PACIFIC OCEAN - The guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations April 6 after departing Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam April 2 for an independent deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Chung-Hoon is expected to carry out various missions to support the nation's maritime strategy and theatre security operations to promote peace, regional security and bolster international relationships.

"We aim to foster these relationships and enhance our interoperability with our allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region," said Cmdr. Justin Orlich, commanding officer of Chung-Hoon. "Our crew has been training and preparing for the past several months and are excited to contribute to the critical missions in this part of the world."

The ship's motto is, "Imua e na Koa Kai," which translates to "Go Forward Sea Warriors." As part of Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific and Destroyer Squadron Three One, Chung-Hoon operates forward, maintaining the highest warfighting readiness to preserve the freedom of vital sea lanes.

As a guided-missile destroyer, Chung-Hoon is a multi-mission anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare surface combatant - an important component of the Navy's rebalancing of assets and forces to the Pacific.

Chung-Hoon is named in honor of native Hawaiian Rear Adm. Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon, recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star in World War II for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as commanding officer of USS Sigsbee (DD 502) from May 1944 to October 1945.