The ship was named for Cmdr. Jesse Junior Taylor, who died on Nov. 17, 1965, after being shot down over North Vietnam while trying to rescue a downed pilot.

USS Taylor (FFG 50) has operated extensively in the western Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and Southwest Asia Ocean areas. She has made six extended deployments: with NATO's standing Naval Force Atlantic in 1987, to the Arabian Gulf in 1988, in 1990 as part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, in 1992 as part of Operation Southern Watch, in 1994 to the Mediterranean and Red Seas and in 1997 with NATO's Standing Naval Force Mediterranean.

USS Taylor was deployed in spring and summer of 2002, with the USS John F. Kennedy Battle Group, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Arabian Gulf, in addition to operations in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

July 29, The Grandmasters of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 46 Detachment 9 and USS Taylor (FFG 50) recently completed a humanitarian aid exercise while participating in Operation Cooperative Partner in the Black Sea. The two-week exercise highlighted Standing Naval Forces Mediterranean’s (SNFM) joint operational capabilities to provide humanitarian aid during a simulated natural disaster in Romania. Romanian land, sea and air units, as well as French, Bulgarian and Ukranian naval forces, joined SNFM to demonstrate the ability of a composite group to respond quickly and effectively to any disaster. Cooperative Partner began in late June with a four-day port visit to Constanta, Romania. While in port, plans were finalized for the 43 ships involved. Once underway, the serialized phase of training began. The Taylor is scheduled to return home in September.

October 6, 2004 Five Sailors from USS Taylor went into the water at 7:30 p.m. approximately 50 miles off the coast of northern Florida, while lowering Taylor’s rigid hull inflatable boat. The crew rescued all five Sailors. Two Sailors were flown to Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, Fla. One crewmember was treated for shock, and a second was treated for possible back injury. Both have been released.

May 20, 2005 USS Taylor returned to Souda Bay, Crete, with ather NATO's vessels, after the conclusion of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) and the Military Committee (MC) Sea Day Exercise.

June 6, FFG 50 returned to Mayport Naval Station after a seven-month deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

May 17, 2006 Three U.S. Navy ships, including USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Taylor and USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), with nearly 2,000 Sailors will join France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, and Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea, from mid-May to early June, for the Dutch led Joint-Caribe Lion 2006 (J-CL06) exercise.

June 20, The Taylor returned to homeport after underway period in support of the Dutch-led exerciseJoint Caribbean Lion 2006.

November 29, While operating in the Arabian Sea, USS Taylor and an unflagged dhow collided at approximately 2:47 p.m. No damage was inflicted to guided-missile frigate. The Taylor departed Mayport on October for a surge deployment in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

December 6, Cmdr. Kurush F. Morris assumed the command of USS Taylor, as the first Zoroastrian commanding officer in the U.S. Navy. The ceremony was held aboard the ship while deployed in the Central Command AoR in support of Coalition Task Force 150. Morris was born in Mumbai, India, and migrated to the U.S. at the age of 5 with his parents.

February 15, 2007 FFG 50 participated in a bilateral Exercise Eagle Salute '07 Feb. 3-8, between U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Egyptian maritime forces, held in the Red Sea.

March 9, USS Taylor returned to Mayport after a five-month deployment.

January 22, 2008 USS Taylor pulled to Tampa, Fla, Jan. 18, to participate in a week of festivities and community service projects during Tampa Navy Week.

January 14, 2009 The guided-missile frigate pulled to Souda Bay, Crete, for a routine port call. The Taylor has been deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet AoR since August and has conducted Black Sea operations twice during her deployment as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1.

February 6, USS Taylor returned to Naval Station Mayport after a six-month underway period. While deployed, she participated in Operation Active Endeavor, a three-week operation which assured the safety and security of the Mediterranean for all shipping, denied the use of the sea for terrorists, drug and human smugglers and promoted the role of NATO forces in the area.

March 13, FFG 50 pulled to Boston for a five-day port visit due to St. Patrick's Day weekend celebration.

April 23, 2010 USS Taylor departed Mayport for a scheduled Mediterranean deployment.

June 7, The Taylor departed Port Mahon, Minorca, Spain, after a four-day port visit, the first by U.S. Navy warship since 1998.

June 16, USS Taylor arrived in Durres, Albania, for a goodwill port call. The guided-missile frigate is currently participating in the Partnership of Adriatic Mariners (PAMCO).

June 24, FFG 50 arrived in Split, Croatia, for a scheduled port visit.

July 2, The Taylor anchored in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer for a four-day port visit to France.

July 12, USS Taylor pulled into Odessa, Ukraine, to participate in annual, multinational Exercise Sea Breeze 2010. The guided-missile frigate departed July 23.

July 28, The Taylor recently arrived in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, for a routine port call.

August 2, FFG 50 rendered assistance to three stranded Spanish boaters southeast of Gibraltar after they experienced a mechanical failure while at sea testing their new rigid hull inflatable boat and had been adrift for approximately 24 hours.

August 10, USS Taylor arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, to participate in the 500 year anniversary of the Danish navy.

August 17, The guided-missile frigate pulled into Rotterdam, Netherlands, for a scheduled port call.

September 6, USS Taylor arrived in Murmansk, Russia, for a three-day port visit as part of the celebrations of the 65th anniversary for the end of World War II.

September 16, FFG 50 recently pulled into Tromso, Norway, for its third port visit to this city in a short time. During the transit in Barents Sea the Tayor was buzzed twice by Russian maritime patrol aircraft Il-38 on Sept. 10, with open bomb bay doors, in a Cold War-style show of force.

September 26, The Taylor arrived in Brest for its second port visit to France.

October 6, The guided-missile frigate recently arrived in La Coruna, Spain, for a goodwill port visit.

October 23, USS Taylor returned to Naval Station Mayport after a six-month deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility.

December 2, The Taylor pulled into Savannah, Ga., for a scheduled port call.

May 6, 2011 Cmdr. Jeremy R. Hill relieved Cmdr. Lyle D. Hall as CO of the USS Taylor during a change-of-command ceremony on board the ship at Mayport.

May 27, FFG 50 departed for a one-day sea trial after an extensive yard period which began back on Valentine’s Day. The most noticeable upgrade for USS Taylor, is the new 25 mm machine gun mounted on its forecastle.

August 25, The Taylor departed Naval Station Norfolk to avoid the approaching Category 2 Hurricane Irene.

February 2, 2012 The guided-missile frigate departed Mayport for a Friends and Family Day Cruise.

February 9, USS Taylor departed Naval Station Mayport for a scheduled Middle East deployment in support of counter-piracy and maritime security operations.

February 19, FFG 50 pulled into Funchal, Portugal, for a brief port visit to Madeira Island to take on fuel and supplies.

February 28, The Taylor departed Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Crete, after a routine port call.

March 10, The guided-missile frigate is currently supporting Operation Ocean Shield in the Central Command AoO, while assigned to Commander, NATO Task Force 508.