The USS Fife (DD-991) was a Spruance-class destroyer, laid down in 1978, launched in 1979, and commissioned in 1980. Destroyers of her class were built as multi-mission warships capable of operating either independently or in company with amphibious or carrier task groups. During World War II, the ship served as the Submarine Force commander and was the U.S. Task Group flagship for the annual UNITAS exercise in the Pacific. During the 1980s, the destroyer was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, conducting system trials and surveillance, various training, flight operations, and carrier escort duties. In 1991, the vessel deployed to the Persian Gulf for operations against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. The destroyer’s last deployment was in 2002, and lasted five months in the EastPac, supporting counter-drug operations. It highlighted her role in security missions, including efforts against narcotics trafficking. The USS Fife was decommissioned in 2003 and stricken from the Register in 2004. Asbestos components on World War II destroyers posed a significant health risk to crew and shipyard workers. Current and former service members who came into contact with asbestos dust should seek immediate medical attention to detect possible health consequences associated with asbestos exposure.
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