Sig Sauer M18

Commissioned on 13 November 2010, USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer named in honor of Marine Corps Corporal Jason L. Dunham. On 14 April 2004, while serving as a rifle squad leader with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines in Iraq, Corporal Dunham deliberately placed himself between a wounded Marine and an enemy grenade, shielding his fellow Marines with his own body. His extraordinary courage and selfless sacrifice earned him the Medal of Honor, and his legacy of devotion to his Marines lives on aboard the ship that bears his name.

Since entering service, Jason Dunham has carried that legacy across the world’s oceans. The ship has conducted operations throughout the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Baltic, Middle East, and Arctic regions, supporting maritime security, theater cooperation, deterrence, and the interests of the United States and its allies. During a 2018 deployment, the ship operated in both the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas, transiting strategic waterways including the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz. More recently, Jason Dunham completed a 91-day deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet in 2025, conducting multi-domain operations and interagency maritime-security missions.

MISSION

As a multi-mission Aegis guided-missile destroyer, Jason Dunham is designed to conduct anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, while providing air and missile defense, maritime security, sea control, and power projection. Its advanced weapons and sensors allow the ship to operate independently or as part of a carrier strike group and other naval formations, defending U.S. and allied forces while maintaining freedom of navigation and maneuver at sea.

The ship’s service embodies the qualities of its namesake—courage, selflessness, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to fellow service members.

USS Jason Dunham — “Always Faithful, Always Strong.”