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USS Gettysburg (CG 64)

USS GETTYSBURG is the 18^th TICONDEROGA class guided missile cruiser and the third ship in the Navy named after the Battle of Gettysburg.

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Crew List:

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

• Click here to view the list.

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

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USS GETTYSBURG Cruise Books:

• Counter-Piracy Cruise Book 2009
• Mediterranean Cruise Book 2013-14

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About the Ship’s Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

Dark Blue and gold are the traditional Navy colors. The shield, divided dark blue and gray, refers to the colors of the Union and Confederate Armies and a country split by war. White expresses peace and optimism and red is a reminder of the immeasurable valor and blood shed at the epic battle of Gettysburg. The three pheons represent the number of days of this intense Civil War battle and allude to the Union and Confederate assault lines. The pheons point up portraying GETTYSBURG's vertical launch capabilities. Their number also reflects three major Aegis cruiser missions, anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare. The arch recalls Seminary Ridge, Culp's Hill and Little Round Top, critical positions on the Gettysburg battlefield. The anchor symbolizes sea prowess and the ties with the ship's Maine birthplace, the two stars represent the two previous ship's named "GETTYSBURG".

The Crest:

At the dedication of the National Cemetery on the Gettysburg battle ground, President Lincoln delivered his immortal Gettysburg Address. The scroll with a drop of blood honors those famous words, especially "... that these dead shall not have died in vain." Our national bird, the bald eagle, appropriately represents President Lincoln and the Union he strove to preserve; and the eagle also emphasizes the Union's victory. Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War, which ultimately forged a stronger nation. The inverted wreath honors all who died, Union and Confederate alike. Muskets were in general use during the Civil War and highlight the hand to hand combat as both sides exploded in a tremendous clash of musketry.

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USS GETTYSBURG in the News:

• May 6, 2003 - USS Gettysburg Saves Fishermen at Sea

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About the Ship’s Name, about the Battle of Gettysburg:

On July 1-3, 1863, General Robert E. Lee’s Confederates attacked General George Meade’s Union forces, who were entrenched near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The climax of the battle was Pickett’s Charge. Losses at Gettysburg were heavy on both sides, but it was the defeated Lee who was forced to retreat into Virginia.

The Battle of Gettysburg ended in one of the bravest, and most disastrous, attacks in American history. Confederate general George E. Pickett (1825-75) advanced against the Union trenches with 15,000 men. They were mown down by artillery and rifle fire. About 10,000 Confederates were killed or wounded in the attack. Afterwards, it became known as Pickett’s Charge.

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Accidents aboard USS GETTYSBURG:

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History of USS GETTYSBURG:

Commissioned on June 22, 1991, at Bath, Maine, GETTYSBURG spent the early 1990s in Atlantic and Mediterranean workups and deployments. After an initial Mediterranean cruise from October 1992 to April 1993, the cruiser participated in embargo enforcement related to Haiti in October 1993. During November 30, 1994, while operating in the Indian Ocean, GETTYSBURG assisted with the evacuation and care of passengers from the burning cruise ship ACHILLE LAURO, transferring survivors onward to Djibouti. The ACHILLE LAURO sank on December 2, 1994.

On October 13, 1996, while on routine patrol in the northern Persian Gulf, GETTYSBURG experienced a low-speed bump with an Iranian patrol craft; damage was minor and operations continued. In December 1998, the cruiser supported Operation Desert Fox strike operations against Iraqi targets. Throughout 1999-2000, GETTYSBURG alternated between Atlantic training, periodic Middle East tasking, and maintenance in Mayport.

Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, GETTYSBURG entered a cycle of homeland defense tasking, Atlantic exercises, and missile-defense integration workups. In March 2002, the ship supported a Naval Ordnance Test Unit ballistic-missile test off Port Canaveral, Florida, acting as a tracking and observation platform and hosting observers while coordinating with the attack submarine USS JACKSONVILLE (SSN 699). In April 2003, GETTYSBURG participated in Fleet Week events at Port Everglades (arriving April 28, 2003), then joined ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) for a deployment that spanned the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and North Arabian Sea during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The cruiser transited the Suez Canal in early October and took up air-defense and plane-guard roles in the Gulf. She returned to Mayport on February 27, 2004. The remainder of 2004 included exercises with NATO partners, a July 2, 2004 port visit to Portsmouth, United Kingdom, and preparations for counter-trafficking duties.

From October 11, 2005 to April 4, 2006, GETTYSBURG executed a two-phase Joint Interagency Task Force South counter-narcotics mission with HSL-46 detachment and U.S. Coast Guard LEDET embarked, operating in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Port calls and logistics waypoints included Curacao (October 21-25, 2005); Panama Canal transits (November 3-4, 2005; January 30-31, 2006; March 15-16, 2006); Vasco Nunez de Balboa (November 18-22 and December 5-6 and 16-18, 2005); Cartagena, Colombia (January 20-21, 2006); Curacao (March 23-26, 2006); and Port Everglades (March 29-April 1, 2006). Interceptions during this period included the freighter PERSEUS V on January 12, 2006 (hidden compartment with cocaine), as well as additional boardings in February-March directed by P-3C Orion aircraft. The mission disrupted multiple trafficking attempts totaling many metric tons of narcotics and resulted in numerous detainees turned over to partner nations.

On July 6, 2007, GETTYSBURG departed Mayport for a Middle East deployment focused on Maritime Security Operations (MSO) and Iraqi maritime protection. The ship spent 71 consecutive days on station in the northern Arabian Gulf supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, conducting sector air defense and escort duties, before returning on December 19, 2007, with interim logistics calls at regional hubs such as Jebel Ali and Manama and routine anchorage logistics in the central Gulf. After maintenance and training in early 2008, the cruiser prepared for counter-piracy tasking.

On February 21, 2009, GETTYSBURG sailed for the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin as flagship for Combined Task Force 151 under Turkish command. Working closely with ROKS MUNMU THE GREAT (DDH 976) and embarkations from LEDET 409, the ship conducted multiple interdictions, including the widely reported detention of 17 suspected pirates from a dhow used as a mothership on May 13-14, 2009, south of Al Mukalla, Yemen. Additional actions in May 2009 included responding to distress from the Yemeni vessel ALASEB and towing it to a Yemen Coast Guard rendezvous. The deployment featured frequent logistics stops at Aden and Djibouti and concluded with return to Mayport on July 28, 2009. Through 2010, GETTYSBURG executed training and maintenance periods to reset for strike group operations.

In 2011, GETTYSBURG joined Carrier Strike Group TWO (flagship GEORGE H. W. BUSH (CVN 77)) and completed COMPTUEX on February 10, 2011. The ship deployed on May 10, 2011, participated in the multi-national Exercise Saxon Warrior in the Eastern Atlantic in May 2011 (operating with HMS DAUNTLESS (D33) and ESPS ALMIRANTE JUAN DE BORBON (F 102)), and made related port calls at Benidorm, Spain (June 6-9, 2011) and Naples, Italy (June 11-14, 2011). After transiting the Suez Canal in mid-June, GETTYSBURG entered the U.S. Fifth Fleet theater, supported Gulf air defense and maritime security tasks through the summer, and completed port logistics at Al Hidd/Manama, Bahrain (July 10-14, 2011; late July-mid-August 2011). The ship returned to Mayport on December 8, 2011.

In September-October 2012, GETTYSBURG deployed to the northeast Atlantic for Joint Warrior 12-2, staging from HMNB Clyde (September 26-30, 2012) and visiting Portsmouth (October 13-18, 2012) before returning to the U.S. on October 31, 2012. Through early 2013, the cruiser executed pre-deployment training with Carrier Strike Group TEN (later integrated with Carrier Strike Group TWO planning), culminating in a lengthy deployment from July 2013 into April 2014 as Air and Missile Defense Commander for HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75). GETTYSBURG crossed into Sixth Fleet on February 24, 2014, transited Gibraltar February 27, and shifted to Fifth Fleet by March 18, 2014, as the Ukraine crisis unfolded in Europe and the Syria/Iraq conflicts intensified. Port calls and logistics stops during early transit included Muscat, Oman (February 19, 2014), Abu Dhabi, UAE (May 24-28, 2014), Hidd/Manama, Bahrain (late April and October 9, 2014), and Duqm, Oman (October 21, 2014). On the Mediterranean leg home, the strike group divided its visits among Marseille (November 1-4, 2014), Barcelona (November 1-5, 2014), Villefranche (November 1-4, 2014), and Lisbon (November 3-6, 2014). GETTYSBURG returned to Mayport on April 18, 2014. For sustained performance across 2013-2014, the crew earned the Battenberg Cup (2013) and back-to-back Battle "E" awards for 2013 and 2014.

The ship underwent leadership turnover in March 2015 and shifted homeport from Mayport to Naval Station Norfolk in May 2015 to enter the Navy's cruiser modernization effort. GETTYSBURG commenced an extended availability in late 2015, followed by a Selected Restricted Availability contract award on April 27, 2016, at BAE Systems Norfolk. Modernization work - spanning hull, mechanical, electrical, and AEGIS combat system upgrades - was incrementally funded and expanded, including a major award publicized in August 2018 to progress the overhaul. Sea trials resumed in February-March 2023, marking the cruiser's first underway period in nearly nine years and confirming basic material readiness following Board of Inspection and Survey events.

After a workup period with HARRY S. TRUMAN Carrier Strike Group (CSG-8), GETTYSBURG departed Norfolk in late September 2024, for an eight-month deployment across the U.S. Sixth and Fifth Fleet theaters. The ship operated in the Mediterranean during early autumn, then shifted to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden amid regional tensions and coalition maritime security operations linked to attacks on commercial shipping. During the Red Sea phase of the cruise, GETTYSBURG was involved in a friendly-fire incident: early on December 22, 2024, while the strike group was responding to Houthi drone and missile activity, the cruiser mistakenly engaged a U.S. F/A-18F from HARRY S. TRUMAN; both aviators ejected and were recovered. A formal investigation followed, and the ship held an at-sea change of command on January 30, 2025. Across late 2024 and early 2025, the strike group executed air-wing combat sorties, ballistic/cruise-missile defense coordination, and multinational exercises with NATO and regional partners; periodic logistics and ammunition evolutions occurred at Duqm, Jebel Ali, and Bahrain. The Navy announced on November 4, 2024, that GETTYSBURG - having completed modernization in FY 2023 - would receive a service-life extension, aligning with fleet plans to retain a limited number of upgraded cruisers. GETTYSBURG returned to Norfolk on June 6, 2025, mooring at Naval Station Norfolk and subsequently proceeding to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown for post-deployment ordnance actions and maintenance.

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Homeports of USS GETTYSBURG:

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USS GETTYSBURG Patch Gallery:

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USS GETTYSBURG Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the GETTYSBURG at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., on July 31, 2000.

The photos below were taken by me and show the GETTYSBURG at Kiel, Germany, on June 20-21, 2008, after her participation in BALTOPS 2008.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GETTYSBURG laid up at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on April 13, 2016. The GETTYSBURG is presently involved in the Navy's Cruiser Phased Modernization Program which means that the ship is presently laid up and maintained by a small 45-person crew. The ship will later undergo modernization and return to service by 2021, replacing an older sistership. The procedure started in 2015 at the ship's homeport of Mayport, Fla., from where she was later towed to her new administrative homeport of Norfolk, Va., by the USNS GRAPPLE (T-ARS 53). The program follows a 2-4-6 plan meaning that each year no more than two cruisers will be placed in phased modernization; no cruiser will remain in phased modernization for more than 4 years; and no more than six cruisers may be in phased modernization at the same time. Note the Battenberg Cup painting on the forward superstructure commemorating the GETTYSBURG as the 2013 winner of the trophy which is an annual award for the best East Coast-based Navy ship.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GETTYSBURG undergoing a Special Selected Restricted Availability (SSRA) at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair on October 12, 2016. GETTYSBURG entered the shipyard on June 6, 2016. The SSRA is part of the Navy's Cruiser Phased Modernization Program.

The photos below were taken by Steven Collingwood and show the GETTYSBURG laid up at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on April 16, 2017, after completing her Special Selected Restricted Availability (SSRA) at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. GETTYSBURG entered the shipyard on June 6, 2016, and returned to the Naval Base in December. The SSRA was part of the Navy's Cruiser Phased Modernization Program.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GETTYSBURG laid up at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 4, 2017.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GETTYSBURG laid up at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 21, 2018.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GETTYSBURG at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on December 26, 2021. GETTYSBURG left the BAE Systems shipyard on October 14, 2021, and will soon join the fleet again. Note the Phalanx CIWS on the pier.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GETTYSBURG at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 6, 2022. She will soon end the Navy's Cruiser Phased Modernization Program after being laid up for almost 7 years.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GETTYSBURG as an operational vessel again at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 9, 2023.

The photos below were taken by Marco Ziemann and show USS GETTYSBURG passing the island of Wangerooge on her way to Naval Base Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on November 18, 2024. USS GETTYSBURG is on her first deployment after more than 10 years of lay-up and modernization. The cruiser is operating as part of the HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group.

The photos below were taken by me and show USS GETTYSBURG arriving at Naval Base Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on November 18, 2024. USS GETTYSBURG - the only East Coast cruiser to successfully make it through the Navy's Cruiser Phased Modernization Program - is on her first deployment after more than 10 years of lay-up and modernization. The cruiser is operating as part of the HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group.

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