Barry's career began almost immediately following commissioning as she completed her shakedown and took on her final equipment. In November of 1993, she was positioned off the coast of Haiti to enforce an arms and fuel embargo to the embattled Caribbean nation. In March of 1994, Barry took part in "MAYFLEX 94", proving her anti-capabilities sound when she engaged two in-flight Exocet anti-ship missiles utilizing her integrated onboard systems as part of a battle group. In May, Barry headed east to Mediterranean waters on her first foreign deployment ultimately taking part in UN actions during the Bosnia War. In October, she was redeployed to the Persian Gulf as a deterrent against Iraqi troop movements along the Kuwaiti border.
Following a relatively quiet period, the Barry was once again pressed into action during the 2006 Israeli-Lebanon War which required her military presence in rescuing trapped Americans in the region. The Barry served alongside the USS Gonzalez (DDG-66), another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, in ensuring safety for the Orient Queen charged with taking on American civilians.
In March of 2011, the Barry served as part of the UN resolution to protect civilian strongholds during the 2011 Libyan Civil War. Barry was able to utilize her vertical launch cells in the firing of Tomahawk cruise missiles offshore against inland Libyan targets, primarily those as related to air defense in preparation for coalition aircraft to begin their bombing campaign. The war eventually ended with the capture and death of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and an uncertain future for the Libyan people.
In August of 2013, the USS Barry retained her position in the Mediterranean as the UN and United States debated on whether to commit to military action against Syrian leadership in response to the bloody civil war being waged. The situation has brought about international condemnation for use of chemical weapons by either government forces or rebel elements. The USS Barry stands with several of her sisters, two USN aircraft carriers and an unknown number of attack submarines in preparation for a possible US strike on Syrian government forces (assumed the culprit of the chemical-based rocket attacks that killed over 1,000).
As it stands, the USS Barry maintains an active presence in the United States Navy and will probably continue in an active role for some time. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is a stalwart for the USN and one of its largest group of surface warships - the perfect complement to the fleet built around aircraft carriers, missile carriers, amphibious support vessels and submarines.
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