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NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Coastal
Photo Archive
Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

Whirlwind (PC-11)



Call sign:
November - Tango - Alpha - Zulu
Cyclone Class Coastal Patrol Ship:

  • The second Whirlwind was laid down 4 March 1994 at Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard, Lockport, LA
  • Launched 9 September 1994
  • Commissioned 1 July 1995
  • Decommissioned 21 March 2022 at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 328.5 t.(lt), 331 t.(fl)
  • Length 170'
  • Beam 25'
  • Draft less than 8'
  • Speed 35 kts.
  • Complement 28, eight Special Warfare/USCG Det.
  • Armament: Two Mk 38 25mm mounts; two .50 cal. machine guns, six Stinger missiles, two Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher and one Mk 52 Mod 0 chaff launcher
  • Propulsion: Four Paxman diesel engines, four shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Whirlwind 79k
    Namesake:

    Whirlwind - A weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients

    		 Tommy Trampp
    Whirlwind 277k Welcome Aboard pamphlet Jim Sanderson
    Whirlwind 361k
    Whirlwind 46k
    Whirlwind 315k 19 May 1997
    Underway on the Anacostia River passing into the open draw of the Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge shortly after departing the Washington Navy Yard
    Defense Visual Information Center photo DN-SD-06-10433 by Don S. Montgomery    		 Robert Hurst
    Whirlwind 245k 12 September 2000
    Genoa, Italy    		 Carlo Martinelli
    Whirlwind 213k
    Whirlwind 732k 25 February 2003
    Norfolk, Va.
    Escorted by Whirlwind the USS George Washington (CVN 73) passes by downtown Norfolk during her transit up the Elizabeth River from Norfolk Naval Station to Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA
    U.S. Navy photo 030225-N-1743B-001 by Lt. Cmdr. Jerry W. Billings    		 Bill Gonyo
    Hurricane 222k 15 December 2005
    USS Hurricane (PC 3) underway in the harbor at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia as it moves past Whirlwind, and an unidentified patrol ship
    Defense Visual Information Center photo ID: DN-SD-06-07280 by Josa Charles A. Ordoqui, USN    		 Robert Hurst
    Whirlwind 145k 14 April 2006
    North Arabian Gulf
    Whirlwind protects Iraq's oil terminals in the North Arabian Gulf. Attached to Commander Task Group 158.1, Whirlwind was deployed in support of Maritime Security Operations, which helped set the conditions for security and stability in the North Arabian Gulf and protect Iraq’s sea-based infrastructure, which provides the Iraqi people the opportunity for
    self-determination
    U.S. Navy photo 060414-N-6282W-002 by Gunner's Mate 2nd Class (SW) Joshua Wheeler    		 Bill Gonyo
    Whirlwind 226k 18 October 2006
    Persian Gulf
    The Cyclone-class coastal patrol craft Whirlwind, steams along while escorting the Navy's new Joint Maritime Staging Terminal (JMAST) that will support multi-national commander with Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Persian Gulf. MSO sets the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. MSO deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or
    other material
    U.S. Navy photo 061018-N-5555T-010 by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin K. Thomas    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Whirlwind 388k 29 September 2011
    Arabian Gulf
    Transiting the Arabian Gulf
    U.S. Navy photo 110929-N-OY799-162 by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kenneth Abbate    		 Lee Wahler
    Tempest 244k 8 April 2014
    Arabian Gulf
    Patrol Coastal Squadron ONE, transits in formation alongside other patrol ships [Tempest (PC 2), Squall (PC 7), Whirlwind, Firebolt (PC 10), Typhoon (PC 5) and Thunderbolt
    (PC 12)    ] during a maneuvering exercise. Whirlwind is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility in support of maritime security operations and theater security
    cooperation efforts
    Coastal Patrol Command photo 140408-N-LO156-837 by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Martin Cuaron. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet    		 Robert Hurst
    Firebolt 272k 30 September 2017
    Manama, Bahrain
    Rear Adm. Jesse A. Wilson, Jr., left, commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic, walks with Cmdr. Kendall Bridgewater, commodore of Coastal Patrol Squadron, towards the coastal patrol ship Firebolt (PC 10) [inboard of Whirlwind] after a tour of USS Sentry (MCM 3). Wilson is on a week-long trip to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet area of operations to tour assigned surface forces, meet with senior leaders and speak with Sailors
    U.S. Navy photo 170930-N-XP344-0016 by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Victoria Kinney    		 Lee Wahler
    Commanding Officers
    01LT David Dale Schweizer, USN - USNA Class of 19851 July 1995 - March 1997
    02LT William James Parker, III, USNMarch 1997 - 1998
    03LT Matthew Arnold, USN1998 - 1999
    04LCDR Daniel Bart Uhls, USN1999 - 14 May 2001
    05LCDR Michael Todd Echols, USN14 May 2001 - 24 January 2003
    06LCDR David Allen Bretz, USN24 January 2003 - July 2003
    07LT Patrick Thein, USNJuly 2003 - 27 July 2004
    08LCDR Marl Alan Olson, USN27 July 2004 - December 2004
    09LCDR Dennis Micha Burke, USNDecember 2004 - June 2005
    10LCDR Christopher Micha Senenko, USNJune 2005 - January 2006
    11LT Robert L. Halfhill, USNJanuary 2006 - March 2006
    12LT William Kyle Gantt, Jr., USNMarch 2006
    13LT Michael D. Brasseur, USNMarch 2006 - April 2007
    14LT Matthew David Scarlett, USNApril 2007 - July 2007
    15LT Kurt Shelby Baecker, USN - USNA Class of 1998
    Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, six Navy Commendations Medals and two Navy Achievement medals    		July 2007 - February 2008
    16LCDR Thane Connor Clare, USN - Awarded three Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy Commendation Medals and two Navy Achievement MedalsFebruary 2008 - February 2009
    17LCDR Tom Chekouras, USNFebruary 2009 - 2009
    18LT John Sam Barsano, USN - Awarded two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and five Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals2009 - 2010
    19LCDR Kurt A. Braeckel, USN2010
    20LCDR Edward P. "Eddie" Bertucci, USN - Awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals2011 - 2012
    21LCDR Bethany A. Busch, USNJuly 2014 - 19 November 2015
    22LCDR Steven Scott Whitworth, USN (Temporary) - The Citadel Class of 2003
    Awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals and five Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals    		19 November 2015
    23LCDR Matthew Ernest Dryden, USN - The Citadel Class of 2005
    Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, four Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Army Achievement Medal    		2015 - 1 May 2017
    24LT Joseph Maynard Brisco, Jr., USN - Awarded four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and the Joint Service Achievement Medal1 May 2017 - November 2018
    25LCDR Yilei Liu, USN - Awarded three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement MedalsOctober 2018
    28LCDR Martin Kevin Dineen, Jr., USN - 21 March 2022
    ??LCDR Christopher J. Schwarz, USN
    ??LCDR John S. Lucas, IV, USN
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    View the Whirlwind (PC 11)
    DANFS History entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command website
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