USS
Lake Champlain
(CG-57)
is a
Ticonderoga
-class
guided missile cruiser
in the
United States Navy
. She is the third US Naval ship to be named
Lake Champlain
, in honor of
Battle of Lake Champlain
, which took place during the
War of 1812
.
Lake Champlain
was
laid down
3 March 1986, at
Ingalls Shipbuilding
in
Pascagoula, Mississippi
, launched 3 April 1987, and
commissioned
12 August 1988, at Intrepid Pier at the
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
in New York City. She then steamed to her homeport of
San Diego
, via
Cape Horn
, South America, losing part of her hurricane bulwark in heavy seas.
[3]
She has been to the
Persian Gulf
on multiple occasions, first as a part of
Operation Desert Shield
, then later following
Desert Storm
.
[1]
On 25 January 1990 in the northern
Philippine Sea
,
Lake Champlain
rescued 14 sailors from MV
Huazhu
and transported the survivors to Subic Bay.
[1]
[4]
She aided in the evacuation of the
Philippines
during the
1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption
while transiting to the Persian Gulf.
[1]
Lake Champlain
was assigned to
Carrier Group One
.
[
citation needed
]
The ship completed 17 major deployments.
[1]
On 10 November 2007 an explosion occurred in the ship's hull during routine maintenance in a San Diego dry dock. Six workers were injured, one of them critically. The explosion was caused when flammable gases ignited inside the fuel-tank compartment where the workers were working.
[5]
[6]
The U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) investigated the incident.
[7]
OSHA cited
NASSCO
, a Navy contractor in charge of the work, for seven serious safety violations and two minor safety violations at the site.
[8]
The explosion occurred one day after NASSCO subcontractor Tecnico Corporation fired a safety inspector who was responsible for measuring oxygen levels in enclosed worksites. The inspector subsequently filed a lawsuit against his former employer, alleging that he was a
whistleblower
who was fired after warning superiors that additional safety measures were needed on the ship.
[6]
On 9 May 2017, a South Korean fishing vessel, approximately 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21?m) in length, collided with the port side of
Lake Champlain
while the ship was underway and conducting routine operations in
international waters
off Asia. No injuries were reported.
[9]
[10]
Lake Champlain
had attempted to contact the fishing vessel, but it didn't have a
radio
.
[9]
The fishing vessel did not respond to
Lake Champlain
'
s emergency whistle. Both the cruiser and the fishing vessel were undamaged enough to be able to sail away under their own power.
[10]
Lake Champlain
was
decommissioned
during a ceremony at
San Diego Naval Base
on 1 September 2023.
[1]
She remains with the Navy as they plan to use her as a Logistics Support Asset.
[11]
- Vice Admiral
Thomas H. Copeman III
Material Readiness Award ? (2018)
- 11 Battle Effectiveness (Battle “E”) Awards, 3 Navy Unit Commendations, and 2 Meritorious Unit Commendations.
[1]
-
Lake Champlain
conducting an emergency breakaway maneuver after completing an
underway replenishment
.
-
Lake Champlain
leaving
Pearl Harbor
-
Lake Champlain
missing part of the hurricane bow, c.1988.
-
Lake Champlain
with hurricane bow, 2004.