USS McClusky was commissioned on December 10, 1983. The contract to build her was awarded on April 27, 1979 and her keel was laid on October 21, 1981.

October 2, 2002 USS McClusky (FFG 41), commanded by Cmdr. Gary Parriott, returned to San Diego after a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Southern Command AoR, that included a rescue of a mariner who was adrift at sea for nearly four months.

December 12, 2003 USS McClusky’s swift response saved the lives of 169 people aboard two distressed vessels, Andrea and San Luis, in the eastern Pacific, while on a counter-drug deployment to U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Area of Operations.

January 1, 2004 FFG 41 recently arrived in Manta, Ecuador, for a first port call since deployed Dec. 3, 2003.

June 3, USS McClusky returned to San Diego after completing a six-month counter drug deployment operating with the Joint Interagency Task Force. The guided-missile frigate conducted five successful drug seizures, preventing the trafficking of almost eight tons of narcotics by sea. She also conducted community relations and humanitarian assistance in Mexico, Ecuador, Jamaica and Panama.

June 9, 2005 USS McClusky pulled to Portland, Ore., as part of Fleet Week for the city's annual celebration of Rose Festival.

August 16, FFG 41 recently arrived in Acajutla for just the second port visit to El Salvador, by U.S. Navy Ship in the last 10 years.

August 30, A high-speed open ocean chase resulted in the seizure of 3.5 tons of cocaine, with a street value of nearly $100 million, and the detention of five suspected smugglers during the ship's first drug bust in the eastern Pacific. During two weeks in August, USS McClusky, commanded by Cmdr. Herman T.K. Awai, also rescued 299 Ecuadorians from three overloaded vessels off the west coast of Central America.

October 24, While patrolling in the eastern Pacific in October with its embarked helicopter and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, The McClusky completed a second major drug interdiction. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 5,800 pounds of cocaine aboard the fishing vessel Jose Antonio and the detention of 16 suspected drug traffickers.

December 20, USS McClusky returned to Naval Station San Diego after a five-month southern Pacific deployment.

November 22, 2006 More than 20 civic leaders participated in a civilian guest-embarkation Navy program, called Leaders to Sea, aboard the FFG 41 Nov. 14-16.

January 19, 2007 The guided-missile frigate is curently hosting the Leaders to Sea program off the West Coast. Leaders to Sea is a civilian guest-embarkation program designed to give leaders of the community an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the Navy and its mission by boarding a naval vessel and observing daily operations at sea.

April 26, USS McClusky departed San Diego for a scheduled deployment to the South American region to conduct naval exercises.

August 6, After conducting counter narcotics operations for three months in the eastern Pacific, Sailors from USS McClusky unloaded approximately 12 tons of seized cocaine with an estimated import value of $306 million at U.S Coast Guard Sector Key West.

October 22, USS McClusky, commanded by Cmdr. Daniel W. Brayan, returned to homeport after completing a six-month underway period as part of the Joint Interagency Task Force, South and U.S. Naval Forces, Southern Command.

March 25, 2008 FFG 41 is currently off the coast of southern California, as part of oposition forces to USS Ronald Reagan CSG COMPTUEX.