SAN DIEGO – Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens was recognized for more than 33 years of naval service during the decommissioning ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on August 27.
Hundreds gathered to celebrate the ship’s history of naval service. Cowpens’ Commanding Officer Cmdr. Jac O. Ullman III spoke of the ship’s legacy and its crew.
One of the notable milestones in Cowpens’ history was its participation in Operation Enduring Freedom, tasked with providing air defense and maritime security.
The ship also conducted surveillance, launched precision strikes and provided support for coalition forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“From 1983 onward, these ships [Cowpens] defended our nation’s interests, supported critical combat operations, and ensured freedom of the seas; more than that, they brought AEGIS and VLS, revolutionary technologies into the hands of our warfighters”, said Rear Adm. Ted LeClair, deputy commander of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Also in attendance was Cowpens sponsor, Mrs. Lucy Mustin and the first commanding officer of Cowpens, Vice Adm. Edward Moore (Ret.).
Additionally, the ship played a key role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, providing aid to regions devastated by natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Cowpens was built in Bath, Maine, and commissioned March 9, 1991, in Charleston, South Carolina. Named after the pivotal Battle of Cowpens during the American Revolutionary War, the ship has served the nation for more than three decades.
After the decommissioning and inactivation, the ship will be towed to the Navy’s Inactive Ship facility in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii where it will be in a Logistic Support Asset status.
