The fifth USS Decatur (DDG 73) was laid down on January 11, 1996 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on November 9, 1996, sponsored by Mrs. Joan E. Shalikashvili, wife of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and commissioned August 29, 1998, Commander Pete Gumataotao in command.

Following a combination shakedown and transit cruise to the west coast, during which Decatur visited San Juan, Puerto Rico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and Portland, Oregon; the guided-missile destroyer arrived at her new homeport of San Diego on Sept. 4. She spent the remainder of the year conducting acoustic trials and combat system evaluations. USS Decatur then spent three months in a post-shakedown availability in the Southwest Marine Yard.

In April 1999, the warship conducted a short cruise to the northwest, visiting Decatur Island, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia, before returning to San Diego in early May. After a second visit to Washington in August, Decatur helped Bunker Hill in assisting MV Gardenia Ace, a car carrier, which had suffered a fire in her engine room.

Upon completion of her final missile tests and sea trials, USS Decatur commenced her first western Pacific deployment on January 7, 2000. After stopping at Pearl Harbor to load Tomahawk land-attack missiles, the guided-missile cruiser proceeded to the Yellow Sea for Exercise Sharem 2000, a joint U.S. and South Korean naval exercise, in late January. On the 30th, the warship visited Chinhae, South Korea, and over the next two weeks also stopped at Yokosuka and Nagasaki, Japan. She then sailed south through the Taiwan Strait, made a three-day port visit to Hong Kong, and then commenced a South China Sea exercise with units of the Philippine Navy.

In early March, USS Decatur visited Malaysia and Guam before sailing south across the equator to Fiji in April. After visits to American Samoa, and numerous ports in Australia, she returned to San Diego on June 8.

Following upkeep and voyage repairs, the warship operated locally out of San Diego for the rest of the year. In February 2001, Decatur began preparations for carrier battle group operations off the west coast.

November 12, 2001 USS Decatur deployed with the USS John C. Stennis Battle Group. From Sept. 11- 22nd, she provided support to Operation Noble Eagle. The guided-missile destroyer returned to homeport May 28, 2002.

August 22, 2003 USS Decatur (DDG 73), along with Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group One, departed San Diego for a six-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

December 16, U.S. Navy boarding team operated from the USS Decatur discovered an estimated two tons of hashish with a street value of around eight to ten million dollars aboard a 40-foot dhow intercepted in the Arabian Gulf.

March 9, 2004 USS Decatur returned to San Diego following a six-and-a-half month deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism. The ESG conducted humanitarian assistance and security and stabilization missions in Iraq, as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom Maritime Interception Operations on land in southern Iraq and at sea in the Persian Gulf. They also patrolled international waters in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa to deter the transport of terrorist personnel and equipment. ESG 1’s most complex coalition mission came in January, when the group served as command and control for Exercise Sea Saber, a coalition maritime interdiction training exercise.

January 4, 2006 USS Decatur departed homeport for a six-month deployment, with the USS Ronald Reagan CSG, in support of the Global War on Terrorism and maritime security operations, as well as national and theater cooperative security commitments in the western Pacific.

April 28, DDG 73, operating as part of the Pakistani–led Combined Task Force 150, came to the aid of a distressed vessel, 83 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, and rescued seven Somali fishermen who had run out of food and supplies. The fishermen reported that they had been underway for three days when their engine failed. Although they attempted to rig a makeshift sail out of a tarp, the strong current overpowered their efforts and pushed them further out to sea.

May 15, USS Decatur, commanded by Cmdr. John Steinberger, assumed another large role in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations by joining with a French-led task force in the North Arabian Sea May 5. The task force's flagship, FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91), France's first nuclear-powered surface vessel, is currently operating in the waters south of Pakistan.

June 5, DDG 73 departed Phuket, Thailand, after a three-day port visit.

June 13, The guided-misile destroyer departed Hong Kong after a three-day port call. The ship is en route to San Diego after completing it's duty in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations. In the North Arabian Sea, it supported the French-led Combined Task Force 473 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

June 16, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, along with other ships and military personnel from around the U.S. Pacific Fleet, is making preparations for Valiant Shield 2006, one of the largest joint military exercises in this region in more than a decade. USS Decatur and USS McCampbell (DDG 85) will be operating off the coast of Guam June 19-23. The exercise will involve more than 20,000 Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.

July 6, DDG 73 returned to San Diego after a six-month underway period in the Persian Gulf and western Pacific Ocean.

June 22, 2007 USS Decatur successfully intercepted a medium range ballistic missile with SM-3 launched at sea within the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Kauai, Hawaii. It was the first time such a test was conducted from a ballistic missile defense equipped-U.S. Navy destroyer. The Decatur is one of 18 U.S. Navy ships (three cruisers and 15 destroyers) that will be identically equipped, by early 2009, with the ballistic missile defense capabilities of conducting long-range surveillance/tracking and launching the Standard Missile Three. The guided-missile destroyer returned to homeport July 2.

December 14, USS Decatur is currently in the Pacific Ocean conducting routine trainings as part of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) CSG.

February 18, 2008 USS Decatur recently joined the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) off the coast of Hawaii in preparation to shot down a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite with the SM-3 missile.

May 19, USS Decatur departed Naval Base San Diego for a scheduled western Pacific deployment.

July 14, The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Chinhae, Republic of Korea, for a routine port visit.

November 5, DDG 73 participated in a bilateral exercise with a Royal Thai Navy ship off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, Nov. 1.

November 25, The Decatur returned to homeport after a six-month deployment with the Reagan Carrier Strike Group.

May 27, 2009 USS Decatur, commanded by Cmdr. Christopher J. Sweeney, departed San Diego for a scheduled underway period, as part of the Reagan CSG, in the western Pacific Ocean.

July 4, The guided-missile destroyer recently arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, for a scheduled port visit and the 4th of July celebration.

August 7, USS Decatur is currently in the North Persian Gulf, attached to Commander, Task Force Iraqi Maritime, providing security for Al Basra and the Khawr Al Amaya oil terminals.

November 23, USS Decatur returned to Naval Base San Diego after a six-month deployment.

August 30, 2010 USS Decatur and USS Benfold (DDG 65), along with Norfolk-based USS Stout (DDG 55), participated in a ballistic missile defense exercise (BMDX) Aug. 23-27.

September 21, USS Decatur departed homeport for an independent deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility with a primary focus on Ballistic Missile Defense.

December 21, Cmdr. Shanti Sethi relieved Cmdr. Christopher J. Sweeney as CO of the Decatur during a change-of-command ceremony aboard the ship at Manama, Bahrain.

March 9, 2011 The guided-missile destroyer recently pulled into Mina Salman Port for a routine port call to Manama, Bahrain.

March 16, DDG 73 arrived in Chennai, India, for a three-day port visit.

March 22, The Decatur anchored off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, for a brief port call.

April 21, USS Decatur returned to San Diego after a seven-month deployment.

June 8, The Decatur arrived in Homer, Alaska, for a four-day port visit before participating in the U.S. Pacific Command-sponsored Exercise Northern Edge 11, June 13-24.

August 31, The guided-missile destroyer is currently at Huntington Ingalls Industries Continental Maritime of San Diego for repair and modernization period.