The lead ship of the United States Navy's most successful destroyer class, USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) was commissioned on July 4, 1991 — Independence Day — and named for Fleet Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, one of the most aggressive and capable surface warfare commanders in American history. During World War II, Burke commanded Destroyer Squadron 23 in 22 engagements in the South Pacific without losing a single ship, earning his nickname by racing through enemy waters at high speed. As Chief of Naval Operations from 1955 to 1961, he shaped the Cold War Navy and championed the missile age. DDG-51 carried that legacy across every fleet — from the Adriatic during the Bosnian crisis to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Fox, from the 5th Fleet during the GWOT to the Mediterranean as the fight against ISIS entered a new phase. She stands as the ancestor of more than 70 destroyers that form the backbone of today's surface fleet.