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USS Vreeland (FF 1068)

USS VREELAND was the 17^th KNOX-class frigate. Decommissioned on June 30, 1992, ths ship was subsequently leased to Greece. Stricken from the Navy list on January 11, 1995, VREELAND was finally purchased by Greece on February 9, 2001.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS VREELAND. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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• Click here to see which USS VREELAND memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The heraldic ramifications of the VREELAND's crest are many. The central design is that of the (von) Vreeland family originally from Amsterdam, Holland.

The blazon of the shield which is approriate for the ship and its mission is that of a blue shield representing the oceans, the fess (horizontal bar) that of a convoy, while the three mullets (stars) allude the three major missions of the ship; submarine hunter-killer, convoy escort and surveillance. The stars themselves symbolic of achievement, leadership and wisdom, while the number three in numerology denotes action, power and inspiration. The rampart lion supporting the coat of arms is a heraldic symbol of bravery and forthrightness, and its stalking pose one of deliberate intent. Its mailed fist illustrates the VREELAND's unremitting, iron thrust at the enemy below, while the clasped trident is indicative of nautical supremacy. The centerwork is set against a sea blue field, the natural unfettered element of VREELAND. Contained within is the motto,"QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT": "WHERE DUTY AND GLORY LEAD".

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About the Ship's Name:

Charles E. Vreeland - born on 10 March 1852 at Newark N.J.-enlisted in the Navy as a naval apprentice early in 1866. After brief service in SABINE, he received a Presidential appointment as a midshipman at the Naval Academy on 27 July 1866. On 7 June 1870, he graduated from the academy as a passed midshipman and, at the end of July, reported on board the newly commissioned screw sloop CALIFORNIA. On 28 September, he was detached from that ship and was ordered to proceed in SEVERN to duty in the screw sloop CONGRESS, then cruising in the South Atlantic. He was later transferred to the screw sloop BROOKLYN and, between 1871 and 1873, made a cruise in her to European waters. In July 1873, he was detached from BROOKLYN. After successfully completing the required post-sea duty examination in October, he returned to sea in November in POWHATAN and, less than a fortnight later, received his commission as an ensign.

Successive tours of duty in ALERT, ASHUELOT, and TICONDEROGA followed; and, during that period, Vreeland received promotions to master and then to lieutenant. In November 1881, after a period ashore awaiting orders, he was posted to the Nautical Almanac Office, where charts and tables were prepared for use by naval officers in celestial navigation. In March 1884, Lt. Vreeland began a three-year tour at sea in HARTFORD, at the completion of which he went to the Bureau of Navigation for a two-year assignment. Upon leaving that duty in mid-April 1889, he took torpedo instruction at Newport, R.I. Then, a brief assignment with the Office of Naval Intelligence from July to September of 1889 preceded his reporting to the Coast Survey late in October. That employment lasted until the spring of 1893 when orders sent Vreeland to Europe as naval attache-first at Rome, then at Vienna, and finally in Berlin.

Lt. Vreeland returned home late in 1896, was posted to MASSACHUSETTS in mid-January 1897, and served in that battleship until transferred to HELENA at the end of June. Vreeland was ordered to DOLPHIN as executive officer in April 1898, but he did not actually assume those duties until 24 August. Thus, he served in HELENA through most of the brief Spanish-American War on blockade duty off Cuba until July. He was detached from DOLPHIN on 6 November 1898 and ordered to OLYMPIA; however, those orders were changed in December, and he reported to CONCORD instead on the 30th. In March 1899, he became Lt. Comdr. Vreeland, and after completing assignments in CONCORD, MONTEREY, and BALTIMORE - all on the Asiatic station - he returned home on board the hospital ship SOLACE in March 1900. In April, he became a member of the Board of Inspection and Survey; and, during that assignment, he was promoted to full commander in mid-August 1901. In August 1902, he took charge of fitting out of the "New Navy" monitor ARKANSAS (later to be renamed OZARK) at Newport News, Va. When she was placed in commission on 28 October, he assumed command.

Two years later, Vreeland left his first command, ARKANSAS, and served ashore over the next two and one-half years, performing various special duties for the Navy Department. Initially, he was a member of and recorder for the board studying proposed changes to the New York Navy Yard. He was next assigned special duty in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. While assigned to the Navy Department in Washington, Vreeland received his promotion to captain to date from 13 April 1906. Capt. Vreeland concluded that latest assignment in Washington on 17 April 1907 and, the following day, placed KANSAS (BB 21) in commission at Camden, N.J. He commanded the new battleship for the next two years - a very auspicious time for it coincided with the cruise of the "Great White Fleet" around the world. Soon after the Fleet returned to Hampton Roads in February 1909, he relinquished command of KANSAS and returned home to await orders. On 10 May, Capt. Vreeland took over command of the Office of Naval Intelligence. That duty lasted until 8 December 1909 when, with his selection for promotion to rear admiral imminent, he broke his flag in VIRGINIA (BB 13) as Commander, 4th Division, Atlantic Fleet. Nineteen days later, on the 27th, he became Rear Admiral Vreeland.

On 19 April 1911, he reported ashore for further duty in Washington. In his new assignment as Aide for Inspections, he approached the pinnacle of naval command. He became one of the four principal advisors of the Secretary of the Navy, George von L. Meyer, under the newly devised aide system for managing the Navy. During his tenure in that office, Rear Admiral Vreeland represented the Navy Department at the coronation of King George V of England and headed up the so-called "Vreeland Board" which reinvestigated the MAINE disaster of 1898. The controversial report of that board - now considered erroneous - concluded that an external explosion sank the warship.

On 12 December, Rear Admiral Vreeland ended his tour of duty as Aide for Inspections and succeeded Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright as the Secretary's second Aide for Operations. While in that position - the forerunner to today's office of Chief of Naval Operations - Vreeland struggled to improve the defenses in the Philippines, agitated for increased naval construction, particularly of battle cruisers, and supported the development of American naval aviation. During his tenure as Aide for Operations, naval aviation found a permanent home at Pensacola, Fla. On 11 February 1913, Rear Admiral Vreeland relinquished his duties as Aide for Operations to Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, the third and last man to hold the office under that title. Vreeland finished out his naval career as a member of both the General and Joint Boards. On 10 March 1914, he was transferred to the retired list. On 27 September 1916, after a retirement plagued by illness, Rear Admiral Vreeland died at Atlantic City, N.J.

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Accidents aboard USS VREELAND:

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USS VREELAND History:

USS VREELAND was ordered on July 22, 1964, as a member of the KNOX-class, a series of destroyer escorts developed primarily for open-ocean antisubmarine warfare. The ships were intended to screen aircraft carriers, amphibious forces, replenishment groups, and merchant convoys against the expanding Soviet submarine fleet. Her keel was laid down at Avondale Shipyards in Westwego, Louisiana, on March 20, 1968. She was launched in June 1969, sponsored by Mrs. Jamie L. Whitten, wife of the congressman representing Mississippi's Second Congressional District, and commissioned at Charleston, South Carolina, on June 13, 1970, as USS VREELAND (DE 1068), with Commander David R. Stefferud in command.

Following commissioning, VREELAND remained at Charleston for fitting out, equipment installation, acceptance work, and initial crew training. She subsequently conducted shakedown training in the West Indies, where her crew practiced navigation, engineering casualty control, damage control, communications, gunnery, antisubmarine warfare, and general shiphandling. After completing shakedown, she returned to Charleston and joined Destroyer Squadron 4.

Repairs and alterations resulting from the shakedown continued into February 1971. VREELAND completed her final contract trials in March and then began preparations for her first overseas deployment. These preparations included machinery testing, inspections, weapons qualifications, replenishment training, and exercises designed to establish her readiness for sustained operations with the Sixth Fleet.

VREELAND departed Charleston on April 15, 1971, and arrived at Rota, Spain, on April 25. She then entered the Mediterranean for approximately six months of Sixth Fleet duty. Her work included antisubmarine exercises, carrier and task-group screening, formation maneuvering, communications training, replenishment at sea, and multinational operations with allied naval forces. These activities formed part of the continuous American maritime presence along NATO's southern flank during the Cold War. Sixth Fleet ships monitored the Soviet Mediterranean Squadron, supported allied governments, protected sea routes, and retained the ability to respond to crises in southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Her schedule combined periods at sea with calls for fuel, supplies, maintenance, official representation, and crew liberty. She completed her Sixth Fleet assignment at Gibraltar on October 8, when operational control returned to the Second Fleet. VREELAND crossed the Atlantic and arrived at Charleston on October 16. She subsequently resumed Atlantic Fleet training along the east coast and in the Caribbean.

During the first half of 1972, VREELAND underwent maintenance and prepared for another Mediterranean deployment. This assignment differed significantly from the normal deployment cycle. Her home port was changed from Charleston to Athens, Greece, and arrangements were made to relocate many crew dependents. The forward-deployment program was intended to keep American surface combatants continuously available in the eastern Mediterranean without the delays involved in repeated transatlantic passages.

VREELAND arrived in the Mediterranean during the summer of 1972. Late in August, she relieved USS W. S. SIMS (DE 1059), which then began its return to the United States. VREELAND thereafter operated from Athens as a forward-deployed Sixth Fleet escort, an assignment that lasted for almost three years. From Athens, VREELAND carried out the normal duties of a Sixth Fleet antisubmarine escort. She participated in exercises, operated with carrier and amphibious formations, conducted helicopter and weapons training, replenished at sea, and monitored Soviet naval activity. Athens provided administrative support and a location for crew dependents, but the ship spent substantial periods away from Greece and operated throughout the Mediterranean.

The forward deployment placed VREELAND in one of the most politically sensitive maritime regions of the Cold War. The Soviet Mediterranean Squadron maintained submarines, cruisers, destroyers, intelligence-collection ships, amphibious vessels, and auxiliaries in the area. American ships tracked Soviet movements and operating patterns while maintaining readiness to defend Sixth Fleet carrier and amphibious forces. The region was also affected by continuing Arab-Israeli tension, political instability in southern Europe, competition for influence in North Africa, and periodic disputes between Greece and Turkey.

VREELAND was photographed underway in the Mediterranean on August 4, 1973. From August 27 through September 4, she participated in Sharem XVI in the Ionian Sea. The exercise included USS BELKNAP (DLG 26), USS ELMER MONTGOMERY (DE 1082), and the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS LAPON (SSN 661). The surface ships used their sonars, helicopters, maneuvering, and coordinated tactical procedures to locate and maintain contact with the submarine under conditions intended to test the effectiveness of long-range antisubmarine sensors.

The Arab-Israeli War that began in October 1973 sharply increased tension throughout the Mediterranean. The United States supported Israel, while the Soviet Union supplied Egypt and Syria. American and Soviet naval forces increased their readiness as both governments sought to prevent the regional conflict from developing into a direct confrontation between the superpowers. VREELAND remained part of the forward-deployed Sixth Fleet force during the crisis.

VREELAND continued her Mediterranean routine during 1974. In June, she made a documented port visit to Kiel, West Germany, extending her operations beyond the Mediterranean into northern European waters. The visit combined naval representation with normal diplomatic contact between the United States and one of its principal NATO allies.

The Turkish intervention in Cyprus during July 1974 created another major crisis in the eastern Mediterranean and brought Greece and Turkey, both NATO members, close to direct conflict. Sixth Fleet ships monitored the region and remained prepared to protect American citizens and interests.

On October 4, 1974, VREELAND suffered serious boiler trouble while operating in the Mediterranean. The casualty left her unable to continue independently, and USS WILLIAM H. STANDLEY (DLG 32) took her in tow. The frigate required engineering assistance and repairs before she could resume normal operations. The incident demonstrated the limited propulsion redundancy of the KNOX-class: although the ships had two boilers, both supplied the same turbine and single propeller shaft.

VREELAND continued Sixth Fleet duty during the first half of 1975. On July 1, 1975, she was reclassified from destroyer escort DE 1068 to frigate FF 1068 as part of the Navy-wide revision of surface-combatant designations.

Three days later, on July 4, VREELAND departed Greece and began her return voyage to the United States. She reached Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 30, ending almost three years of forward deployment. After a post-deployment stand-down, she moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in September for repairs. She returned to Philadelphia in October and participated in events marking the two-hundredth anniversary of the United States Navy on October 13. Duty as a surface-warfare training ship and additional repairs at Norfolk followed.

On December 6, 1975, VREELAND entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for a major overhaul. The work included repairs and refurbishment of her propulsion plant, hull, electrical equipment, auxiliary machinery, living spaces, sensors, and weapons. The overhaul addressed the effects of sustained operations during her extended Mediterranean assignment and prepared the frigate for a return to the normal Atlantic Fleet deployment cycle. The overhaul was completed on December 2, 1976. Early in 1977, VREELAND resumed active operations from her new home port at Mayport, Florida. During the first half of the year, she underwent sea trials, inspections, certifications, and refresher training. Her crew requalified in engineering, damage control, antisubmarine warfare, gunnery, aviation operations, navigation, communications, electronic warfare, and replenishment at sea.

VREELAND departed Mayport on July 25, 1977, for UNITAS XVIII, the annual series of multinational exercises conducted by the United States Navy with the navies of Central and South American countries. The American surface force also included the guided-missile destroyer USS MAHAN (DDG 42) and USS CAPODANNO (FF 1093). The conventionally powered submarine USS BLUEBACK (SS 581) joined the force for the Pacific phases of the deployment.

The ships arrived at Santa Marta, Colombia, on August 7 and remained there through August 10. They operated with Colombian naval units from August 10 through 12 and visited Cartagena from August 11 through 14. The exercises included communications, tactical maneuvering, antisubmarine warfare, gunnery, and other procedures intended to improve cooperation between the United States Navy and participating regional forces. The task group transited the Panama Canal from August 17 through 19 and continued south along the Pacific coast. After operations with the Ecuadorian and Peruvian navies, VREELAND visited Ilo, Peru, on August 31. Further exercises with Peruvian and Chilean units followed.

VREELAND visited Valparaiso, Chile, from September 17 through 21 and Talcahuano from September 24 through October 2. The calls combined maintenance, official receptions, ship visits, and the delivery of humanitarian materials through Project Handclasp. BLUEBACK detached from the group at Talcahuano and began her return passage to San Diego, while the surface ships continued south. VREELAND called at Punta Arenas from October 6 through 8 and passed through the Strait of Magellan into the South Atlantic. The task group then visited Montevideo and Punta del Este, Uruguay, and conducted combined operations with Uruguayan and Brazilian naval forces.

The American ships reached Rio de Janeiro on October 25 and remained there through October 30. Further exercises with the Brazilian Navy followed from October 31 through November 3. VREELAND then visited Salvador from November 4 through 7 and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from November 16 through 18. She subsequently detached for her return to Florida and reached Mayport on November 25. Leave, upkeep, and the holiday stand-down occupied the remainder of the year.

VREELAND underwent a restricted availability during part of January and February 1978. She devoted the following months to training and preparations for duty with the Middle East Force, whose ships maintained an American presence in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Persian Gulf.

VREELAND departed Mayport on July 23, 1978, in company with the destroyer USS MULLINNIX (DD 944). The ships refueled at Bermuda, the Azores, and Rota before crossing the Mediterranean and transiting the Suez Canal. They arrived at Port Sudan on August 9. At Port Sudan, VREELAND and MULLINNIX completed a turnover with USS GLOVER (AGFF 1) and the guided-missile destroyer USS BARNEY (DDG 6). VREELAND then joined the Middle East Force, whose flagship was USS LA SALLE (AGF 3).

The deployment coincided with important political changes around the Red Sea, Horn of Africa, and Persian Gulf. Somalia had broken with the Soviet Union following the Ogaden War and was beginning to improve relations with the United States. Iran remained a major American security partner under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, although opposition to his government was intensifying. Egypt and Israel were also negotiating the agreements that led to the Camp David Accords in September 1978.

During August, VREELAND made a documented visit to Mogadishu, Somalia. For the remainder of the year, she carried out Middle East Force operations that included maritime-presence patrols, independent steaming, communications training, surveillance, replenishment, exercises, and port visits intended to maintain working relations with governments throughout the region. On December 31, 1978, VREELAND and MULLINNIX retransited the Suez Canal and began their return passage to the United States. VREELAND returned to Mayport early in 1979. Post-deployment leave, maintenance, inspections, and Atlantic and Caribbean training occupied much of the year.

VREELAND departed Mayport on March 10, 1980, for another European and Mediterranean deployment. During the cruise, she visited Antwerp and represented the United States Navy during events marking the 150th anniversary of Belgian independence. She subsequently continued Sixth Fleet exercises, surveillance, training, and port visits in Mediterranean waters. After completing the deployment during the latter part of 1980, VREELAND proceeded to Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine, for a regular overhaul. The availability continued into 1981 and included extensive engineering repairs and modernization of equipment required to keep the frigate operational during the following decade. After leaving the shipyard, she underwent trials, inspections, certifications, refresher training, and deployment preparations.

VREELAND departed Mayport on June 8, 1982, with a battle group centered on the aircraft carrier USS FORRESTAL (CV 59). On the first day of the deployment, an SH-3H Sea King helicopter from FORRESTAL suffered mechanical difficulties shortly after takeoff and descended into the water. VREELAND proceeded to the scene, launched her motor whaleboat, and recovered the helicopter's crew. Sailors attempted to attach a towing line to the aircraft, but a smoke marker activated by contact with the water created unsafe conditions close to the partially submerged helicopter. VREELAND remained nearby until FORRESTAL maneuvered into position and recovered the aircraft with a deck crane.

The battle group entered the Mediterranean during June. Its deployment quickly became connected with the crisis in Lebanon. Israel had invaded Lebanon on June 6 following the attempted assassination of its ambassador in London. Israeli forces advanced toward Beirut, where the Palestine Liberation Organization maintained its principal military and political headquarters. The fighting intensified the Lebanese Civil War and created a major international evacuation and peacekeeping problem. VREELAND operated with the FORRESTAL battle group during exercises and contingency operations. Her duties included antisubmarine screening, carrier escort, surface surveillance, helicopter operations, plane-guard work, and replenishment at sea. During July, she conducted an underway replenishment with the ammunition ship USS MOUNT BAKER (AE 34).

An internationally negotiated agreement eventually provided for the evacuation of armed PLO personnel and their families from Beirut. On August 25, 1982, VREELAND and the guided-missile frigate USS JULIUS A. FURER (FFG 6) escorted the Greek ferry NEREUS during part of its passage from Beirut toward Port Said, Egypt. NEREUS carried PLO evacuees and required assistance while underway. VREELAND maneuvered astern of the crowded civilian vessel and supplied potable water through a hose. The frigate also provided food and medical material. The transfer required careful shiphandling because the ferry was not equipped for normal naval replenishment procedures.

Following the Beirut evacuation, the FORRESTAL group received orders to proceed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. On September 14, 1982, an F-4 Phantom was lost while attempting to land aboard FORRESTAL in the Red Sea. VREELAND participated in the search for the missing aviator and material from the aircraft. Her boats, lookouts, sensors, and embarked helicopter supported the search around the carrier.

FORRESTAL and her escorts remained in the Indian Ocean until relieved in October. They then returned through the Suez Canal and Mediterranean. VREELAND completed the deployment and returned to Mayport in November 1982.

After post-deployment upkeep, VREELAND departed the Atlantic coast on January 17, 1983, and transited the Panama Canal for special operations in the eastern Pacific. The cruise occurred during a period of increased American military activity near Central America as the Reagan administration responded to conflicts in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and neighboring countries. VREELAND later returned to Mayport and resumed Atlantic Fleet exercises, inspections, engineering training, antisubmarine operations, and deployment preparations. In November 1983, she received the Battle Efficiency "E", recognizing overall performance in the operational, engineering, weapons, logistics, and administrative fields evaluated within her squadron.

On February 29, 1984, VREELAND departed Mayport in company with the guided-missile destroyers USS TATTNALL (DDG 19) and USS LUCE (DDG 38). The ships conducted training with carrier-group units during the Atlantic crossing before entering the Mediterranean for Sixth Fleet duty. VREELAND's deployment included carrier-screening, antisubmarine warfare, surface surveillance, replenishment, multinational training, and Mediterranean port visits. Her operations took place while the United States continued to reject Libya's claim to the entire Gulf of Sidra as territorial waters and while American ships monitored Soviet naval activity throughout the region. VREELAND completed the deployment and returned to Mayport during the latter part of August 1984. Post-deployment leave and upkeep were followed by renewed Atlantic and Caribbean operations.

On June 12, 1985, VREELAND was shifting berths at Mayport when she struck the port quarter of the guided-missile frigate USS STARK (FFG 31). Both ships sustained limited damage. Maintenance personnel at Mayport carried out the necessary repairs, and the collision did not cause a prolonged interruption of either ship's operating schedule. Later in 1985, VREELAND participated in NATO exercise Ocean Safari 85, conducted from August 28 through September 20. The exercise involved large numbers of NATO ships, submarines, and aircraft operating across the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. It tested the alliance's ability to protect reinforcement shipping, counter submarines, coordinate surface and air formations, and operate under simulated wartime conditions. During the North Atlantic operations, VREELAND received fuel from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA GREY ROVER (A 269). She also made a documented visit to Bordeaux, France, entering through the Gironde estuary. After returning to the United States, the frigate continued Atlantic and Caribbean training before entering dry dock in December.

VREELAND deployed to the Mediterranean again in 1986 as tensions between the United States and Libya intensified. The government of Muammar Qadhafi had repeatedly challenged American operations in the Gulf of Sidra and was accused by the United States of supporting international terrorist organizations. VREELAND operated as part of the escort and screening force assigned to the battle group centered on the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66). American carrier forces conducted freedom-of-navigation operations near Libya's claimed maritime boundary during March 1986. Libyan forces fired surface-to-air missiles at American aircraft and dispatched missile-armed patrol craft toward the carrier groups. United States aircraft and ships attacked Libyan radar installations and patrol vessels during the resulting confrontation.

The bombing of the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin on April 5 killed two people and injured many others, including American military personnel. The United States attributed responsibility to Libya and prepared a retaliatory strike. Operation El Dorado Canyon took place during the night of April 14-15, 1986. Aircraft from AMERICA and CORAL SEA (CV 43), together with United States Air Force aircraft flying from Britain, attacked military and terrorist-support targets near Tripoli and Benghazi. VREELAND remained within the AMERICA group's escort and defensive screen during the operation, contributing to the protection and surveillance of the carrier force.

VREELAND continued Sixth Fleet operations after the attack and subsequently made Mediterranean port visits, including a documented call at Naples. She returned to Mayport later in 1986 and resumed maintenance and Atlantic Fleet training.

During 1987, VREELAND alternated maintenance periods with operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean. Her schedule included antisubmarine exercises, engineering examinations, helicopter qualifications, carrier-escort work, and training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. These activities maintained readiness for another Mediterranean deployment and qualified new crew members in the ship's warfare, engineering, communications, and damage-control responsibilities.

VREELAND began another Sixth Fleet deployment on February 26, 1988, attached to the battle group centered on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69). She was photographed underway in the Mediterranean with USS PAUL (FF 1080) on March 1. Her documented port calls during the deployment included Ibiza and Malaga, Spain. The deployment included NATO exercise Dragon Hammer 88, conducted from May 1 through 14. The multinational exercise tested NATO's ability to defend the central and eastern Mediterranean, protect sea routes, coordinate naval and air forces, and reinforce allied positions.

During the early morning of May 8, VREELAND's embarked SH-2F Seasprite, Bureau Number 161903, struck the sea while approaching the frigate during a night recovery in restricted visibility. The helicopter was lost, but all three occupants survived. VREELAND continued Dragon Hammer and subsequent Sixth Fleet operations without her original embarked aircraft. The frigate remained with the EISENHOWER force during further carrier-screening, surveillance, antisubmarine, aviation, and replenishment assignments. VREELAND returned from the deployment on August 29, 1988.

During 1989 and 1990, VREELAND continued operating from Mayport. Her schedule consisted of maintenance, inspections, Atlantic and Caribbean exercises, antisubmarine training, aviation operations, engineering qualifications, and other readiness requirements. Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The United Nations imposed economic sanctions, and the United States assembled a multinational military coalition in the Middle East under Operation Desert Shield. By January 18, 1991, VREELAND was serving in the theater as one of the United States naval units supporting Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991, with coalition air and missile attacks against Iraqi forces, command facilities, air defenses, and infrastructure. VREELAND supported naval operations in the region during the combat phase and remained in the area after the February 28 ceasefire. Mines presented a major danger in the northern Arabian Gulf. Iraqi forces had laid extensive minefields in areas used by coalition warships, amphibious forces, and logistics vessels. On February 18, USS TRIPOLI (LPH 10) and USS PRINCETON (CG 59) were damaged by separate mines, demonstrating the continuing threat to coalition ships.

On March 18, a helicopter operating from the guided-missile destroyer USS KIDD (DDG 993) sighted a floating mine. After nearby ships had been warned, VREELAND deployed her explosive-ordnance-disposal team. The team destroyed the mine, removing one of the drifting hazards from the operating area. VREELAND also carried an SH-2F fitted with the experimental Magic Lantern airborne mine-detection system. The equipment was intended to locate mines near or just below the surface. During April, the helicopter was transferred from VREELAND to KIDD for continued mine-countermeasures operations. Technical personnel later had to undertake extensive repairs before the aircraft could resume flying.

VREELAND remained in the region while coalition naval forces conducted mine clearance, escorted shipping, maintained surveillance, and enforced the maritime provisions of the postwar settlement. After completing the deployment, she returned to Mayport and resumed maintenance while the Navy considered her future within the rapidly shrinking post-Cold War fleet.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union and the accompanying reduction in American force levels led to the retirement of many older surface combatants. The KNOX-class frigates were particularly affected because their high-pressure steam plants required relatively large engineering crews and increasing maintenance, while their combat systems had been designed principally for Cold War open-ocean antisubmarine warfare. During 1992, VREELAND's crew prepared the ship for decommissioning and transfer. Ammunition was removed, inventories were completed, documents and equipment were transferred, and systems not required for safe operation were secured.

USS VREELAND was decommissioned at Mayport on June 30, 1992, after slightly more than twenty-two years of commissioned service. On the same date, she was leased to Greece and renamed HS MAKEDONIA (F 458). She subsequently entered service with the Hellenic Navy as one of several former KNOX-class frigates acquired to strengthen Greek antisubmarine, patrol, and escort capabilities. Although VREELAND had passed into Greek operational control, she remained on the United States Naval Vessel Register during the lease period. She was struck from the register on January 11, 1995. The United States Congress later authorized her permanent transfer to Greece, and ownership was transferred on February 9, 2001.

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