USS Bunker Hill (CG-52)
Named for the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolution, the USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) is a cruiser of the U.S. Navy's Ticonderoga-class. She is homeported in San Diego, California, and assigned to Cruiser-Destroyer Group 3, part of the escort of the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
Bunker Hill belongs to the Baseline 2 version of the Ticonderoga class.
Operations
As part of Operation DESERT SHIELD and Operation DESERT STORM, the Bunker Hill acted as the multinational anti-air warfare commander afloat. She was among the first ship to fire BGM-109 cruise missiles in the Gulf War. . She has represented the United States in first port calls to Vladivostok, Russia in 1993, and to Qingdao, China in 1994. Since her commissioning, she has been operational under United States Central Command ten times to the Persian Gulf, earning nine Battle "E" Awards, including the rare Golden Battle "E", in 1996 and 2006, representing five continuous years of winning the E award.
In 2007, she took on counter-piracy duties in the waters off Somalia.