The U.S. Navy commissioned the guided missile destroyer John S. McCain on Saturday, July 2, 1994, at Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine, commencing at 10 a.m. Former President of the United States George Bush was the ceremony's principal speaker. Mrs. Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Senator John McCain, was the ship's sponsor. Senator McCain also attended the ceremony.

USS John S. McCain is named in honor of Admiral John S. McCain (1884-1945), the distinguished World War II carrier task force commander, and his son, Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. (1911-1981), former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command. The Admirals were the grandfather and father to Senator McCain.

The guided missile destroyer deployed to Persian Gulf in late 1996 in support of Operation Southern Watch, where it took part in maritime inderdiction operations as part of a force augmentation in the region. DDG 56 deployed again to Persian Gulf in early 1998.

In September 1999 the John S. McCain took part in a Y2K operational testing excercise along with other vessels.

USS John S. McCain became the first U.S. Navy ship to do community relations work ashore in war-torn Dili, the capital city of newly independent East Timor. It visited East Timor in 2000.

DDG 56 took part in Excercise Tandem Thrust in May 2001. Tandem Thrust is a combined military training exercise involving more than 18,000 U.S., Australian, and Canadian personnel who are training in crisis action planning and execution of contingency response operations.

USS John S. McCain participated in CSOFEX, in July 2001, with the South Korean military and United States Army and Naval forces. Several members from the Korean Navy and the United States Sixth Cavalry were brought aboard John S. McCain to simultaneously execute a joint exercise while conducting training.

October-December 2002, USS John S. McCain and USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group participated in Exercise Keen Sword 2003 off the coast of southern Japan. Keen Sword '03 is the seventh in a series of regularly sheduled joint/bilateral field training exercise since 1986, involving Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and United States military.

From January through May 2003, DDG 56 was deployed to western Pacific and Arabian Gulf along with USS Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group in support of operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

November 25, The McCain floated out of dry dock a day after workers from the Ship Repair Facility flooded Dry Dock 4 and set the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer back afloat. After three weeks in dry dock to repair her port rudder, “Big Bad John” set out for Sea Trials to test newly-installed and -upgraded equipment following a 12-week semi-annual restricted availability (SRA).

January 28, 2004 USS John S. McCain, USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS O’Brien (DD 975), USS Cushing (DD 985) and USS Vincennes (CG 49) participated in a semi-annual Multi-Sail exercise in the Okinawa operating area as part of an integrated multi-ship training environment.

April 6, The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Sattahip, Thailand, for a scheduled port visit

August 15, Cmdr. William Wagner relieved Cmdr. Kevin Campbell as commanding officer of USS John S. McCain during a change-of-command ceremony held aboard the ship.

From January 10 through March 28, 2005 the John S. McCain was deployed to western Pacific, as part of the Kitty Hawk CSG. During the underway period the "Big Bad John" visited Hong Kong and Chinae; Poyngtaek, Republic of Korea.

May 31, USS John S. McCain departed Yokosuka, Japan, for a Friends and Family Day Cruise.

November 6, The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Hakodate, Japan, for a scheduled port visit.

December 5, DDG 56 arrived in Langkawi, Malaysia, to participate in the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace 2005 Exposition.

February 25, 2006 USS John S. McCain pulled to Kagoshima, Japan, for a routine port visit.

April 11, USS John S. McCain underway for a Friends and Family Day Cruise from its homeport at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. The destroyer recently participated in annual combined and joint exercise Foal Eagle '06 from March 24-31.

April 19, DDG 56 departed homeport for a scheduled underway period.

June 8, The guided missile destroyer departed Yokosuka for a regularly scheduled deployment with the USS Kitty Hawk BG.

June 20, USS John S. McCain is currently participating in Exercise Valiant Shield '06 off the coast of Guam. The exercise will involve more than 20,000 Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Valiant Shield 2006 will also see more than 300 aircraft and 28 ships from the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Carrier Strike Groups, as well as the Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.

October 17, DDG 56 departed Yokosuka for a fall underway period with the USS Kitty Hawk CSG.

November 13, USS John S. McCain is currently off the coast of Japan participating in ANNUALEX, the largest billateral exercise between the U.S. Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. About 8,500 U.S. Sailors are taking part aboard 13 ships, submarines and various shore-based aircraft. About 90 JMSDF ships and 130 aircraft are also participating.

Febuary 15, 2007 USS John S. McCain departed dry dock 5 after a regularly scheduled maintenance on board Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka.

March 19, USS John S. McCain, commanded by Cmdr. Thomas C. Halvorson, departed homeport for a scheduled underway period.

April 16, DDG 56 participated in Trilateralex with ships from the Indian navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in the Tokyo Bay.

May 7, The "Big Bad John" arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, for a scheduled port visit and to participate in Victory Day celebrations. Victory Day, which is called "V.E. Day" (for Victory in Europe Day) in the U.S., is celebrated on May 9 in Russia as the day in 1945 when the Allies accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany, ending World War II in Europe.

June 30, USS John S. McCain pulled to Nigata, Japan, for a routine port visit.

August 10, The destroyer is currently participating in Exercise Valiant Shiled 2007, as part of USS Kitty Hawk CSG, in the Pacific Ocean.

September 10, DDG 56 returned to Yokosuka after a scheduled deployment.

November 1, USS John S. McCain, commanded by Cmdr. John S. Banigan, pulled to Sendai, Japan, for a scheduled port visit. McCain, part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, is currently underway on a routine deployment.

February 9, 2008 The McCain recently arrived in Ishikari, Japan, for a routine port call.

February 20, The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Sasebo, Japan, for a scheduled port visit.

February 28, DDG 56 pulled to Donghae, Republic of Korea, for a scheduled port call.

March 10, The John S. McCain assisted in the rescue of 11 crew members of a Republic of Korea (ROK) commercial fishing boat M/V Je 2 Bong Ho off the Korean Peninsula.

July 14, USS John S. McCain departed Yokosuka for a scheduled underway period.

July 30, The destroyer arrived in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, for a goodwill port visit.

August 20, After visiting Brisbane, Australia, DDG 56 arrived in Sydney for a five-day port call.

August 29, The John S. McCain pulled to Melbourne for a scheduled port visit.

October 8, The "Big Bad John" pulled to Busan, Republic of Korea, to celebrate the 2008 International Fleet Review, the 60th anniversary of the Korean government and its armed forces.

November 21, USS John S. McCain returned to Naval Base Yokosuka after a four-month deployment.

March 1, 2009 The guided-missile destroyer is currently serving as the flagship for MultiSail exercise off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.

March 17, DDG 56 is currently participating in a joint exercise Key Resolve/Foal Eagle '09 off the coast of Korea. The ship recently departed Pyeongtaek after a port call.

March 30, USS John S. McCain, commanded by Cmdr. Jeffrey J. Kim, along with USS Chafee (DDG 90) departed Busan, Republic of Korea, for the East Sea to monitor and track the North Korean rocket launch slated for early April. Three Aegis-equipped destroyers in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force also left their homeports over the weekend following an order to intercept any ballistic missile launched by North Korea into Japan's airspace.

April 2, The McCain returned to Yokosuka after a scheduled underway period.

May 5, The guided-missile destroyer recently departed Donghae, Republic of Korea, after a goodwill port visit.

May 20, USS John S. McCain arrived in Cebu to participate in the Philippines phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise.

June 13, The Chinese submarine hit an underwater sonar array being towed by the John S. McCain near Subic Bay on June 11. The two ships did not colide but the towed array was damaged.

June 15, DDG 56 pulled to Sasebo, Japan, for a fuether damage assessment.

June 20, USS John S. McCain is currently tracking a North Korean-flagged vessel Kang Nam and is ready to intercept a ship that is suspected of carrying weaponry or nuclear materials in defiance of a UN resolution 1874. Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the United States would not forcibly board a North Korean ship but, in accordance with a recent U.N. resolution, would request permission to search the ship or press any port the ship docks in to inspect it for illegal materials.

July 1, U.S. officials said Tuesday that a North Korean ship, that departed port of Nampo on June 17, has turned around and is headed back toward the north where it came from, after being tracked for more than a week. The Kang Nam was some 250 miles south of Hong Kong on Tuesday. The McCain recently returned to its homeport of Fleet Activities Yokosuka.

July 21, The "Big Bad John" pulled to Yokohama, Japan, to participate in the 150th anniversary celebration of the opening of the Port of Yokohama. The McCain's historic port visit is first by U.S. Navy ship in over a decade.

October 19, The guided-missile destroyer is currently in dry dock at Fleet Activities Yokosuka for a scheduled selective restricted availability (SRA).

March 16, 2010 USS John S. McCain departed home for a scheduled underway period.

March 19, DDG 56 arrived in Donghae, Republic of Korea, to take part in bilateral exercise Foal Eagle 2010.

April 13, The McCain is currently participating in a semi-annual Multi-Sail 2010 exercise, off the coast of Okinawa, that allows Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) Fifteen ships opportunities to improve their combined combat readiness.

May 13, USS John S. McCain pulled into Hong Kong for a scheduled port call.

July 9, The guided-missile destroyer arrived in Kagoshima with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships as part of joint U.S.-Japan port visits being conducted this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the alliance between the two nations.

July 21, The McCain pulled into Busan, Republic of Korea, for a two-day port visit before participating in joint exercise Invincible Spirit.

August 10, USS John S. McCain arrived in Da Nang to to commemorate the 15th anniversary of normalization of relations between the United States and Vietnam.

September 4, USS John S. McCain, along with USS George Washington (CVN 73), USS Cowpens (CG 63) and USS McCampbell (DDG 85), pulled into Manila Bay, Republic of the Philippines, for a four-day port visit.