USS Hue City, the first United States ship to bear this name and the only ship named after a battle of the Vietnam War, is the twentieth in the Ticonderoga Class of Aegis guided-missile cruisers and the fourteenth to be built by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her keel was laid February 20, 1989. She was floated June 1, 1990 and christened July 21, 1991, by her sponsor, Mrs. Jo Ann Cheatham, the wife of Lieutenant General Earnest C. Cheatham, Jr., USMC (Ret.). Hue City flies the the flag of the United States Marine Corps as well as the national ensign and the flag of the United States Navy.

CG 66 sailed on March 11, 1993, for her maiden deployment to the Mediterranean Sea as Air Warfare Commander for the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) battle group. Principally operating in the Adriatic Sea, Hue City developed the air picture and transmitted it to command centers afloat and ashore. She also monitored the safety of United Nations relief flights to Bosnia, ensuring Serbian aircraft did not violate no-fly zones.

While conducting refresher training near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in April 1994 USS Hue City was directed to serve as Destroyer Squadron 22 flagship in support of United Nations sanctions against Haiti. Later that year the cruiser conducted counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea.

The guided-missile cruiser sailed for its second deployment March 22, 1995, with the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group, again as Air Warfare Commander. It took station in the Red Sea, where provided air coverage and support to the Combat Air Patrols enforcing the no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

The ship sailed for the Baltic Sea May 24, 1996, to participate in operations involving forty-eight ships from thirteen nations. The operations focused on tracking air, surface and subsurface targets in a multinational task force.

USS Hue City deployed April 29, 1997, to the Mediterranean Sea as Air Warfare Commander for the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) Battle Group. She operated in the Adriatic Sea, overseeing all air activity in support of naval operations.

Early in 1998 CG 66 received the installation of Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) equipment. This capability represents the leading edge of air warfare, enabling her to launch a missile against an enemy target that is being tracked by another vessel. CEC brings new capability to air defense, not by adding new radars or weapon systems, but by distributing sensor and weapons data from existing systems in a new and significantly different manner.

In the spring of 1999 USS Hue City sailed for the Caribbean Sea for counter-narcotics operations. She spent the summer of 1999 in the Baltic Sea with Commander, Carrier Group Two, participating in exercises with more than 50 ships from nations belonging to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Partnership For Peace.

The guided-missile cruiser took part in the Carribean Phase Task Group of the 41st annual UNITAS Naval exercise, as the flagship. The Caribbean Phase, hosted by the U.S. Navy, commenced March 19, 2000, with a multi-national task force port visit to Cartagena including four U.S. ships. This phase ended April 10th with a port visit to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.

USS Hue City took part in International Naval Review on July 4, 2000, in New York Harbor, and then Sail Boston 2000.

As part of the USS George Washington Carrier Battle Group, and in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the Hue City set sail in support of defense and humanitarian efforts off the coast of New York.

As part of the JFK Battle Group, USS Hue City took part in Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 02-1, with Phase I of the exercise running from January 19 through 26, 2002, and Phase II running February 7-14, 2002.

In March 2002, the guided-missile cruiser was part of the CV 67 Carrier Battle Group as it relieved the CVN 71 Carrier Battle Group, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In May, during a three-day Naval Gun Fire Support (NGFS) exercise off the coast of Djibouti, Africa, CG 66 fired hundreds of 5-inch rounds in support of Marine Expeditionary Unit Exercise 2002 (MEUEX '02) more than 60 targets that included tanks, bunkers, and various military vehicles. The ship joined the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to conduct this first of its kind exercise in this little-known region of northeast Africa.

August 17, USS Hue City returned to Mayport after a six-month combat deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Arabian Gulf, in addition to operations in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

February 1, 2004 CG 66 hosted more than 50 Vietnam veterans and their families for the 12th annual Battle of Hue City Memorial Service. The ceremony paid tribute to the three understrength U.S. Marine battalions of fewer than 2,500 men, who attacked and defeated more than 10,000 enemy troops to liberate Hué for South Vietnam in the winter of 1968, making the Battle of Hué one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War.

August 20, USS Hue City departed Naval Station Mayport for deployment, as part of USS Saipan (LHA 2) Expeditionary Strike Group, in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

October 4, USS Hue City along with Russian ships RFNS ADM Levchenko and RFNS Severomorsk, pulled to Stavanger, Norway, after completing the first bilateral exercise, Northern Eagle 2004, between the Russian Northern Fleet and U.S. warships. Northern Eagle '04 is a four-day exercise in the North Sea, aimed to enhance security cooperation and promote interoperability and understanding between the two navies. After two days of pre-planning and training, the ships sailed from the port city of Stavanger and completed 13 training phases of the exercise.

January 3, 2005 USS Hue City rescued five of seven mariners 45nm off the coast of Somalia while steaming in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

January 24, Sailors from the Hue City volunteered their time to assist in tsunami relief efforts during a scheduled port visit to Seychelles Jan. 8-13. Located off the eastern coast of Africa, northeast of Madagascar, Seychelles suffered two deaths and an estimated $20 million in damage from the tsunami disaster Dec. 26. Sailors spent three days working with the local population to help restore the Seychelles district of Anse Boileau.

February 13, USS Hue City returned to homeport after a scheduled deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

April 18, 2006 CG 66 departed Naval Station Mayport along with the USS Trenton (LPD 14), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, as a part of the Global War on Terrorism Surface Strike Group (GWOT SSG) 06-2.

September 7, The guided-missile cruiser is currently in the eastern Mediterranean as part of Joint Task Force Lebanon, along with USS Wasp (LHD 1), USS Barry (DDG 52) and USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196).

October 6, USS Hue City, commanded by Capt. Peter Grause, returned to Mayport, Fla., after completing a surge deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations around the Horn of Africa and relief operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

April 3, 2007 The guided-missile cruiser is currently in the Atlantic Ocean conducting Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA) with the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group.

May 23, 2007 CG 66 pulled to New York City to participate in Fleet Week 2007.

November ?, USS Hue City departed Mayport for a scheduled deployment with USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) CSG.

November 20, The Hue City arrived in Naples, Italy, for a six-day port visit.

December 13, CG 66 rescued six Pakistani crew members from a sinking dhow in the Gulf of Oman. The Hue City later transferred the rescued mariners to the Pakistani frigate PNS Barbur (F 182).

December 23, The guided-missile cruiser recently pulled to Manama, Bahrain, for a routine port call.

June 4, 2008 USS Hue City returned to homeport after a seven-month underway period in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) and the global war on terrorism.

September 18, 2009 The Hue City is currently underway participating in Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 09-4, as part of the Truman Carrier Strike Group, in preparation for the upcoming deployment early next year.

January 2, 2010 USS Hue City, commanded by Cmdr. Anthony W. Swain, departed Mayport Naval Station for a scheduled Middle East deployment with the Eisenhower CSG.