USS Coronado was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company in Seattle, Washington. Its keel was laid on May 3, 1965 and the ship was launched on July 30, 1966. LPD 11 was commissioned May 23, 1970.

USS Coronado was designed as an Amphibious Transport Dock (LPD), built to transport Marines and their equipment to the scene of an amphibious assault, and move them ashore by landing craft and helicopters. The ship is one of seven fitted with additional superstructure for command ship duties.

First assigned to the U. S. Atlantic Fleet in the 1970's, the Coronado conducted extensive operations and deployed on numerous occasions to Northern Europe and the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas.

In 1980, she was redesignated an AGF (Miscellaneous Command Ship). Her first assignment was to relieve the USS La Salle (AGF 3) as the command ship for Commander, U. S. Middle East Force, stationed in the Persian Gulf.

Reassigned in October 1985, AGF 11 relieved USS Puget Sound (AD 38) as the command ship of Commander, 6th Fleet. During her ten month tour with 6th Fleet, she operated out of Gaeta, Italy, participating in operations in the Gulf of Sidra and strikes against Libyan terrorist support facilities.

In July 1986, USS Coronado was relieved as 6th Fleet command ship and ordered to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to become the command ship for Commander, 3rd Fleet. Subsequently, she was relieved as 3rd Fleet command ship and deployed to the Arabian Gulf to assume duties as command ship for Commander, Middle East Force in January of 1988. Upon her return to Pearl Harbor in November 1988, she again assumed her duties as command ship for 3rd Fleet.

The ship remained homeported in Hawaii until August 1991, when it and 3rd Fleet changed homeports to Naval Air Station North Island, in her namesake city of Coronado, California.

In 1998, a large ship modification was completed. Incorporating the latest network technology, Coronado became the most advanced command ship in the world.

January 23, 2003 USS Coronado departed off the coast of southern California, with the USS Nimitz Carrier Battle Group, for it's first Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX). Typically, the command ship plays a support role, distributing information and scenarios to the other ships in this tactical exercise. Now, Coronado Sailors may find themselves knee-deep in unanticipated training evolutions. In previous JTFEXs, AGF 11 has been a neutral participant; the ship wasn’t playing a role on either the opposition or the allied forces.

May 28, Vice Adm. Michael J. McCabe relieved Vice Adm. T. Michael “Smiles” Bucchi as Commander, 3rd Fleet in an informal change of command ceremony held aboard USS Coronado. Bucchi’s intense operational career is highlighted by numerous significant achievements. He was the first East Coast fleet pilot to fire a Phoenix missile, served as an instructor at Top Gun, the Navy Fighter Weapons School, and he was the operations officer for Fighter Squadron 31 during its first year as an F-14 Tomcat squadron. McCabe assumed his duties having most recently served as Director, Air Warfare (N88) in Washington, D.C. McCabe is the son of a World War II and Korean War naval aviator who was killed on active duty. McCabe was born in San Diego and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. He is a graduate of the University of Portland, received his commission through Aviation Officer Candidate School and was designated a naval flight officer in 1971.

June 10, Auxuliary command ship USS Coronado along with USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Ford (FFG 54) and USS Elliot (DD 967) pulled to Portland, Oregon, to participate in the annual Rose Festival. A Portland tradition since 1907, the Rose Festival celebrates the beauty of the rose and the flower’s association with the city. The Navy has taken part every year since the festival’s induction, giving Oregonians an opportunity to meet the men and women who put their lives in harm’s way to protect the United States. Arriving for Fleet Week, Sailors were treated to the festival’s many events, including receptions, dragon boat races, a carnival and Portland’s Grand Floral Parade, the largest single-day spectator event in Oregon. The festival attracts more than 2 million participants and is Oregon’s premier civic celebration, with 18 signature events and the sanctioning of 40 others during the annual Rose Festival season held from May to June.

March 5, 2004 AGF 11, commanded by Capt. Christopher D. Noble, departed Naval Submarine Base Point Loma for its first major deployment to the Western Pacific since 1997. The command and control ship, and former flagshp of Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, will temporarily fill in for USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet's flagship, while it undergoes a maintenance period. Coronado will test a new concept of manning during its trip to Japan. Usually, a ship of this type is manned by a crew of 481 Sailors. Coronado will have only 117 Sailors--and 146 Civilian Mariners (CIVMARS). This combined crew is an experiment directed at operating Navy ships at a reduced cost while maintaining and improving capability. USS Coronado recently completed a two-month yard period, during which its basic engineering, navigation and hotel services were converted to civilian specifications.

March 24, The command ship arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. She will remain in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility throughout the length of Blue Ridge’s dry dock period, which is expected to last several months.

April 26, USS Coronado departed Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, following a three-day port visit.

May 18, The U.S. 7th Fleet command ship AGF 11 and USS Cowpens (CG 63) completed an historic port visit to Shimoda, Japan, May 14-16 to commemorate the 65th Shimoda Black Ship Festival. Sailors from both ships took part in a host of activities, including concerts, parades and fireworks, marking the 150th anniversary of the opening of Shimoda port by the U.S. naval fleet led by Commodore Matthew Perry.

August 6, Vice Adm. Robert F. Willard transferred command of U.S. 7th Fleet to Vice Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert during a change of command ceremony held aboard the Coronado in Naval Station Yokosuka.

November 3, The command ship AGF 11 returned to its San Diego homeport following a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific.

September 30, 2006 USS Coronado was decommissioned.