The USS Peterson (DD-969) was a Spruance-class destroyer laid down in 1974, launched in 1975, and commissioned in 1977. Equipped with advanced technology, the ship quickly gained a reputation for excellence. During her first deployment in 1979, the vessel served as the flagship for Commander, Middle East Force, in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. In 1980, the ship participated in the Iran-Iraq War, and her third deployment in 1981 took her to the Mediterranean. After a significant overhaul in 1982, the ship’s combat capabilities and communications were greatly improved. In 1984, the destroyer earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for her role as a naval gunfire support ship during a Mediterranean deployment. Over the next few years, the vessel served as the flagship for Commander, Destroyer Squadron 26 in NATO exercises, supported operations in Libya and Northern Africa, and participated in Gulf War missions. The USS Peterson was decommissioned and stricken from the Register in 2002. Although the destroyer was built after the risks of asbestos had become widely known, the Navy maintained a large stock of asbestos-containing materials and continued to use them, potentially exposing personnel to inhaling or ingesting the mineral's toxic fibers and developing severe diseases decades after service.
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