USS Vandegrift (FFG 48), named for Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, U.S. Marine Corps, was built at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington, and was commissioned on November 24, 1984.

January 5, 1987 USS Vandegrift departed for maiden, around-the-world cruise, deployment. The guided-missile frigate conducted operations with USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Port visits included Pearl Harbor; Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines; Karachi, Pakistan; Mombasa, Kenya; Maxime, France; Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico; and St. Croix and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Vandegrift returned to Long Beach in June.

USS Vandegrift second six-month deployment began in June 1988, returning it to operations in the Arabian Gulf shortly after the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq. Her mission, while on patrol in the northern Arabian Gulf, focused on providing protection and logistic support for joint forces in the area. She also participated in numerous Earnest Will missions, escorting U.S. and reflagged Kuwaiti tankers. Port visits included Pearl Harbor; Subic Bay, Philippines; Bahrain; Pattaya Beach, Thailand and Hong Kong.

The ship's third deployment to the Arabian Gulf began in March 1990. FFG 48 patrolled the Northern Arabian Gulf and conducted Earnest Will escort missions. As the senior ship on station in the Arabian Gulf during the invasion of Kuwait, the ship served as the Anti-Air Warfare Commander and Electronic Warfare Coordinator. It participated in Operation Desert Shield's and Maritime Interception Operations with units from United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and France. Ports of call included Pearl Harbor; Subic Bay; Phuket, Thailand; Singapore and Hong Kong. The guided-missile frigate returned to homeport in October.

April 22, 1992 USS Vandegrift departed for its fourth six-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf. She participated in exercises with India, Qatar and Pakistan, helping to strenghten U.S. relations in that area. Ports of call included Doha, Qatar; Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Karachi, Pakistan; Phuket, Thailand; Goa, India; Bahrain; Hong Kong; Singapore and Guam.

April 25, 1995 FFG 48 returned to Naval Station San Diego after a six-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf. Vandegrift's mission was the enforcement of U.N. sanctions against Iraq in the Northern Arabian Gulf. Ports of call included Sasebo, Japan; Subic Bay, Philippines; Jebel Ali, U.A.E.; Bahrain; Singapore and Hong Kong.

January 29, 2003 USS Vandegrift departed Yokosuka for a scheduled deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

June 4, The guided-missile frigate is currently in the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aqaba, providing support for the President’s visit to Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt and Aqaba, Jordan, for summits with Arab leaders.

June 19, FFG 48 pulled to Chocin, India, for a three-day port visit.

July 26, USS Vandegrift, commanded by Cmdr. Richard A. Rogers, returned to homeport after a six-month underway period in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

September 26, USS Vandegrift departed Zhanjiang, China, after a five-day port visit, completing the first U.S. Navy ship visit here to the People’s Republic of China navy’s South Sea Fleet (SSF) headquarters.

November 9, The forward deployed guided-missile frigate participated in a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Russian Federation navy ships, Pechenga (AOR) and Marshal Shaposhnikov (DD 543), in the Pacific Ocean.

November 19, USS Vandegrift arrived in Saigon, the central district of Ho Chi Minh City, for a four-day port visit. This milestone event marked the first time a U.S. Navy ship has visited Vietnam since 1973.

May 19, 2004 FFG 48 anchored off the coast of Dili, Timor-Leste, for two days in support of the United States' ongoing commitment to the world's newest democracy and its Independence Day.

June 25, The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate departed Yokosuka and head to Tokyo for a Friends and Family Cruise.

September 17, Cmdr. David Chase relieved Cmdr. Richard Rogers, as commanding officer of USS Vandegrift, in a change of command ceremony held on the flight deck.

November 24, USS Vandegrift participated in ANNUALEX exercise with elements of the Japan Martime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Nov. 10-19, and the ship's flight crew was up for the task. She was one of 18 U.S. and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships participating in ANNUALEX.

February 22, 2005 The guided-missile frigate pulled to Hong Kong for a scheduled port call.

March 29, USS Vandegrift returned to its forward deployed operating base, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, after completing a regularly scheduled underway period. It participated in the annual combined and joint operational exercise Foal Eagle, with the USS Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group.

May 19, The Vandegrift and the Australian ship HMAS Canberra (FFG 02) completed combined operations, while transiting through the Philippine Sea and Pacific Ocean. The two Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, both constructed in Todd Shipyard, Seattle, conducted a week of training in anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface warfare, as well as basic seamanship and ship handling.

July 5, FFG 48 departed Brisbane, Australia, after a four-day port visit, following the ship’s participation in Exercise Talisman Saber 2005. It operated for three weeks with other units from the U.S. and Australian armed services in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area near the Great Barrier Reef. Brisbane was frigate ’s third port visit and second in Australia since departing Japan in May.

August 20, USS Vandegrift returned to Yokosuka aftre a nearly three-month deployment in the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AoR), participating in exercises Talisman Sabre and JASEX 2005.

April 19, 2006 The guided-missile frigate departed homeport for a routine underway period.

June 20, The Vandegrift is currently participating in Exercise Valiant Shield '06 off the coast of Guam June 19-23. 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.

August 14, USS Vandegrift departed Yokosuka and headed to new homeport of San Diego, Calif.

September 1, FFG 48 arrived in Naval Base San Diego after ten years of service in the western Pacific within the Seventh Fleet.

June 7, 2007 USS Vandegrift pulled to Portland, Ore., to participate in the Fleet Week festivities June 7-10 during the 100th annual Portland Rose Festival.

October 10, The guided-missile frigate recently visited San Francisco for the 27th annual Fleet Week celebration.

July 3, 2008 USS Vandegrift returned to homeport after completing a scheduled underway period.

October 21, Business and government leaders from southern California spent a day at sea aboard the Vandegrift, commanded by Cmdr. Dean Rawls, Oct. 7 as part of the Naval Surface Forces Leaders to Sea (LTS) program.

April 12, 2010 USS Vandegrift, commanded by Cmdr. Steven A. Prescott, departed San Diego for a scheduled western Pacific deployment in support of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2010 exercise. The ship was recently involved in training Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) personnel in integrating S-70 helicopters into the RSN fleet. RSAF pilots made a historic first-ever underway landing of an S-70 aboard the Vandegrift last November.

May 3, FFG 48 pulled into Muara, Brunei, to participate in first phase of the 16th CARAT exercise.

May 13, The Vandegrift arrived in Laem Chabang port for a Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Thailand 2010.

June 6, The guided-missile frigate arrived in Lumut, Malaysia, for the fourth phase of CARAT.

June 17, The CARAT ships recently arrived at Changi Naval Base in Singapore to take part in the annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise.

July 23, USS Vandegrift, along with USS Patriot (MCM 7), arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, for a four-day port visit to participate in Navy Day celebration.

August 2, FFG 48 arrived in Aomori, Japan, with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's destroyer JS Amagiri, 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.

September 3, USS Vandegrift anchored off the coast of Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, along with HMAS Tobruk (L 50), HMAS Labuan (L 128) and HMAS Tarakan (L 129), for a week port call in support of Pacific Partnership mission.