The Winston S. Churchill is the fourth American warship to be named in honor of an Englishman. USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) is the 31st ship of the Arleigh Burke class and the 18th of the class to be built by Bath Iron Works.

August 22, 2001 USS Winston S. Churchill pulled to Portsmouth, England, for an historic first visit. The guided-missile destroyer returned to Norfolk in October.

July 16, 2002 USS Winston S. Churchill is back at her birthplace to receive a $25 million equipment upgrade after her maiden deployment. The ship returned to Bath Iron Works in May for the tune-up, known as the Post Shakedown Availability (PSA). The work comes after a first deployment to the United Kingdom and Norway. When complete, the Churchill will boast dozens of advanced systems, corrosion-control improvements, a rearranged Combat Information Center (CIC), an upgraded Passive Countermeasure System, the Naval Fires Control System (NFCS), and numerous improvements to the ship’s command and control, communications and computers (C4I) systems. The destroyer’s engineering department also will receive the new Fully Automated Digital Control/Redundant Independent Mechanical Starting System (FADC/RIMSS) to offer a more efficient way of starting the generators. In addition, there will be new decking, a self-service laundry, modifications to the Hazardous Materials Center, and other improvements.

September 24, DDG 81 came to the aid of a 35-foot Bertram sport fishing boat in distress, about 40 miles off the coast of Currituck, N.C. The Churchill was conducting flight deck-landing qualifications around 6:50 p.m., when a distress call came in.

May 29, 2003 USS Winston S. Churchill returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a nearly five-month combat deployment, as part of USS Theodore Roosevelt CSG in eastern Mediterranean, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

November 8, 2004 The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Portsmouth, England, for a routine port visit upon conclusion of the Royal Navy-sponsored Joint Maritime Course-043. After the port call the Churchill will return to Norfolk.

August 22, 2005 USS Winston S. Churchill colided with USS McFaul (DDG 74) while conducting training operations off the coast of Florida. Damage to Churchill included a 5x10 foot hole on the port side helo hangar, a damaged antenna, and a hydraulic leak in the helo hangar. McFaul sustained light damage to its starboard side bow. There were no personnel casualties or flooding on either ship. The collision occurred while the ships were preparing for deployment and conducting a training event that required aggressive ship-handling and high speed, close quarters tactical maneuvering.

November 7, USS Winston S. Churchill departed Norfolk for a scheduled deployment, with USS Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group Five (ESG-5), in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

January 21, 2006 U.S. Navy Sailors from the Churchill boarded the suspect pirate vessel and discovered small-arms weapons on board, approximately 54 miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia at 3 p.m. local time.

May 2, USS Winston S. Churchill returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a six-month underway period in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet Areas of Operations.

May 16, 2007 DDG 81 recently departed Philadelphia after participated in Navy Fleet Week.

May 23, The guided-missile destroyer pulled into New York City to participate in Fleet Week 2007.

November 5, USS Winston S. Churchill departed homeport for a scheduled underway period, as part of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group.

February 11, 2008 The Churchill is currently in the Persian Gulf conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO).

June 4, DDG 81 returned to Norfolk after a seven-month deployment.

June 9, 2009 Capt. Robert C. Barwis relieved Capt. Michael A. Strano as Commander, Destroyer Squadron 26, during a change-of-command ceremony aboard the Churchill.

May 21, 2010 USS Winston S. Churchill, commanded by Cmdr. Juan Orozco, departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment, as part of the Truman CSG.

June 3, The guided-missile destroyer arrived in Portsmouth, England, for a five-day port visit.

September 27, A rigid hull inflatable boats from the Churchill rescued 61 Ethiopian and Somali passengers of a capsized skiff in the Gulf of Aden. Eight were listed as missing, and an estimated 13 drowned. USS Winston S. Churchill is currently assigned to Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, a multinational task force conducting counter-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin.

December 20, USS Winston S. Churchill returned to Norfolk after a seven-month deployment.

January 28, 2011 Capt. Peter C. DeMane relieved Capt. Robert C. Barwis as Commander, Destroyer Squadron 26, during a change-of-command ceremony on board the DDG 81.

August 25, The Winston S. Churchill departed Naval Station Norfolk to avoid the approaching Category 3 Hurricane Irene.

April 16, 2012 USS Winston S. Churchill arrived in Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Va., to onload ordnance in preparation for the upcoming deployment.

April 24, The guided-missile destroyer is currently underway for a Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) CSG.