Truxtun Class Cruiser - 1980s and 1990s

1980s and 1990s

On 26 February 1980, Truxtun departed San Diego, CA for her eighth WESTPAC (western Pacific) deployment, this time as part of the USS Constellation Battle Group. In command was CAPTAIN E.M. Baldwin, USN. Truxtun participated in RIMPAC 1980, a large multi-national Naval exercise near the Hawaiian Islands in March 1980. After a brief stopover in Pearl Harbor, HI, Truxtun continued westward, arriving at the US Naval Shipyard in Subic Bay, Philippine Islands for a brief maintenance period. Following this inport period, Truxtun continued into the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, eventually serving for an extended period of time in the Persian Gulf during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Due to the ship's ability to operate independently on Nuclear power, Truxtun spent 144 consecutive days on station at sea before arriving at the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) of Diego Garcia for crew liberty and ship maintenance. Toward the end of this deployment, which was extended due to operational requirements, Truxtun also made port calls in Perth, Western Australia, Mombasa, Kenya, Pattaya Beach, Thailand and Wellington, New Zealand. On 15 October 1980, Truxtun returned its homeport of San Diego, CA.

On 20 October 1981, Truxtun got underway from San Diego, CA for her ninth WESTPAC deployment with CAPTAIN E.M. Baldwin, USN in command. On 21 December 1981, he was relieved of command by CAPTAIN J.D. Pearson, USN. Inport periods again included Pearl Harbor, HI and Subic Bay, Philippine Islands en route to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and the South Pacific. Much of the time Truxtun spent on underway operations during this deployment was in the Indian Ocean. Port calls included Mombasa, Kenya, Perth, Western Australia, Diego Garcia (BIOT), Brisbane, Queensland Australia, Hobart, Tasmania Australia, Nuku'Alofa, Kingdom of Tonga, and Wellington, New Zealand. On 12 June 1982, Truxtun returned to its homeport of San Diego, CA to begin preparations for her upcoming Complex Overhaul (COH) in Washington State.

From September 1982 to July 1984 Truxtun underwent her final complex overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard which included upgrading the combat system suite to its final configuration.

On 15 January 1986 Truxtun left on her tenth WESTPAC, this time serving as the Anti-Air Warfare Commander for Battle Group FOXTROT. In April, because of increased tension in Libya and the Gulf of Sidra, Truxtun was diverted to the Mediterranean along with Enterprise and Arkansas. After almost two months of operations in the Mediterranean, the three Nuclear Powered ships were directed home by way of Gibraltar, the Cape of Good Hope, Western Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii. By the end of the seven-month deployment the all nuclear group had steamed over 65,000 miles and operated in all four numbered U.S. Fleets.

On 26 October 1987, Truxtun deployed with Battle Group FOXTROT on her first Northern Pacific deployment and participated in one of the largest Surface Action Group exercises ever massed. Truxtun again deployed with Battle Group FOXTROT on 5 January 1988 for her 11th Western Pacific-Middle East deployment. Truxtun also participated in Operation Praying Mantis. This cruise earned Truxtun the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and her second Meritorious Unit Commendation. Upon return from deployment, Truxtun spent 9 months in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard undergoing a Drydocking Selective Restricted Availability. On 1 October 1989 Truxtun's homeport was shifted to Bremerton, Washington.

On 1 February 1990, Truxtun deployed with the Carl Vinson in Battle Group Charlie. The Battle Group participated in TEAM SPIRIT 1990 with U.S. Marines and forces from the Republic of Korea.

Truxtun departed Bremerton for her 13th WESTPAC and a Middle East deployment on 16 August 1991. Truxtun performed duties as the Persian Gulf Anti-Air Warfare Commander, Force Track Coordinator, Electronic Warfare Commander and alternate Anti-Surface Warfare Commander during Operation Desert Storm. Truxtun also served as the Commander, United States Mine Counter-Measure Group One flagship during minesweeping operations off the coastal waters of Kuwait. During her time in the Gulf, she spent most of her time guarding the 'sweeps,' wooden mine sweepers deployed to search for water-borne mines in the Gulf.Later during the same cruise while in the Gulf of Oman, Truxtun was tasked with escorting re-flagged Kuwaiti oil tankers in Operation Earnest Will.

After a short upkeep period in Bremerton, Truxtun began a two-month Counter-Narcotic mini-deployment off the coasts of Mexico and Central America, which ended in June 1992. The ship went 42 days completely unsupported by any other ship. It found no vessels moving narcotics.

From 12 February 1993 to 1 August 1993, Truxtun was underway for her 14th and final WESTPAC. On 19 February she began a high speed independent transit from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Melbourne, Australia covering 7,180 miles in 11 days at an average speed of 25 knots. On 21 March Truxtun rendezvoused with the Nimitz Battle Group in the Indian Ocean and transited the Strait of Hormuz. While operating in the Gulf Truxtun conducted several multi-national force exercises including operations with the Kuwaiti Air Force. On 22 April Truxtun was detached from Battle Group operations and proceeded to the Red Sea to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iraq by boarding vessels bound for the Jordanian port of Aqaba. Utilizing two teams, Truxtun queried 126 merchant vessels, boarded 73 and diverted seven ships.

In 1994 Truxtun was the platform of choice for a variety of missions which included participation as opposition forces for fleet exercises, providing Naval Gunfire Support spotter services and being Deck Landing Qualification platform for LAMPS helicopters. Truxtun also served as the escort ship for Reclaimer who towed a defueled nuclear submarine. She participated in two Chief of Naval Operations projects off the coast of San Francisco and conducted shipboard training at every opportunity. From 23 May to 17 June, Truxtun served as Coalition Forces flagship for CTF 331 during the highly successful RIMPAC 94 multi-national exercise.

On 18 August 1994 Truxtun departed Bremerton on her final operational commitment. Originally assigned to escort the tow ship's for two defueled nuclear submarines from Rodman, Panama to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the orders were changed on short notice and Truxtun chopped (change of operational control) to Commander, Joint Task Force Four to conduct Counter-Narcotic operations for a second tour in the War on Drugs. On 3 September Truxtun transited the Panama Canal for the first time in her history and began patrolling the Caribbean Sea.

On 14 October 1994 and purely by a twist of historical coincidence, Truxtun sailed the same waters in the southern Caribbean Sea where the USS Constellation, under the command of Commodore Truxtun, had dueled with La Vengeance almost 200 years earlier.