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USS Carr (FFG-52)
Career (US)
Laid down:	26 March 1982
Launched:	26 February 1983
Commissioned:	27 July 1985
Status:	Active in service as of 2007
Homeport:	Norfolk, Virginia
General characteristics
Displacement:	4,100 tons (4,170 t) full load
Length:	453 ft (138.1 m), overall
Beam:	45 ft (13.7 m)
Draught:	22 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion:	2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp (31 MW) through a single shaft and variable pitch propeller
Speed:	29+ knots (54+ km/h)
Range:	5,000 nm (9,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-60 LAMPS detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted maintainers
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPS-49 air-search radar AN/SPS-55 surface-search radar CAS and STIR fire-control radar AN/SQS-56 sonar.
Electronic warfare and decoys:	AN/SLQ-32
Armament:	As built: One OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun one Mk 13 Mod 4 single-arm launcher for Harpoon anti-ship missiles and SM-1MR Standard anti-ship/air missiles (40 round magazine) two Mk 32 triple-tube (324 mm) launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes one Vulcan Phalanx CIWS; four .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns.
Aircraft carried:	2 × SH-60 LAMPS III helicopters
Motto:	Courage, Will, Determination
Nickname:	Unofficially, The Carr-Toon or the Carr-tel

USS Carr (FFG-52), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, is a ship of the United States Navy named for Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Paul H. Carr (1924–1944). Carr was awarded a posthumous Silver Star for his heroism on Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) during the Battle off Samar.

Carr was laid down on 26 March 1982 by the Todd Pacific Shipyards Co., Seattle Division, Seattle, Wash.; launched on 26 February 1983; sponsored by Mrs. Goldie Carr Bensilhe, GM3 Carr's widow; and commissioned on 27 July 1985, Commander Robert J. Horne in command.

Carr's original homeport was Charleston, SC. Her original operational deployment was to the Persian Gulf, where Carr was involved in Operation Earnest Will,escorting re-flagged oil tankers through the Strait of Homuz. While Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14 was the senior officer present, Commander Wade C. Johnson, USN, Captain of the Carr was the next senior officer in the area and was routinely assigned duties of Convoy Commander during escort missions. During one of these escort missions, Iranian small boats approached the tankers and were engaged by Carr successfully using deck mounted M2 .50 caliber machine guns and the Bushmaster 25 mm "Chain Gun" on the starboard main deck.

Carr returned to Charleston, SC in late March, 1988, and 31 days later, was ordered underway to replace another ship that had been unable to get underway. Sent to sea to conduct anti-submarine exercises with the USS Kennedy (CV-67) and USS Bonefish (SS-582), on 24 April, 1988, Carr was first on the scene to conduct rescue operations when the Bonefish suffered a battery fire while submerged. Putting her 26' whaleboat and deploying 5 inflatable life rafts, Carr maneuvered to effect the rescue of 89 of the Bonefish's crew, using the whaleboat, life rafts, and the SH-3H Sea King helicopters from the Kennedy and the embarked SH-60B Seahawk of Helicopter Squadron (Light) 44. Shore communications from Carr were established between Commander, Atlantic Fleet watch center using the Joint Operational Tactical System (JOTS) via the "opnote" capability. Crew muster lists were sent ashore as rescued crew members where identified. For her professionalism in the rescue, the Carr was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

In October, 1988, Carr made a port visit to Tampa, FL at the request of the local Navy League Chapter, mooring at Harbor Island pier. Public tours were held for several days in celebration of Navy Week, honoring the Navy's Birthday. The Commissioning Commanding Officer, Captain Robert Horne, USN, was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL and was there to greet the ship.

In March, 1989, Carr was sent to Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for Refresher Training (REFTRA). While the ship conducted exercises in all departments, Mikhail Gorbachev was making a visit to Havana, Cuba. News crews from NBC, headed by Henry Champ, and ABC by Bob Zelnic, each spent a day aboard Carr to observe the training conducted.

In the summer of 1989, while the Carr was heading to the Puerto Rican Operation Area (PROA) for the Middle East Force Exercise (MEFEX), the Ship's laundry washers both broke down. With the permission of the Squadron Commodore running MEFEX, the Carr's Seahawk helicopter flew into Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, PR, and the Supply Officer purchased a household washing machine from the Navy Exchange. The washer was unboxed on the ramp at the airfield, loaded in the helicopter and flown to the ship, where it was plumbed in to the water system and served as the crew laundry for the next several weeks.

On 18 September, 1989, Carr sailed from Charleston to be on station off the Mayport Naval Air Station for the week to provide a practice flight deck for the SH-60B Seahawk squadrons. That night, an officer of HSL-44 came aboard and informed the Captain that the helicopters would be flying to Georgia the following day in preparation for the impending arrival of Hurricane Hugo. On the morning of the 19th, Carr entered Naval Station, Mayport and moored, awaiting further instructions. At midnight on the 19th/20th, Carr got underway and headed south to the Strait of Florida to avoid the storm. One the hurricane was safely past, the Captain ordered the ship to sail towards Charleston.

Arriving off the port of Charleston, SC to morning after Hurricane Hugo made landfall there, Carr was the first Navy vessel to return. Carr remained anchored for three days, not being able to enter port, as essentially all navigation aids were moved or destroyed by the hurricane. One of the Coast Guard ships at anchor sent a small boat to the USCG Station in Charleston and transported Sonar Technician Chief Petty Officer Steven Hatherly, USN, from Carr as well. STGC Hatherly made his way to the Naval Station and proceeded to contact a majority of the crew's families and reported their status to the ship via Bridge-to-Bridge VHF radio that evening. From the anchorage off shore, the crew could easily see the bridge between the Isle of Palms and the mainland in the air, as well as the demolished houses along the shore line. Local television stations were returning the transmitting and the crew had little to do besides consider the condition of their families and possessions ashore. Carr was ordered to proceed to Naval Station, Mayport. Arriving the next morning, the local community had staged relief supplies to be taken to Charleston. The next day, Carr was directed to return to her homeport. Upon arrival, there were no shore services, so the Engineering Department kept the engineering plant on line to provide power, air-conditioning, fresh water and other support services. Crew members were dispatched, during the day, to assist in the clean up of the Naval Station, the Naval Weapons Station and the local community. As time permitted, they also helped each other's families secure their belongings and clean up their homes. For this response the natural disaster, Carr was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal.

In early October, the first formal ceremony of any type at the Naval Station held was the Change of Command for Carr, with Commander Edward "Ned" Bagley, III, USN relieving Commander Wade C. Johnson, USN. The Change of Command was held in the morning and that afternoon, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 4 held their Change of Command.

On 31 October, Carr sailed from Charleston for her second operation deployment, assigned to the Commander, Middle East Force. En route the Persian Gulf, Carr made port visits to the Azores, Palma Majorca, Spain, then transited the Suez Canal. During this deployment, Carr spend the first half assigned to tanker escort duties in the Strait of Hormuz. The later part of the cruise was spent operating in the Northern Persian Gulf, conducting electronic surveillance and early warning duties for the units operating to the south. Carr left the Persian Gulf the end of March, 1990 and returned to Charleston a month later.

As of 2005, Carr is homeported at NS Norfolk, Virginia, and is part of Destroyer Squadron 2.

• USS Carr official website
• navsource.org: USS Carr
• navysite.de: USS Carr
• MaritimeQuest USS Carr FFG-52 pages