Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) and the crews who have manned her, were recognized during a decommissioning ceremony, celebrating 33 years of faithful service, held at Naval Base San Diego, Sept. 25.
During the ceremony, Capt. Drew Borovies, Lake Erie’s final commanding officer, reflected on the occasion. “Today, we gather not simply to mark the end of a ship’s active service, but to honor the generations of Sailors who have served aboard Lake Erie, the families who have supported them and the many commands, communities and friends who have stood alongside the ship throughout her distinguished career,” said Borovies.
Named after the United States Navy’s decisive victory in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812, Lake Erie was built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine and christened by Mrs. Margaret Meyer, wife of Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, on July 13, 1991. The ship commissioned on July 24, 1993, at Pearl Harbor Naval Station.
The decommissioning of Lake Erie was preceded by a legacy of firsts. The ship played a leading role in the development and operational testing of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system, including several first-of-its-kind intercepts of ballistic missiles.
Lake Erie deployed to multiple regions including the Pacific, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean, participating in numerous exercises and operations. The ship supported Operation Southern Watch in 1995 in addition to the withdrawal of peacekeepers in Somalia during Operation United Shield that same year. In February 2008, Lake Erie intercepted and destroyed a 5,000-pound errant U.S. satellite in Operation Burnt Frost. In 2017, the ship participated in Operation Inherent Resolve conducting escorts through the Strait of Hormuz and deployed to Sri Lanka to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance after severe flooding and landslides devastated many regions of the country and left 10,000 displaced.
The ship concluded its service to the nation in June after 11 months of sustained operations at sea to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. Southern Command-led Operation Southern Spear countering illicit maritime activity.
Guest of honor, Retired Rear Adm. Randall Hendrickson, presented the crew with the Battle “E” award and wished them farewell.
“You inherited this ship and added to the legacy habitually while you stood the watch,” said Hendrickson. “For that, the nation, the American people are grateful.”
“Our ship may be leaving the fleet, but her Sailors are not,” said Borovies. “They will take a piece of Lake Erie with them to their next commands, and in doing so, they will carry this ship’s legacy forward.”
The inactivation, retirement, and disposition of Lake Erie at the end of its lifecycle is in alignment with the Department of War initiative to invest in more modern warfare capabilities to ensure the United States’ competitive edge. Several other Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers remain in service as a key part of the Navy Surface Force. These ships are multi-mission surface combatants capable of supporting carrier strike groups, amphibious forces or operating independently.