NORFOLK (NNS) -- USS Cole (DDG 67) hosted Lt. Gen. David L. Mann, commanding general, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command and Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, Nov. 21.
Mann was aboard the ship for a ballistic missile defense demonstration and tour.
"I'm so excited for my Sailors to show off their ship," said Cmdr. Dennis Farrell, Cole's commanding officer. "It is important to show the capabilities of an AEGIS BMD ship and how we fit into the Ballistic Missile Defense System."
The BMDS defends against all ranges of ballistic missile threats. The command's location, in Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., allows JFCC IMD to leverage the existing infrastructure and its strong partnerships to execute IMD planning and operational support responsibilities. This modern defense network is expanding to include radars and other sensors that feed information from the air, land, sea, and space environments to battle management centers that can direct interceptors to targets.
While touring the ship, Mann commented on the level of responsibility throughout the crew, evident in even the most junior sailors, and how proud they were of their equipment. As he observed Cole's sailors exhibit their BMD skills, he remarked on their training and techniques.
"It's absolutely amazing what a great capability Cole brings to the fight," Mann said.
Cole is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer homeported out of Norfolk, Va., and is the second ship to hold the name. The current ship is named after Marine Sgt. Darrell S. Cole, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" and "stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death" during World War II.
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