Gulf War Just one year after her commissioning in
Newport, Rhode Island,
Normandy sailed into action in order to support the multinational effort to free Kuwait.
Normandy and her crew left on 28 December 1990 to join United Nations forces conducting Operations
Desert Shield and
Desert Storm. As part of the Battle Group,
Normandy transited the
Suez Canal and the
Red Sea on her way to the
Persian Gulf.
Normandy fired 26 Tomahawk cruise missiles, protected allied ships and aircraft in the area, conducted maritime interdiction operations, and helped to locate and destroy enemy mines. She was the first US warship since 1945 to go to war on her maiden cruise.
Adriatic Operations On 11 August 1995,
Normandy and the Battle Group deployed to the
Adriatic Sea in support of United Nations efforts with the war-torn
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Normandys primary duty was Adriatic air-space controller for Operations
Provide Promise,
Deny Flight, and
Sharp Guard.
50th Anniversary of D-Day In a historic first,
Normandy embarked nine World War II veterans on 18 May 1994, for commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Allied landings on the coast of France. These activities took place in
Portsmouth, England, until 31 May, ending in
Le Havre, France. Over 15,000 visitors toured the ship while
Normandys honor guard embarked veterans participated in various memorial services and events on both sides of the
English Channel.
Normandy served as a centerpiece over the two-week course of ceremonies, and specifically for national commemorations at
Slapton Sands, United Kingdom, on 31 May, by U.S. Ambassador
Crowe, and at the Normandy beachheads on 6 June, by President
Bill Clinton. On 27 June 1994,
Normandy participated in the
Naval Station New York closing ceremonies.
Staten Island's Borough President,
Guy Molinari, and his daughter Congresswoman
Susan Molinari were the featured speakers as the Navy turned the base over to the city's Emergency Services. After four years homeported at Staten Island, New York,
Normandy departed for her new homeport of Norfolk, Virginia.
Operation Deliberate Force tower before the Tomahawk strike|left On 28 August 1995,
Normandy began a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean with
America. On 8 September,
Normandy was in the Western Mediterranean conducting turnover with the outgoing battle group. After receiving immediate tasking to proceed to the Adriatic,
Normandy sailed across the at maximum speed. Arriving in the
Operation Deliberate Force theater of operations on 10 September,
Normandy launched a 13 Tomahawk missile strike against hostile air defense command and control sites in
Lisina,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, north of the
Bosnian Serb stronghold of
Banja Luka, between 20:40 and 20:45. The cruiser used a new type of Tomahawk missile, the Block-III model, which included for the first time
GPS guidance in combination with its
TERCOM system based on
topographic maps. This gave flexibility and speed to the attack. The attack destroyed the radio-relay station, hit by seven missiles, while three other struck bunkers and buildings south of the facility, disabling the site's radar. This precision strike, flawlessly executed on extremely short notice, paved the way for follow-on tactical air strikes against
Bosnian Serb military positions in the region. This action sent a strong signal of United States resolve and played a significant role in convincing the
Bosnian Serb government to cease hostilities and resume peace negotiations. During the six-month deployment
Normandy again served as Adriatic air-space controller for Operation Deny Flight, Sharp Guard, and
Decisive Endeavor.
Exercise Bright Star and Operation Southern Watch On 3 October 1997,
Normandy once again began a six-month deployment, this time as Air Defense Commander of the battle group. Throughout the month of October,
Normandy participated, along with 27 other international units, in
Exercise Bright Star off the Egyptian coast. Upon completion of Bright Star,
Normandy was directed to proceed at best speed to the Persian Gulf. Beginning 16 November,
Normandy, along with other units of the
George Washington battle group, transited the Suez Canal, Red Sea,
Gulf of Oman, and
Arabian Sea. In a record-setting five days,
Normandy and
George Washington entered the Persian Gulf and joined the Battle Group in an impressive show of force and United Nation resolve to Iraq.
Normandy immediately assumed duties as the "Ready Strike" platform in the Gulf and, later, also assumed duties as the air-defense commander for the entire Persian Gulf. For four months
Normandy patrolled the Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. During this time, she conducted several successful maritime-interception operations along with her strike and air-defense duties. Throughout this deployment,
Normandy achieved more than 300 mishap-free hours of flight operations, conducted 27 underway replenishments and sailed a total of . Underway for the holidays,
Normandy hosted pop singer
Paula Cole on 23 December. On Christmas morning, it hosted Chief of Naval Operations Admiral
Jay L. Johnson, his wife, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy ETCM John Hagan.
George Washingtons battle group was relieved by the Battle Group in the Persian Gulf, and
Normandy returned to her homeport of Norfolk on 3 April 1998.
Normandy finished a major overhaul period in Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 28 February.
2023-24 Israel–Gaza war On 8 October 2023, the day after the
October 7 attacks, the U.S. Secretary of Defense,
Lloyd Austin, directed the carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean in response. Along with the carrier, the group also includes
Normandy, and the destroyers , , and . On 24 January 2024, USS
Normandy returns home to
Norfolk from 8-month deployment. Over the course of 262 days, ''Normandy's'' crew conducted over 40 replenishments-at-sea, and manned flight quarters 670 times. Normandy's embarked air detachment, the "Spartans" of
Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70, flew 393 sorties, totaling 1,132 hours flown.
Miscellaneous Activities On 8 May 1990,
Normandy responded to a distress call by the destroyer off of the coast of Virginia. A major fuel oil fire erupted from the ship's Forward Fire Room into the ship's superstructure, isolating the crew forward and aft. Fire crews from the
Normandy boarded
Conyngham via small boat transfer and were instrumental in extinguishing the fire. On 21 June 2000,
Normandy and the
George Washington Battle Group deployed to the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea. On 19 December,
Normandy returned to Norfolk just in time for the holidays. On 20 June 2002,
Normandy left the US East Coast on deployment. Again assigned to the
George Washington Battle Group,
Normandy returned to Norfolk in December 2002. In 2003, the ship was assigned to
Cruiser-Destroyer Group 2. On 25 March 2005,
Normandy left the East Coast with the assault ship ESG, deployed to the Mediterranean and Northern Persian Gulf.
Normandy returned to Norfolk in October 2005. In April 2007,
Normandy deployed on her 7-month NATO cruise. The ship's crew was awarded the Article 5 NATO Medal. She returned on Halloween after 200 days of showing the flag, in the process becoming the first ship to circumnavigate Africa. On this cruise, sailors on board earned their Bluenose and Emerald Shellback. On 13 January 2010,
Normandy was ordered to assist in humanitarian efforts following the
2010 Haiti earthquake. On 20 May 2010,
Normandy deployed to the Persian Gulf for a seven-month deployment. It returned on 12 December 2010, on a bitterly cold, snowy day. In 2012,
Normandy deployed for two months to the Baltic Sea in support of diplomatic relations in regards to BaltOps 2012 and FRUKUS 2012 (France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States). On 20 April 2015,
Normandy along with were deployed off the coast of Yemen to intercept suspected Iranian weapons shipments intended for the
Houthi rebels, who are locked in battle with Yemeni government forces. On 9 February 2020 while patrolling in the Arabian Sea,
Normandy captured a stateless dhow carrying a cargo of
358 missiles, Iranian surface-to-air missiles. In July of 2024,
Normandy conducted show of force operations in the
Norwegian Sea alongside
USS Tennessee (SSBN-734). On September 25, 2025,
Normandy, alongside her sister ship,
Philippine Sea, hosted her decommissioning ceremony. She was officially decommissioned on September 26, 2025. On February 27, 2026, ex-
Normandy was towed to
Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility,
Philadelphia,
PA. ==Awards==