - national African Partnership Station deployments that focused on maritime security capacity - building in West and Central Africa . European Phased Adaptive Approach . On 5 October 2011 , US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that the United States Navy will station four Aegis - equipped BMD warships at Naval Station Rota , Spain , to strengthen its presence in the Mediterranean Sea and bolster the ballistic missile defense ( BMD ) of NATO as part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach ( EPAA ) initiative . On 16 February 2012 , it was reported that the s " Donald Cook " and " Ross " ( " pictured " ) will be relocated to Rota during Fiscal Year 2014 , followed by " Porter " and " Carney " ( " pictured " ) in fiscal year 2015 . On 9 May 2013 , Commander Destroyer Squadron 60 was formally designated to perform type - command administrative oversight for the four BMD - capable destroyers based at Rota , Spain . Syrian civil war . The U . S . Navy initially delayed the departure of the Aegis - equipped guided - missile destroyer from the U . S . Sixth Fleet amid allegations that the regime of Syrian president Bashar al - Assad used chemical weapons during the ongoing Syrian civil war , including the gas attacks that occurred on 21 August 2013 . Both the " Mahan " and its relief , the , remained in the Eastern Mediterranean with two other Aegis - equipped destroyers , the and . All four destroyers are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles as well as launching land - attack Tomahawk cruise missiles . On 28 August 2013 , the U . S . Navy announced that a fifth , the , was en route to join the other four " Burke " - class destroyers in the Eastern Mediterrranean . On 4 September 2013 , the US Navy announced that USS " Mahan " had departed for its home - port of Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia , leaving four " Burke " - class destroyers operating in the Eastern Mediterranean . On 12 September 2013 , the U . S . Department of Defense announced that the remaining four " Burke " - class destroyers will remain in the eastern Mediterranean as Russian and American diplomats negotiate the turn - over of Syria ' s stockpile of chemical weapons to the United Nations , with Pentagon spokesman George E . Little noting : " We have no plans at this time to change our military posture in the Mediterranean . We ’ re prepared for any potential military contingencies that might involve Syria . "