November 12, 2005 USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) was commissioned in Port Everglades, Fla.

January 22, 2007 The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Tampa Bay, Florida, to participate in Tampa Navy Week, one of 26 Navy Weeks planned across America in 2007.

April 28, USS Bainbridge, commanded by Cmdr. Stephen Coughlin, is currently participating in Exercise Neptune Warrior off the coast of Scotland. Neptune Warrior, a course designed and led by the Joint Maritime Operational Training Staff Northwood in the United Kingdom, is designed to improve interoperability between allied navies as well as to prepare the participants for a role in a Coalition Joint Task Force during upcoming deployments. During this 10-day course, that started April 23, Bainbridge, USS Simpson (FFG 56), USS Laboon (DDG 58), along with ship from UK, France, Germany, Netherland and Denmark will face small boat attacks, exercise air defense and anti-submarine warfare, and respond appropriately to simulated intelligence and media reports.

July 27, More than 15,000 service members from three countries and 23 U.S. Navy ships, including USS Bainbridge, will participate in Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 07-2 "Operation Bold Step", July 26-31 off the U.S. coast from the waters of Virginia to Florida.

September 18, DDG 96 recently pulled to Victoria, Seychelles, for a scheduled port call. USS Bainbridge relieved USS Normandy (CG 60) as flagship for commander Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1, Rear Admiral Michael K. Mahon.

October 1, USS Bainbridge, along with the Yemeni Coast Guard and other NATO forces are currently in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemeni island Jazirat at-Tair, conducting search and rescue operations since the volcano erupted Sept. 30.

October 8, The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Souda Bay, Crete, for a brief port call.

November 18, DDG 96 is currently in the Mediterranean Sea acting as flagship for commander SNMG 1.

January 10, 2008 USS Bainbridge, commanded by Cmdr. Stephen J. Coughlin, pulled to Souda Bay, Crete, for a routine port visit.

August 1, The U.S. Navy completed technical evaluation and training of the remote minehunting system (RMS) aboard the Bainbridge in Panama City, Fla. July 28. The evaluation enables the Navy to continue training on the system, designed as part of the mine warfare mission package for the Littoral Combat Ship.

February 20, 2009 USS Bainbridge, commanded by Cmdr. Frank X. Castellano, departed Norfolk Naval Station for a scheduled deployment as part of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Carrier Strike Group (CSG).

April 9, The Bainbridge arrived before dawn near a 28-foot lifeboat holding four pirates and the kidnapped captain Richard Phillips of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama. The American crew of a hijacked ship retook control of the vessel from Somali pirates April 8, after the ship was hijacked early Wednesday about 280 miles southeast of Eyl. The Alabama was carrying emergency food relief to Mombasa, Kenya.

April 13, U.S. Navy SEAL snipers shot and killed three of Capt. Phillips captors, at 7:19 p.m. local time on Sunday, after one of them pointed an AK-47 at his back. He was taken aboard the Bainbridge in good condition and uninjured and then flown to USS Boxer (LHD 4) for the medical exam. A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier and could face life in a U.S. prison.

April 15, U.S.-flagged merchant vessel the Liberty Sun was attacked by Somali pirates Tuesday, with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, but the pirates failed to board the ship which sustained light damage. USS Bainbridge responded to the attack but the pirates had departed by the time it arrived some six hours later. The Liberty Sun was headed to Mombasa, Kenya, from Houston carrying food aid cargo for African nations suffering from famine.

July 26, DDG 96 recently pulled to Manama, Bahrain, for a routine port call.

September 21, USS Bainbridge returned to homeport after a seven-month underway period.

April 2, 2010 Cmdr. Daniel D. Sunvold relieved Cmdr. Frank X. Castellano as CO of the Bainbridge during a change-of-command ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station.

September 21, USS Bainbridge departed Norfolk to participate in Joint Warrior 2010 exercise, off the coast of Scotland.

October 16, USS Bainbridge, along with USS Nitze (DDG 94), recently pulled into HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, Scotland, for a scheduled port visit.

November 9, The Bainbridge traveled 90 n.m. in rough seas to render assistance to the fishing vessel Abracadabra, after the crew reported a steering casualty while at sea, east of Delaware Bay.

January 4, 2011 USS Bainbridge departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment, in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet Areas of Responsibility, as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 2.

May 3, The Navy boarding team from DDG 96 freed 15 hostages from Pakistani fishing vessel, off the coast of Somalia, that had been seized and used as a mother ship for more than six months. The seven pirates surrendered when they saw the sailors approaching.

August 5, USS Bainbridge returned to Norfolk after a seven-month deployment. The crew conducted 27 counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Somali area.

August 25, The guided-missile destroyer departed Naval Station Norfolk to avoid the approaching Hurricane Irene.

November 4, Cmdr. Bruce G. Schuette relieved Cmdr. Daniel D. Sunvold as CO of the Bainbridge during a change-of-command ceremony on board the ship at Norfolk.