USS Lake Champlain (CG-57)

USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser 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.

Deployments
She has been to the Persian Gulf on multiple occasions, first as a part of Operation Desert Shield, then later following Desert Storm.

On 25 January 1990 in the northern Philippine Sea, Lake Champlain rescued 14 sailors from MV Huazhu and transported the survivors to Subic Bay. She aided in the evacuation of the Philippines during the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption while transiting to the Persian Gulf.

Lake Champlain was assigned to Carrier Group One. The ship completed 17 major deployments.

2007 explosion
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. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the incident. OSHA cited NASSCO, a Navy contractor in charge of the work, for seven serious safety violations and two minor safety violations at the site. The explosion occurred one day after NASSCO subcontractor Técnico 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.

2017 collision
On 9 May 2017, a South Korean fishing vessel, approximately 60 to 70 ft 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. Lake Champlain had attempted to contact the fishing vessel, but it didn't have a radio. 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.

2023 end of service
Lake Champlain was decommissioned during a ceremony at San Diego Naval Base on 1 September 2023. She remains with the Navy as they plan to use her as a Logistics Support Asset.

Awards

 * Battle Effectiveness (Battle E) Awards - 11 awards
 * Navy Unit Commendation - 3 awards
 * Meritorious Unit Commendation - 2 awards
 * Vice Admiral Thomas H. Copeman III Material Readiness Award – (2018)