Local Anthony Viola Serves Aboard USS Donald Cook

A 2008 Redlands East Valley High School graduate and Highland, Calif. native is serving on USS Donald Cook, living and working at a Navy base in Rota, Spain. Lieutenant Junior Grade Anthony Viola is the assistant supply officer on the Rota, Spain-based ship. Rota is located near the Strait of Gibraltar, the entryway into the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. “Because everybody is overseas, everybody leans on each other more,” said Viola. “Everyone is tight knit. We are there for each other when we needed.” USS Donald Cook is 505 feet long, almost the length of two football fields. The ship is 66 feet wide and weighs more than 9,200 tons. Twin gas-turbine engines can push the ship through the water at more than 30 mph. USS Donald Cook is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that has been outfitted with an Aegis ballistic missile defense capability that enables the ship to conduct long-range surveillance, tracking, and engagement of short and medium-range ballistic missiles. Only 15 other destroyers in the Navy have been outfitted with the Aegis BMD system. As a sailor with numerous responsibilities, Viola said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. “I’ve learned to be dynamic and be ready for change,” said Viola. “Sometimes things happen that you don’t plan for. You have to deal with it and continue on.” USS Donald Cook was commissioned in 1998 and is named in honor of U.S. Marine Corps officer and Medal of Honor recipient Donald Cook; a Vietnam prisoner of war who died in captivity. With approximately 30 officers and 250 enlisted comprising the ship’s company, jobs are highly varied which keeps the ship mission ready — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the propulsion system. Viola also said he is proud of the work he is doing as part of the Cook’s crew, protecting America on the world’s oceans. “I love the opportunity to travel and see new places,” explained Viola. “I’ve been to more than 10 countries” Assigned to U.S. 6th Fleet, USS Donald Cook sailors are on watch throughout the European region and are important assets supporting President Obama’s European Phased Adaptive Approach to enhance the security of that area of the world from ballistic missile threats originating in the Middle East. In addition to USS Donald Cook, two other BMD capable ships are forwarded deployed in Rota: USS Porter and USS Ross. A fourth, USS Carney, will arrive in the fall. Having four destroyers based in Rota gives the U.S. 6th Fleet flexibility to send these ships to a variety of locations for a range of missions, while at the same time providing a large umbrella of protection for European allies. “Our Navy presence has to be where it matters and we have to be there when it matters. I am so proud and amazed by the knowledge Cook sailors display and the work they do every day,” said Cmdr. Charles E. Hampton, the ship’s commanding officer. “Their professionalism, motivation and commitment to the Navy are genuinely inspiring.” In addition to missile defense, the forward-deployed, BMD-capable destroyers conduct a myriad of tasks that include the full range of maritime security operations, bilateral and multilateral training exercises, and NATO operations and deployments. Destroyers are one of the most versatile ships. Fast, maneuverable, and technically advanced, they provide the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute multi-mission evolutions such as surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-air warfare. USS Donald Cook can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups. As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile combat ships, Viola and other USS Donald Cook sailors know they are part of a forward-deployed naval forces team that is heavily relied upon to help protect and defend America on the world’s oceans. “Knowing that you went out there and not only completed the job that was handed to you but did it exceptionally, is the most rewarding thing,” said Viola. “We set the bar high for others to follow.”