CG 52 is the sixth Ticonderoga-class cruiser to be built and is named after the Battle of Bunker Hill which took place on June 17, 1775. The first ship to employ the Vertical Launch System (VLS), she was given the nickname "Vertical Swordsman".

USS Bunker Hill was commissioned September 20, 1986, in Boston, Mass., within sight of the historic monument commemorating her namesake battle.

After commissioning, she entered the Pacific Fleet via the Panama Canal. The guided-missile cruiser made its first deployment in July 1987, nearly one year ahead of schedule. During the deployment, the ship provided an anti-air warfare umbrella for the USS Missouri (BB 63) and USS Ranger (CV 61) battle groups and U.S. flagged tankers and ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In August 1988, USS Bunker Hill shifted homeports from San Diego to Yokosuka, Japan, to join the USS Midway (CV 41) Battle Group.

From November 1990 through March 1991, USS Bunker Hill was deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The guided-missile cruiser directed the tactical employment of 26 ships and over 300 combat aircraft from six nations. It also launched a total of 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets in Iraq. In July 1991, it escorted the USS Midway to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for a turnover with USS Independence (CV 62).

In March 1992, the Bunker Hill was part of the last battle group to visit the U.S. Naval Base at Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. The following month, it left Yokosuka for a seven-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf where its crew helped in organizing and establishing Operation Southern Watch, the vigilant guard over southern Iraq.

Over the years, its crew has seen and participated in many special events, including engaging in various multinational operations in the South East Asian region. The guided-missile cruiser participated in training evolutions involving the military forces of Thailand, South Korea, India, Malaysia, and Japan. In 1993, USS Bunker Hill made a historic visit to the Russian city of Vladivostok. One year later, she made a port visit to Qingdao in the People's Republic of China, the first U.S. Navy ship to have visited the PRC since 1989.

In March 1996, China fired a series of TBMs into the ocean near Taiwan. USS Bunker Hill was called on short notice to reposition and track the TBMs using its SPY-1A radar. The Bunker Hill's Aegis Combat System recorded each missile flight in detail. The ship took part in the 6-day long Exercise ANNUALEX headed by the USS Independence Battle Group. The exercise also involved approximately 120 ships and 180 aircraft from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) in the waters surrounding Japan.

August ?, 1998 CG 52 returned to San Diego after a seven-month deployment in the Persian Gulf.

USS Bunker Hill took part in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2000, as part of the the Abraham Lincoln BG. The Battle Group was simultaneously beginning its Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for deployment to the western Pacific and Arabian Gulf areas. RIMPAC 2000 focuses on conducting area air defense, war-at-sea and power-projection exercises designed to test and practice the Navy's ability to interface with naval allies from Canada, the United Kingdom, Chile, the Republic of Korea and Australia. Following three months spent operating in the Arabian Sea to enforce United Nations sanctions, the cruiser completed a visit to Perth and Fremantle, two neighboring cities in Western Australia, in mid-January 2001.

November 2, 2002 USS Bunker Hill departed San Diego for a scheduled deployment, with the USS Constellation (CV 64) Battle Group, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The battle group's preparations for deployment included a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) off the coast of southern California Oct. 17-29.

March 19, 2003 By order of President George W. Bush, four ships and two submarines currently assigned to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet launched 42 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The four ships are USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) and USS Cowpens (CG 63) in the Red Sea, along with USS Milius (DDG 69) and USS Bunker Hill in the Arabian Gulf. USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) and USS Montpelier (SSN 765) were the submarines involved in the Tomahawk launches.

June 1, USS Bunker Hill returned to homeport after a seven-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The guided-missile cruiser launched a total of 31 missiles during the war. Its embarked Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopter detachment (the Wolfpack from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 45) supported the rescue of U.N. workers being forcibly removed from oil platforms in the northern Arabian Gulf, and provided medical evacuations from the Iraqi city of Umm Qasr.

December 6, 2004 USS Bunker Hill departed Naval Base San Diego on a routine western Pacific deployment with USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Expeditionary Strike Group Five (ESG 5). While on deployment, the ships of the ESG will operate in the Pacific and Indian Oceans in support of the Global War on Terrorism and other missions as assigned by naval leadership. ESG-5 completed its final preparations for deployment in November during a U.S. 3rd Fleet Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) off the southern coast of California.

January 31, 2005 USS Bunker Hill, commanded by Capt. Richard W. Durham, responded to a distress call from the motor vessel Apollo Sun, a Japanese-owned, Panamanian-flagged tanker steaming from Chiba, Japan to Kwohr Fahkan, United Arab Emirates.

June 6, CG 52 returned to homeport after a six-month underway period in support of Operation Unified Assistance and Maritime Security Operations.

April 1, 2006 USS Bunker Hill, commanded by Capt. Charles M. Gaouette, is currently anchored off the coast of Redondo Beach, Calif., to participate in Navy Days Los Angeles March 30 to April 3.

September 13, USS Bunker Hill departed Naval Station San Diego for a six-month deployment, as part of USS Boxer (LHD 4) ESG-5, in support of the Global War on Terrorism in western Pacific and Indian Ocean.

November 6, CG 52 pulled into Mumbai, India, for a visit Oct. 31-Nov. 3 for the in-port phase of Exercise Malabar 2006. Malabar 06 is the ninth Malabar exercise involving the U.S. and Indian navies but the first time the Royal Canadian Navy and international Coast Guard forces have participated.

January 5, 2007 Coalition ships from the British-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 continue to maintain a presence off the east coast of Africa in response to the recent events in Somalia. CTF 150 includes USS Bunker Hill and USS Ramage (DDG 61) and other coalition ships. These warships are conducting maritime security operations (MSO) to ensure continued security and stability of international waters surrounding the Horn of Africa.

March 4, The guided-missile cruiser pulled to Naval Station Pearl Harbor for a brief port call.

March 13, CG 52 returned to San Diego after a six-month deployment in the Persian Gulf.

June 7, USS Bunker Hill, USS Vandergrift (FFG 48), USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), and USS Howard (DDG 83) arrived in Portland, Ore., to participate in the Fleet Week festivities June 7 - 10 during the 100th annual Portland Rose Festival.

July 30, The Bunker Hill arrived in Everett to participate in Sea Fair 2007 festivities in Seattle.

August 12, 2008 USS Bunker Hill, commanded by Capt. Pat Piercey, is halfway through a year-long modernization period at the BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair facility, where she is receiving extensive upgrades. The upgrades are being applied to her hull, mechanical systems, electrical systems, combat systems and weapons suites, marking the first time a cruiser has received such extensive upgrade simultaneously.

February 13, 2009 USS Bunker Hill completed sea trials Feb. 6 off the coast of San Diego to test and validate its recently installed combat systems. The Bunker Hill's crew successfully tested the ship's new Aegis Weapons System, the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) and SPQ-9B Radar. Successful firing of the Close-in Weapons System (CIWS) Block 1B and 5-inch/.62 caliber gun were also completed. CG 52 is the first guided-missile cruiser to receive a complete set of upgrades as part of the Navy's Cruiser Modernization program. Each of the Navy's 22 Ticonderoga-class cruisers are scheduled for modernization over the next 10 years. Additional testing will occur over the next several months, and the Bunker Hill is projected to rejoin the fleet in early fiscal year 2010.

July 29, USS Bunker Hill completed Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) off the coast of southern California.

January 10, 2010 USS Bunker Hill, commanded by Capt. Dominic DeScisciolo, departed San Diego for a scheduled deployment as part of the Carl Vinson CSG-1.

January 16, The guided-missile cruiser was making full speed Saturday off the coast of Panama to reach Haiti and join U.S. military efforts in the Caribbean island devastated by Tuesday’s massive earthquake. The Bunker Hill will join USS Higgins (DDG 76) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), already off the coast of Port-au-Prince. The Vinson recently departed Norfolk for its new homeport of San Diego.