USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) - Unofficial US Navy Site

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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books About the Ship's Coat of Arms History About the Name "Bunker Hill" Patch Gallery Image Gallery to end of page USS Bunker Hill (CG 52)- decommissioned -

USS BUNKER HILL was the first ship in the TICONDEROGA class equipped with the Vertical Launching System (VLS). The cruiser was named after the Battle of Bunker Hill which took place on June 17, 1775. USS BUNKER HILL held a decommissioning ceremony at her homeport of San Diego, Calif., on September 22, 2023. She was officially decommissioned on September 29, 2023.

General Characteristics:	Keel Laid: 1984
	Launched: March 11, 1985
	Commissioned: September 20, 1986
	Decommissioned: September 29, 2023
	Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss.
	Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
	Propellers: two
	Blades on each Propeller: five
	Length: 567 feet (173 meters)
	Beam: 55 feet (16.8 meters)
	Draft: 34 feet (10.2 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 9,600 tons full load
	Speed: 30+ knots
	Cost: about $1 billion
	Aircraft: two SH-60 Sea Hawk (LAMPS 3)
	Armament: Mk 41 VLS for Standard missiles, Tomahawk, ASROC; Mk 46 torpedoes, Harpoon missile launchers, two Mk 45 5-inch/54 caliber lightweight guns, two Phalanx CIWS, two Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm machine gun systems
	Crew: 33 Officers, 27 Chief Petty Officers and approx. 324 Enlisted

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Crew List:This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS BUNKER HILL. 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 BUNKER HILL memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS BUNKER HILL Cruise Books:

• WestPac Cruise Book 1988-89
• WestPac Cruise Book 2000-01
• WestPac Cruise Book 2004-05
• WestPac Cruise Book 2014-15

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:The Shield:The sea dragon is an awesome beast that is both vigilant and fierce. Grasping a flaming sword, the sea dragon symbolizes the naval prowess and attack capability of today's USS BUNKER HILL. The flaming sword also represents the revolutionary capability of the Vertical Launching System first introduced in USS BUNKER HILL. The stars commemorate the eleven battle stars the former USS BUNKER HILL (CV 17) earned in the Pacific theater during World War II. Blue and gold are the colors traditionally associated with the Navy and are symbolic of the sea and excellence. The two white bars in chief represent American courage and purpose as displayed at the Battle of BUNKER HILL on 17 June 1775. The red bars symbolize the British assaults on the colonists' entrenchment and the curve below alludes to the hill that the British took at great cost. Bunker Hill proved to be a rallying point for the Americans, since afterwards the British faced full scale war.The Crest:The colonists were formidable opponents at Bunker Hill. The entrenchments or redoubts they built are symbolized by the scarlet hill and battlements. The muskets with bayonets recall the weapons of that battle and the powder horn refers to the New Englander's stand until their ammunition supply was exhausted. The anchor is symbolic of maritime traditions and excellence of achievement.

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History of USS BUNKER HILL: USS BUNKER HILL was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi. It was commissioned in Boston, Mass., on 20 September 1986, within sight of the historical monument commemorating the namesake battle. After commissioning, BUNKER HILL entered the Pacific Fleet via the Panama Canal. BUNKER HILL made its first deployment in July 1987, nearly one year ahead of schedule. During the deployment, the ship provided an anti-air warfare umbrella for the USS MISSOURI (BB 63) and USS RANGER (CV 61) battle groups and U.S. flagged tankers and ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In August 1988, the ship moved to Yokosuka, Japan, joining the USS MIDWAY (CV 41) battle group. Shortly thereafter, the ship departed for a four month deployment in the U.S. Seventh Fleet area and was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. From November 1990 through March 1991, BUNKER HILL was deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The ship directed the tactical employment of 26 ships and over 300 combat aircraft from six nations. BUNKER HILL also launched a total of 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets in Iraq. The cruiser was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal for its exceptional performance. In July 1991, BUNKER HILL escorted the USS MIDWAY to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for a turnover with USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62). In March 1992, BUNKER HILL was part of the last battle group to visit the U.S. Naval Base at Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. In April 1992, BUNKER HILL departed Yokosuka for a seven month deployment to the Arabian Gulf. The cruiser was instrumental in the planning and execution of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, the enforcement of the United Nations no-fly zone over Southern Iraq. In November 1993, the ship deployed for independent operations in the Sea of Japan before rejoining the INDEPENDENCE battle group to continue Operation Southern Watch. On 17 March 1994, BUNKER HILL returned to Yokosuka marking the completion of its fifth Arabian Gulf deployment. In March 1996, China fired a series of TBMs into the ocean near Taiwan. USS BUNKERHILL was called on short notice to reposition and track the TBMs using its SPY-1A radar. BUNKER HILL's Aegis Combat System recorded each missile flight in detail. BUNKER HILL took part in the 6-day long Exercise ANNUALEX headed by the USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62) Battle Group. The exercise also involved approximately 120 ships and 180 aircraft from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) in the waters surrounding Japan. The exercise aimed at testing the capabilities for coordinated/bilateral operations in defense of Japan. BUNKER HILL deployed to the Arabian Gulf from January to June 1998. In August 1998, BUNKER HILL returned to the homeport she left ten years earlier. USS BUNKER HILL took part in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2000, as part of the ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) Battle Group. The Battle Group was simultaneously beginning its Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for deployment to the western Pacific and Arabian Gulf areas. RIMPAC 2000 focused on conducting area air defense, war-at-sea and power-projection exercises designed to test and practice the Navy's ability to interface with naval allies from Canada, the United Kingdom, Chile, the Republic of Korea and Australia. After the exercise, BUNKER HILL continued westbound for the Middle East. Following three months spent operating in the Arabian Sea to enforce United Nations sanctions, BUNKER HILL was finishing the long Middle East deployment that had stretched through late 2000, including heightened force-protection at sea after the attack on USS COLE (DDG 67) in October 2000. On 12 January 2001, the cruiser entered Perth-Fremantle, Australia, for a reception and liberty, then later made a Sydney visit before heading east across the Pacific. She returned to San Diego in February 2001, closing out a cycle of Southern Watch enforcement and maritime security operations in the Arabian Gulf shaped by U.N. sanctions on Iraq. Through 2002, the ship's schedule centered on Third Fleet training, carrier integration and AEGIS readiness events from San Diego, with periodic underway periods to maintain deployment certification standards typical of Pacific Fleet cruisers in the immediate post-9/11 years. Routine workups laid the foundation for combat operations the following spring. As the U.S. opened Operation Iraqi Freedom on 20 March 2003, BUNKER HILL participated in the initial long-range strike phase, launching TOMAHAWK land-attack missiles against regime targets before shifting into escort and air-defense roles for the carrier force in the northern Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf. The deployment mixed combat tasking with logistics and brief port calls typical for Fifth Fleet rotations. BUNKER HILL deployed with an expeditionary force in December 2004 toward the Middle East, but after the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami she diverted to Sumatra/Aceh for humanitarian assistance under what became the joint-force operation known as Unified Assistance. After relief sorties and at-sea support off Indonesia and Thailand, the cruiser continued into Fifth Fleet. On 31 January 2005, one of her embarked helicopters executed a medical evacuation from the merchant vessel MV APOLLO SUN to Seeb/Muscat, Oman, illustrating the task group's mix of presence and contingency response. She returned to San Diego in May 2005. In March 2006, the Navy announced a major AEGIS upgrade effort across selected ships, with BUNKER HILL slated early in the sequence. She deployed later that year and, in January 2007, operated off Somalia with forces centered on USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) as part of Combined Maritime Forces/CTF-150 during counter-terrorism operations linked to the Ethiopian-ICU fighting ashore. The ship returned to San Diego in March 2007. BUNKER HILL entered a substantial modernization in 2008, receiving an upgraded AEGIS Weapon System, Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), and SPQ-9B radar improvements. She completed Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) in mid-2009, validating the new combat-system baseline before rejoining routine fleet tasking. With combat systems refreshed, the cruiser's year emphasized integrated training, strike group workups, and periodic exercises in the eastern Pacific in preparation for subsequent deployments. Beginning in late 2011, BUNKER HILL deployed with USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) across Seventh Fleet and into Fifth Fleet, conducting maritime security missions and flight-operations escort in the Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf. The deployment included port visits to Hong Kong, Jebel Ali/Dubai, India (east coast port call), and Australia. The strike group completed its transit home via Hawaii, with BUNKER HILL back in San Diego on 23 May 2012. The cruiser cycled through maintenance and pre-deployment training, participating in cross-fleet exercises and readiness events typical of the post-2012 schedule. BUNKER HILL sailed with CARL VINSON Strike Group in August 2014. After VALIANT SHIELD near the Marianas in September 2014, the force entered Fifth Fleet on 15 October 2014 and began sustained support to Operation Inherent Resolve - the U.S.-led air campaign against ISIS - starting 19 October 2014. The cruise blended combat sorties coverage with multinational integration (including French aircraft carrier CHARLES DE GAULLE joining in early 2015) and liberty/logistics at regional hubs such as Jebel Ali and Bahrain, plus Singapore and Oman along the transits. BUNKER HILL returned to San Diego in early June 2015 after roughly ten months deployed. Following the lengthy 2014-2015 cruise, BUNKER HILL remained CONUS-based for maintenance and certifications, reflecting fleet scheduling that typically pairs long deployments with extended reset periods. BUNKER HILL departed San Diego on 7 October 2017, with USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) for a seven-month deployment spanning exercises, maritime security, and carrier escort duties from the Western Pacific into Fifth Fleet. She returned to San Diego on 7 May 2018. 2019 focused on certifications and strike-group integration in the Southern California operating areas, with periodic public notes of unit-level readiness awards reflecting steady performance. BUNKER HILL again deployed with the THEODORE ROOSEVELT CSG in January 2020, arriving Saipan for a port visit on 7 February 2020. She moored at Da Nang, Vietnam, 05-09 March 2020, a scheduled engagement marking 25 years of U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic relations. As the COVID-19 pandemic escalated and the carrier faced an onboard outbreak, BUNKER HILL continued tasking in the region, including Freedom of Navigation operations in the South China Sea in late April 2020. The ship returned to San Diego on 8 July 2020. BUNKER HILL sailed again with the THEODORE ROOSEVELT CSG on 23 December 2020. The group entered the South China Sea on 23 January 2021, conducted routine operations and partner exercises across Seventh Fleet, and completed the deployment with BUNKER HILL's 22 May 2021 return to San Diego. The cruiser maintained readiness at homeport while Navy planning advanced to retire selected TICONDEROGA - class cruisers, including BUNKER HILL, as part of force-structure modernization. BUNKER HILL was decommissioned at Naval Base San Diego on 22 September 2023, closing more than three decades of Pacific Fleet service. The ship was stricken the same day.

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About the Ship's Name, about the Battle of Bunker Hill:

On the Eve of June 16, 1775, the sun set on a small ragtag army of soldiers besieging a city held by the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. The city was Boston, one of the largest port cities of the Northeastern British colonies. The powerful nation was England, whose colonies and dominions were so expansive that the English proudly stated they had an empire on which the sun never set. And the ragtag army was a small militia of Americans who were willing to fight, and die, for the freedom they so strongly believed in. Colonel William Prescott was ordered that night to take 1200 troops against England s 7000 and seize Bunker Hill, overlooking Boston Harbor. Instead, Col. Prescott led his troops to Breed s Hill, a hill on the same peninsula. They worked all night fortifying Breed s Hill under the cover of darkness, and had almost completed their task before the night ended. When dawn broke over the city and the British ships anchored in the harbor discovered what the Americans were up to they opened fire. Cannon fire proved to be ineffective, so Major General Sir William Howe landed over 2000 British regulars on the beach and twice charged the American soldiers on the hill. Both times, the Americans repelled the British attack, forcing Maj. Gen. Howe to retreat and rethink his strategy. As the British prepared for their third offensive against this ragged militia, Col. Prescott recognized that the Americans were almost out of ammunition. He ordered his men to standby for one more volley of fire and then to retreat. Many British soldiers fell to the last of the Americans ammunition, but the English continued the charge. Col. Prescott ordered his men to draw back to safety. After two hours and several attempts, the British were able to take back Breed s Hill, but at a price. The cost to the English was 1054 in casualties, while the cost to the Americans was less than 450 killed, wounded and captured. At first, the Battle of Bunker Hill was seen as a defeat by the Americans and a tactical victory for the British, which it was. However, the Americans soon came to regard the battle as a moral victory for their fight for independence. They used their actions in this battle to earn support, both at home and abroad, and as a rallying point for later battles. The American militia had successfully held off the highly-trained British soldiers during several attacks, and had given in only when their ammunition had run out. The Battle of Bunker Hill served as a victory to Americans, in that, it inspired them to pursue their efforts and to eventually win their freedom from the British Crown.

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USS BUNKER HILL Patch Gallery:

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USS BUNKER HILL Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the BUNKER HILL undergoing overhaul at San Diego, Calif., on March 10, 2008.

The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee and show the BUNKER HILL visiting Hong Kong December 27-29, 2011, while assigned to the USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group.

The photos below were taken by me and show the BUNKER HILL at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 3, 2012.

The photo below was taken by Lydia Perz and shows the BUNKER HILL at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on May 3, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the BUNKER HILL undergoing a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the BUNKER HILL undergoing a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair on April 18, 2016.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the BUNKER HILL at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 6, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Sebastian Thoma and show the BUNKER HILL at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 20, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the BUNKER HILL at the NASSCO shipyard, San Diego, Calif., for a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) on September 28, 2018.

The photos below were taken by Sebastian Thoma and show the BUNKER HILL at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on November 28 and November 29 (aerial photos), 2021.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the BUNKER HILL at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 28, 2021.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the BUNKER HILL at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on November 5, 2022 - less than a year before decommissioning.

The photo below was taken by me and shows the decommissioned BUNKER HILL laid up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Wash., on July 15, 2024.

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