USS ''Valley Forge'' (CG-50) was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Valley Forge, where the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

camped during one winter in the American Revolution.

Construction and commissioning

The ship was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and was launched on 29 September 1984, by her sponsor Julia Vadala Taft, wife of Deputy Secretary of Defense

William H. Taft IV William Howard Taft IV (born September 13, 1945) is an attorney who has served in the United States government under several Republican administrations. He is the son of William Howard Taft III and the great-grandson of President William Howard ...

Service history

During the 1986 RIMPAC naval exercise, she acted as the plane guard for the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

. She saw action during Desert Storm in the USS Ranger battle group and served as the overall Anti-Air warfare commander for the gulf (Bravo Zulu AAWC). In March 2003, ''Valley Forge'' was assigned to

Destroyer Squadron 21 A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger a ...

. The ship was decommissioned on 31 August 2004, at

San Diego Naval Station Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, cons ...

, the first ship with the Aegis combat system withdrawn from service. ''Valley Forge'' was sunk on 2 November 2006, as part of a target practice on a test range near

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

, Hawaii.

Awards

* Combat Action Ribbon - (16-28 Feb 1991) * Joint Meritorious Unit Award - (Dec 1992-May 1993) *

Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...

- (Jan-Feb 1991, Jan-May 2003) * Navy

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...

- (Dec 1994-May 1995, Jun-Dec 1998) * Navy E Ribbon - (1989, 1995, 1998) * Navy Expeditionary Medal - (Jun-Jul 1987) *

Special Operations Service Ribbon The Special Operations Service Ribbon is a service award of the United States Coast Guard which was first created 1 July 1987 by order of Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Paul A. Yost Jr. The award is authorized for certain acts of non-comb ...

- (Apr-May 1993)

References

External links

*
''USS Valley Forge'' webpage
Ticonderoga-class cruisers Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi 1984 ships Cold War cruisers of the United States

USS Valley Forge (CG-50) USS ''Valley Forge'' (CG-50) was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Valley Forge, where the Continental Army camped during one winter in the American Revolution. Construction and commissioning The ship was built by Ingalls Shipbu ...

Ships sunk as targets {{US-mil-ship-stub