USS Vella Gulf is named for the Battle of Vella Gulf, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II. This engagement was historically significant because it was the first time that destroyers were allowed to operate independent of the cruiser force during the Pacific campaign. The battle was fought between the islands of Vella Lavella and Kolombangara on the night of 6 August 1943. In the battle of Vella Gulf, six American destroyers - Dunlap (DD 394), Craven (DD 392), Maury (DD 401), Lang (DD 399), Stertt (DD 407), and Stack (DD 406) - engaged a group of four enemy destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese troops on Kolombangara. The American warships closed the enemy undetected with the aid of radar and fired torpedoes which sank Hagikaze, Arashi, and Kawkaze with no damage to our ships. This ship is the second named for the battle of Vella Gulf. The first USS Vella Gulf was an escort carrier (CVE 111) commissioned on 9 April 1945.

CG 72 is sponsored by Mrs. Mary Ann McCauley and was commissioned into the Naval Service on September 18, 1993 in ceremonies at Norfolk, Virgina.

USS Vella Gulf successfully completed Sea Trials during the month of February 1998. In the months of May and June, it completed a two month BALTOPS Cruise, taking part in the 26th annual maritime exercise U.S. Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) '98 in the western Baltic Sea from June 8-19, 1998. During the exercise, the commander, Carrier Group Eight, commanded the exercise from USS Vella Gulf. In November, the ship completed an AMMO onload, LAMPS moved aboard, completed a successful C2X, and had made a port call at St. John, U. S. Virgin Island. Upon the completion of C2X, it continued pre-deployment work-ups.

In January 1999, after winning her fifth consecutive "Battle E", CG 72 performed Tomahawk Launch Area Coordinator duties during Tomahawk training exercises and had the AEGIS training and readiness center onboard for a week of Force Air Defense Commander training

Vella Gulf's successful completion, in February 1999, of JTFEX '99 marked the end of a ten-month work-up. The vessel headed out for deployment to the Adriatic Sea on March 26. After a six-day transit, she took her position in the Adriatic Sea and participated in everything from Tomahawk Strike Ops to Fast-track Logistics Ops as part of Operation Noble Anvil. In May and June, the guided-missile cruiser continued to participate in support of combat operations, shot Tomahawks, assumed warfare commander duties (ADC, ASUWC, ASWC and Launch Area Coordinator), and conducted numerous at-sea refueling and stores replenishment events until the relaxation of weapons posture and cessation of hostilities.

USS Vella Gulf began the month of August engaged in multi-ship exercises. She Participated in DIVTACS, LeapFrogs, Tomahawk exercises, submarine exercises, Flight Ops, and Gunnery exercises. It returned home on September 22, and went in November to Yorktown, VA., for a complete weapons offload.

As part of USS George Washington (CVN 73) Carrier Battle Group (CVBG), and in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, CG 72 set sail in support of defense and humanitarian efforts off the coast of New York.

September 19, 2001 USS Vella Gulf deployed, as part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Carrier Battle Group, to the Mediterranean and "to points East" in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The TR BG transited the Suez Canal on October 13th and arrived in the Arabian Sea on October 15th.

March 1, 2002 USS Vella Gulf boarded and seized the motor vessel Lina, of undetermined registry, in mid-February, as a suspected Iraqi oil smuggler operating in the Gulf of Oman. M/V Lina, a medium-size coastal tanker, had a history of oil smuggling operations in the Arabian Gulf. Previous boarding attempts by coalition warships had been unsuccessful due to Lina's highly-modified and reinforced locking measures fitted around the ship. During the boarding operation, 21 crewmembers were detained, ship stability evaluated and preparation for towing operations completed.

April ?, 2002 USS Vella Gulf returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a combat deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Arabian Gulf.

November 20, The Vella Gulf recently pulled to Miami after completing a two-week underway operation as an opposing force (OPFOR) unit in support of the USS Harry S. Truman Battle Group Joint Task Force Exercise. The ship’s port visit coincided with numerous Veterans' Day weekend events planned throughout the Miami and Dade County area. The Vella Gulf was the first U.S. warship to visit the port in more than a year. CG 72 will return to Norfolk while continuing the ship’s interdeployment training cycle workups in preparation for a major Baltic Exercise in June 2003.

June 5, 2003 USS Vella Gulf pulled to Gdynia Harbor, Poland, to kick off the 31st annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2003. Components of the exercise are taking place afloat in the Baltic Sea and ashore in Poland, Germany and Denmark from June 7–23.

January 20, 2004 USS Vella Gulf, commanded by Capt. Michael Davis, departed Narfolk for a scheduled deployment, with the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group, in support of the Global War on Terrorism. The strike group wrapped up a month-long Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in mid-December.

February 10, The guided-missile cruiser departed Souda Bay, Crete, aftrer a four-day port visit.

July 26, USS Vella Gulf returned to homeport after six-month underway period in Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. The ships assigned to the GW Strike Group initiated or were involved in more than 200 boardings of merchant vessels during maritime intervention operations, and logged more than 12,000 surface contacts in the Persian Gulf.

May 17, 2006 CG 72 departed Naval Station Norfolk for the 34th annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS). BALTOPS is an international exercise formed through the Partnership for Peace (PFP). The U.S. Navy is participating in BALTOPS with Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

October 21, The Vella Gulf is currently underway conducting Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) as part of the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group.

January 5, 2007 USS Vella Gulf departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment, with the USS Bataan ESG-2, in support of the ongoing rotation of forward-deployed forces.

April 14, The guided-missile cruiser is currently in the North Arabian Sea conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO).

July 3, USS Vella Gulf returned to homeport after a six-month deployment.

April 28, 2008 CG 72 pulled to Port Everglades, Fla., for a Fleet Week.

July 8, The Vella Gulf departed Norfolk to participate in a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) as part of USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG).

August 30, USS Vella Gulf, commanded by Capt. Mark D. Genung, departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled underway period in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Central Command Area of Responsibility.

September 30, Several U.S. ships, including USS Vella Gulf, are now operating in the vicinity of Motor Vessel Faina, the Belize-flagged cargo ship, which was captured Sept. 25 and is anchored off the coast of Somalia near the harbor city of Hobyo. The U.S. 5th Fleet continues to actively monitor the situation. The guided-missile cruiser arrived in Indian Ocean Sept. 26 to watch on pirated ships MV Faina, MV Capt Stefanos and MV Centauri.

December 9, CG 72 is currently anchored off the coast Seychelles for a goodwill port visit.

January 20, 2009 The Vella Gulf recently pulled to Manama, Bahrain, for a routine port call.

February 4, USS Vella Gulf became the flagship of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, assuming duties from USS San Antonio (LPD 17), a multinational task force conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

February 11, The Norfolk-based cruiser captured seven Somali pirates after receving a distress call about 3 p.m., from the motor vessel Polaris, in the Gulf of Aden. This is Navy’s first successful interdiction since the establishment of a new anti-piracy force last month. Under a new agreement with the U.S. military, the suspects will be turned over to the Kenyan government for prosecution.

February 12, Nine suspected pirates were apprehended by USS Vella Gulf after responding to a distress call at 4 a.m., from a nearby Indian-flagged motor vessel Premdivya. USS Mahan (DDG 72) intercepted the skiff. Teams from both warships conducted searches and found weapons, including one rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The suspected pirates were brought on board the guided-missile cruiser where they were processed and are being held until they are transferred to a temporary holding facility on board USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1).

March 1, CG 72 pulled to Haifa, Israel, for a scheduled port visit. The guided-missile cruiser arrived in Rota, Spain, March 11.

March 27, USS Vella Gulf returned to homeport after a seven-month deployment.

May 20, The Vella Gulf pulled to New York City to participate in the 22nd commemoration of Fleet Week.