History

The USS Gettysburg (CG 64), namesake of the Battle of Gettysburg, had her keel laid down Aug. 17th, 1988, at Bath Iron Works Shipyard in Bath, Maine. She was commissioned, June 22, 1991, by her sponsor Julie Nixon Eisenhower. The Gettysburg, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, was one of the 27 cruisers commissioned into the U.S. Navy that had the ability to act as a flagship. With some of the newest technologies aboard, such as SPY-1 RADAR, MK 41 VLS and AEGIS, the Gettysburg was set to be the leading ship in air missile defense during the time. The Gettysburg saw her first deployment in October of 1993, enforcing a trade embargo against Haiti in support of Operation Supporting Democracy. In June 1994, the Gettysburg participated in BALTOPS94, being one of the first U.S. Navy ships to visit a port in South Africa in 27 years. As well as administering humanitarian assistance, the Gettysburg participated in a variety of deployments, attached to carrier strike groups and independent steaming. She deployed often with the USS Enterprise Battle Group, comprising one of the cruisers in Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10. She has completed multiple deployments to the 5th and 6th fleet in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and New Dawn. 

In 2014, the crew of the Gettysburg was recognized with the top workforce development program in the U.S. government; best maintenance program in the Department of Defense; best safety and community-relations programs in the Navy; Fleet and Surface Force-level awards for Unit Tactics, Golden Anchor (Retention) and Intelligence excellence; and, the Battenberg Cup as the best ship, submarine or aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet.

Following her deployments, she moved from her homeport of Mayport, Florida, to Norfolk, Virginia, to begin her service life extension program and cruiser modernization. Although she now sits in BAE shipyards, the Gettysburg prepares to return back to the fleet and complete her mission as one of the cruisers, supporting the USS Gerald Ford, the newest Ford class aircraft carrier, in CSG 12. Not only will she be outfitted with the latest and greatest technology, the Gettysburg will be one of the most formidable ships in her class, providing a vast array of offensive and defensive capabilities to the U.S. Navy’s fleet.