USS Lake Erie decommissions after 33 years of service

After three decades at sea, USS Lake Erie’s time in service came to an end Friday, as the ship was decommissioned during a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego.

At the ceremony, the ship’s crew and Navy officials gathered to honor the cruiser and reflect on its 33 years of service, according to a Navy press release.

“Today, we gather not simply to mark the end of a ship’s active service, but to honor the generations of Sailors who have served aboard Lake Erie, the families who have supported them and the many commands, communities and friends who have stood alongside the ship throughout her distinguished career,” said Capt. Drew Borovies, the final commander of USS Lake Erie, in the release.

U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie observe the ship’s decommissioning ceremony held onboard Naval Base San Diego, Sept. 25, 2026. (Kassandra Alanis/U.S. Navy)

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. (Ret.) Randy Hendrickson delivers remarks during the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie decommissioning ceremony held onboard Naval Base San Diego, Sept. 25, 2026. (Kassandra Alanis/U.S. Navy)

U.S. Navy Officers assigned to the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie give their reports during the ship’s decommissioning ceremony held onboard Naval Base San Diego, Sept. 25, 2026. (Kassandra Alanis/U.S. Navy)

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. (Ret.) Randy Hendrickson presents U.S. Navy Capt. Drew Borovies, outgoing commanding officer of the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie, the Battle “E” award for the ship during the decommissioning ceremony held onboard Naval Base San Diego, Sept. 25, 2026. (Kassandra Alanis/U.S. Navy)

In June, the cruiser returned to San Diego following an 11-month deployment to the Caribbean Sea as part of Operation Southern Spear, a Pentagon mission aimed at disrupting illicit trafficking networks and narcoterrorism in the region. During the deployment, it operated alongside the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group.

Over the course of its career, Lake Erie deployed throughout the Pacific, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Caribbean, supporting operations including Southern Watch, United Shield, Burnt Frost and Inherent Resolve. In 2017, the ship also provided humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka following severe flooding and landslides, the release said.

“Our ship may be leaving the fleet, but her Sailors are not,” Borovies said in the release. “They will take a piece of Lake Erie with them to their next commands, and in doing so, they will carry this ship’s legacy forward.”

The cruiser was commissioned on July 24, 1994 at Naval Station Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and was named for the Navy’s victory in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie returns to its homeport of Naval Base San Diego following 11 months of sustained operations at sea in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations June 27, 2026. (Aaron Sandovalmendoza/U.S. Navy)