The Cape St. George is the first ship in the United States Navy to bear that name, is the twenty-fifth ship of the Ticonderoga class and the seventeenth to be built by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss. Her keel was laid on November 10, 1990, and she was launched on January 10, 1992. The guided-missile cruiser was christened on April 11, 1992 by her sponsor, Mrs. Doris Hekman, the wife of Vice Adm. Peter M. Hekman, Jr., USN (Ret). USS Cape St. George (CG 71) was commissioned and joined the Atlantic Fleet on June 12, 1993 at ceremonies in Naval Station Norfolk.

May 21, 2001 USS Cape St. George departed homeport to take part in the 29th annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2001. With naval vessels and over 40 aircraft of 14 nations taking part, the exercise is intended to improve interoperability with Baltic Sea nations and Partnership for Peace countries by conducting a peace support operation at sea.

In the summer of 2002, the guided-missile cruiser again returned to the Baltic Sea for BALTOPS '02. This is the 30th annual BALTOPS. The United States and ten other nations are participating in this year’s exercise. BALTOPS 2002 includes nearly 3,000 personnel, 41 ships, four submarines and 26 aircraft from participating nations. They include: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

February 4, 2003 The Norfolk-based USS Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group, including the Cape St. George, deployed Jan. 6 and conducted a Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in the Puerto Rican Operating Area until Feb. 4, before heading overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

March 23, CG 71 launched its first Tomahawk Missiles in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

July ?, 2003 USS Cape St. George returned to Norfolk after supporting operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in the Mediterranean.

May 18, 2005 USS Cape St. George, commanded by Capt. James R. Yohe, is expected to be certified in the Electronic Charting Display and Information System – Navy (ECDIS-N) in May, becoming the fleet’s first ECDIS-N-certified surface ship. This paperless system allows Sailors to view and manipulate navigation from the bridge, captain’s cabin and combat information center. ECDIS-N is the Navy’s version of the navigation system already used by commercial shipping. It gives the Navy the capability of using digital charting with interactive computers and real-time positioning systems to navigate in support of Navy mission requirements. With ECDIS-N in place, Cape St. George uses the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Digital Nautical Chart as the primary navigation system.

May 28, CG 71 along with USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Carr (FFG 52) pulled to New York City to participate in the Fleet Week 2005.

November 7, USS Cape St. George departed Norfolk for a sheduled six-month deployment, with USS Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group Eight (ESG-8), in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

March 1, 2006 HMS Bulwark (L15), the Royal Navy's most modern and versatile warship, assumed duties from USS Cape St. George Feb. 28, as the flagship for the Royal Navy staff which leads Combined Task Force 58 (CTF 58), a multinational coalition that conducts maritime security operations (MSO) in the North Persian Gulf.

March 18, USS Cape St. George and USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) returned fire on a group of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, killing one and wounding five, approximately 25 nautical miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia in international waters at 5:40 a.m. local time. The Navy boarding teams also confiscated an RPG launcher and automatic weapons. No U.S. Sailors were injured in the engagement.

April 9, ESG 8 transited through the Suez Canal, marking the end of more than four months of maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

May 4, CG 71 returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a six-month deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

July 30, 2007 USS Cape St. George arrived in its new homeport of San Diego, as part of the first major ship relocation of the adjustment of forces from the Atlantic to Pacific coast.

March 22, 2008 The guided-missile cruiser is currently participating in Expedition Strike Group 3 integration training, as part of USS Peleliu (LHA 5) ESG, in preparation of its western Pacific deployment.

May 4, USS Cape St. George departed San Diego in support of the global war on terrorism.

November 3, The Cape St. George returned to homeport after a scheduled deployment in the 5th and 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AoR). The cruiser made port visit to Penang, Malaysia; Manama, Bahrain; and Brisbane, Australia.

May 8, 2010 CG 71 is currently off the coast of southern California participating in a Carrier Strike Group training with the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

September 11, USS Cape St. George, commanded by Capt. Bill Byrne, departed Naval Base San Diego for a scheduled Middle East deployment, as part of the Lincoln CSG.

January 31, 2011 The Cape St. George provided assistance to an Iranian dhow after receiving a distress call at approximately 8 a.m. in the Arabian Gulf. The six fisherman were brought aboard the rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) and later transferred to an Iranian customs vessel, which was patrolling the area.

February 3, USS Cape St. George provided fuel, food and water to the 16 crewmembers of the Iranian flagged fishing vessel, who's engine had failed in the Gulf of Oman.

February 13, The guided-missile cruiser recently arrived in Phuket, Thailand, for a scheduled port visit.

March 21, USS Cape St. George returned home after a six-month deployment.

July 25, The Cape St. George, commanded by Capt. Donald D. Gabrielson, is currently undergoing a Ship's Restricted Availability (SRA) maintenance period at the BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair facility.

September 25, CG 71 is currently participating in a Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), off the coast of southern California, as part of USS Abraham Lincoln CSG.

December 7, USS Cape St. George departed Naval Base San Diego for a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet AoR.

January 6, The Cape St. George pulled into Laem Chabang Port for a scheduled visit to Thailand.

February 6, The guided-missile cruiser departed Khalifa Bin Salman Port after a five-day visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.