U.S.S. Antietam CG-54

Antietam


(CG--54: dp. 9,600; 1. 503'; b. 55'; dr. 31'; s. 30+k.; cpl. 372; a. 2 5", Standard missile, ASROC, Harpoon, Phalanx, LAMPS, 6 21" tt.; el. Ticonderoga)

The third Antietam (CG-54) was laid down on 15 November 1984 at Pascagoula, Miss., by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 15 February 1986; sponsored by the Honora le Beverly B. Byron, Representative from Maryland's 6th Congres- District, who christened the guided-missile cruiser on 19 April 1986; and commissioned on 22 May 1987, Capt. Philip J. Coady, Jr., in command.

The warship spent the remainder of 1987 fitting out and con- her shakedown training. In January of 1988, she entered Todd Pacific Shipyards Corp. for post-shakedown repairs and alterations. Antietam completed the availability early in March and began operations along the coast of California during which she carried out two research projects for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in addition to the normal routine of refresher training, systems, tests, and readiness certifications. That summer, the warship participated in the multinational exercise, RI MPAC '88, the second phase of which took her to the Hawaiian operating area.

On 2 September, Antietam embarked upon her first overseas deployment, an assignment that first took her to the Far East and then, late in October, across the Indian Ocean to the troubled Middle East. After a tour of duty patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, the guided-missile cruiser headed back across the Indian Ocean late in December, and the last day of 1988 found her in port at Singapore.

ANTIETAM's first deployment, beginning September 1988, took the ship to the Arabian Gulf for Kuwaiti tanker escort operations as part of Operation
EARNEST WILL. Following the first full 18-month competitive cycle, ANTIETAM was awarded the Battle "E", eight of nine departmental excellence
awards, and the LAMPS MK III Safety Award.

The ship's second deployment in June 1990, scheduled for Pacific operations, was cut short by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. ANTIETAM entered the
Arabian Gulf on 6 August, assuming duties as anti-air warfare commander for Middle East Force during the turbulent early days of Operation
DESERT SHIELD.

For the success of its second deployment, ANTIETAM was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and Southwest Asia Defense Medal. ANTIETAM
returned to the United States where it received another Battle "E", nine of nine departmental excellence awards, and the Spokane Trophy for Combat
Systems Excellence.

In January 1992, ANTIETAM again deployed to the Western Pacific for a series of bilateral exercises with allied forces from Japan, Singapore, and
Brunei. The ship visited ten cities in eight different countries.

After winning the Navy-wide 1993 Captain Edward F. Ney Award for Food Service Excellence, ANTIETAM departed in February 1994 on its fourth
deployment, once again to the Arabian Gulf. The ship earned the Southwest Asia Service Medal for participation in Operation SOUTHERN WATCH,
enforcing the United Nations-mandated no-fly zone over Iraq.

Since its, return, ANTIETAM completed its first regular overhaul and switched homeports to San Diego, California. The cruiser was awarded the Battle
"E" and four of four area excellence awards, including a fleet-leading sixth consecutive Red Engineering "E".