USS Ticonderoga to Make Final Deployment Before Decommissioning

Navy NewsStand ^ | 3/10/2004 | Stacey Byington, Naval Station Pascagoula Public Affairs

[BykrBayb]

She was a beauty!

Ship's Motto: Dare to Excel

Did you know she's having a reunion of crew members in New Orleans, July 9-13, 2004? Says so on her official website, http://www.ddg18.dynu.com/

http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/ddg18/ has some of her history and contact info for crew members.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/01018.htm has a collection of photos of the ship, and relating to the ship, from various private collections.

[CGVet58]

thank you. if i'm not mistaken, those are the mounts; vice the VLS systems implemented in later ships?

In any case, the Tico I's are still very capable warships; their AEGIS and electronic suites can still serve as the nerve center for a potent TF.

I read a while back (and wish I would have kept the link) about how the drawdown in ship requisitions during the Clint(reas...)on years have really put us behind the eight ball in maintaining, much less improving upon the total number of combatant ships. It's not a question of combat power; when our ships are on scene, few others (and certainly, none of our likely near-future opponents' navies...) can match them. But it does effect readiness - increased deployments in number and duration adversely affect materiel and crew retention.

thanks again for the tech update - I live for this.

CGVet58

Long live the Freep!