The USS Normandy and USS Philippine Sea, both Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers, saw their respective 36 years of service honored at decommissioning ceremonies Thursday at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

Hundreds gathered for the ceremonies, according to Navy news releases.

Normandy was the first ship to bear its name, which honors the Allied invasion of France in WWII. Similarly, Philippine Sea is the only Navy warship named for the Allied invasion of the Philippines in WWII.

Normandy and Philippine Sea were both built in Bath, Maine, and were commissioned in 1989.

Normandy was the first Navy warship to go to war on a maiden voyage since WWII, deploying for a multinational effort to liberate Kuwait during the Gulf War.

Normandy also played a role in the NATO intervention into Bosnia and Herzegovina by conducting precision strikes, enforcing a blockade and delivering humanitarian aid for Operation Deliberate Force, per the release.

Aside from combat missions, Normandy has deployed to provide humanitarian assistance to some of the worst modern disasters, namely the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. More recently, Normandy was part of a small test to see if service dogs improved life aboard Navy ships and participated in a large amphibious exercise in the Western Atlantic.

A Navy chief petty officer assigned to USS Normandy poses for a photo with his family after the decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Sept. 25, 2025. (Jamison Sutton/U.S. Navy)

Meanwhile, Philippine Sea spent its 3½ decades providing air defense and command and control capabilities, the service said. During that time, the cruiser received eight Battle Effectiveness awards, three Navy Unit Commendations and three Meritorious Unit Commendations.

Notably, it cremated the remains of Neil Armstrong in 2012, helped recover the remnants of a Chinese spy balloon shot down in 2023 and helped rescue the crew of a merchant vessel attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels last year.

Philippine Sea’s last deployment was to the 4th Fleet area of operations, which includes the waters of the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Normandy and Philippine Sea were two of four Ticonderoga-class cruisers identified as ready for retirement by the Navy in 2024. Two other cruisers, USS Shiloh and USS Lake Erie, are expected to be decommissioned later this year.

Featured Image: Sailors assigned to USS Normandy man the rails during the ship’s decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Jamison Sutton/U.S. Navy)

Source: stripes.com