The keel for Reuben James (FFG 57) was laid down on November 19, 1983, at Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, California. She was launched on February 8, 1985, and commissioned on March 22, 1986.

August 2, 2002 USS Reuben James departed Pearl Harbor for a western Pacific deployment, as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Battle Group, in support of Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), and Operation Enduring Freedom.

April 27, 2003 USS Reuben James, commanded by Cmdr. Edward J. Lester, returned to Pearl Harbor following over nine months at sea, the ship’s longest deployment in 30 years, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

June 18, USS Reuben James and USS Hopper (DDG 70) pulled into Honolulu, Hawaii, for a short port visit to The Aloha Tower Marketplace in support of this Year's Navy League Convention.

October 14, In early October, USS Reuben James and the French frigate FS Prarial (F 371) conducted a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) together in the Hawaiian Op. Area. With Oahu serving as a backdrop, the two ships performed a variety of drills together. For the Reuben James, this was the first multi-national exercise conducted since working with the Pakistani, Qatari and British navies in September 2002. The Prarial arrived in Honolulu Sept. 26 from her home port of Tahiti, French Polynesia.

February 12, 2004 USS Reuben James departed Naval Station Pearl Harbor en route to Central and South America to perform counter-drug operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

April 23, USS Reuben James (FFG 57) returned to her homeport after spending three months in eastern Pacific Ocean to monitor, detect and counter drug activities. During the deployment, she rescued 149 Ecuadorian men, women and children from the sinking motor vessel (MV) Margyl Margarita March 30, returning them safely to Ecuador. An SH-60B helicopter from the Kaneohe-based Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 37, Det. 4 was also embarked aboard Reuben James.

February 1, 2005 USS Reuben James and USS Crommelin (FFG 37) were the first two Pearl Harbor-based ships to be fitted with Man Overboard Identification (MOBI) Systems Jan. 25. The two Pearl Harbor-based frigates will next deploy with the new system, which is intended to provide immediate notification and rapid recovery of a Sailor or Marine who has fallen overboard.

February 27, 2006 USS Reuben James departed Pearl Harbor for a scheduled deployment with the USS Peleliu (LHA 5) Expeditionary Strike Group Three (ESG-3), in support of the Global War on Terrorism. The strike group completed their last training work-up, Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX), Jan. 26 and its two other required exercises, ESG Integration Exercise (ESGINT) and Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), late last year.

March 10, USS Reuben James pulled into Noumea, New Caledonia, a small French Pacific island approximately 800 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia, for a scheduled port visit. This marks FFG 57 first visit to a foreign country in more than two years following a major overhaul and work-up schedule.

June 23, The guided-missile frigate rendered assistance to a distressed dhow with two Kenyans aboard while operating in the Arabian Sea. USS Reuben James is currently conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO), as part of the Pakistani-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150.

July 20, Cmdr. Richard E. Haidvogel relieved Cmdr. Logan Jones as CO of FFG 57 during a change-of-command ceremony aboard the ship in Hong Kong.

August 5, USS Reuben James returned to Naval Station Pearl Harbor after a six-month deployment in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet AoR.

August 24, 2007 USS Reuben James departed homeport for a western Pacific deployment.

October 9, USS Reuben James moored at Sepanggar Naval Base in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, for a scheduled port visit.

December 30, The guided-missile frigate pulled into Penang, Malaysia, for a liberty port visit.

February 7, 2008 FFG 57 recently arrived in Honiara, Guadalcanal, for a goodwill port visit.

February 22, USS Reuben James, commanded by Cmdr. Joseph Naman, returned to Pearl Harbor after a six-month deployment. She also made port calls to Tonga and Pago Pago, American Samoa.

From April 3-5, the guided-missile frigate visited Hilo, Hawaii, in conjunction with the 45th annual Merrie Monarch Festival.

April 18, USS Reuben James departed homeport for a surge deployment in the western Pacific, as part of the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) CSG.

June 8, The Reuben James returned to Naval Station Pearl Harbor after a nearly two-month underway period.

September 23, FFG 57 underway for a Friends and Family Day Cruise off the coast of Oahu.

September 25, USS Reuben James departed Pearl Harbor for a Mid-Pacific Surface Combatant Operational Employment.

December 19, USS Reuben James returned to homeport after supporting Mid-Pacific Surface Combatant Operational Employment. The program calls for nine of the 11 Hawaii-based surface combatants to focus on the western Pacific by conducting intermediate/advanced training and regular deployments and is designed to improve the U.S. Pacific Fleet's war fighting readiness and effectiveness. The frigate also participated in Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines and multi-national exercises ANNUALEX 20G and SHAREM 159.

April 17, 2009 The guided-missile frigate returned to Pearl Harbor after a routine training exercises in the Pacific Ocean.

January 15, 2010 USS Reuben James departed Naval Station Pearl Harbor for a fisheries patrols and humanitarian aid missions in the western Pacific.

January 24, FFG 57 recently arrived in the Republic of Nauru, the world’s smallest sovereign nation located on an island with an area of about 21 square miles.

February 14, The Reuben James anchored off the coast of Cebu, Republic of the Philippines, for a goodwill port visit. The ship was originally scheduled to arrive on Saturday; however, the arrival was delayed as the ship stopped to render assistance to two fishermen from Mindanao who had become stranded when their engine stopped running the night before.

February 21, USS Reuben James anchored off the coast of Dili, East Timor, for a scheduled port visit.

March 16, The guided-missile frigate recently pulled into Yokosuka, Japan, for a routine port call.

April 19, The Reuben James recently participated in a semiannual exercise Multi-Sail, near the island of Okinawa, along with several ships assigned to the forward deployed naval forces (FDNF) Japan.

June 1, USS Reuben James returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after four-and-a-half month independent deployment.

July 8, FFG 57 is currently participating in a multinational exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010, in the waters off Hawaii.

November 19, The Reuben James returned to Pearl Harbor after a 24-hour Friends and Family Cruise to Maui.

February 1, 2011 USS Reuben James departed homeport for a western Pacific deployment.

February 9, The guided-missile frigate arrived in Ebeye, Kwajalein Atoll, for a goodwill port visit to Republic of the Marshall Islands. FFG 57 is conducting Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) patrols in the western and Coastal Pacific Ocean (WCPO) in support of U.S. Coast Guard’s law enforcement operations.

February 21, USS Reuben James pulled into port of Tanjung Priok for a three-day visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.

March 4, The Reuben James arrived in Muara, Brunei, for a scheduled port visit.

April 1, USS Reuben James recently pulled into White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa for a routine port call before participating in exercise Malabar 2011, from April 3-10. Indian Navy participants include INS Dehli (D61), INS Ranvijay (D55), INS Ranvir (D54), INS Jyoti (A58) and INS Kirch (P62).

May 11, FFG 57 pulled into Sattahip, Thailand, to participate in the first phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise.

May 25, The Reuben James arrived in Jakarta to begin the 17th annual CARAT Indonesia.

June 20, USS Reuben James returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after a five-month underway period.

July 27, Cmdr. Daniel W. Valascho relieved Cmdr. David E. Miller as CO of the Reuben James during a change-of-command ceremony at Pearl Harbor.

July 30, The guided-missile frigate is currently participating in a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15), off the coast of Hawaii. Gregorio del Pilar is a former U.S. Coast Guard cutter and is the newest addition to the Philippine navy.

March 30, 2012 USS Reuben James is currently participating in integrated training exercise "Koa Kai 12-2", off the coast of Hawaii.

July 20, FFG 57 is currently participating in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 in the waters off Hawaii.

October 3, USS Reuben James departed Pearl Harbor for its last western Pacific deployment before being decommissioned.

October 21, The Reuben James arrived in Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan, for a week-long port call.

November 4, The Reuben James arrived in Muara, Brunei, to participate in exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT). Underway for at-sea phase from Nov. 8-9; Inport Muara again from Nov. 9-10; Inport Sasebo, Japan, from Dec. 1-5.

December 26, The guided-missile frigate pulled into Sattahip, Thailand, for a goodwill port visit.

January 16, 2013 USS Reuben James pulled into Fleet Activities Sasebo for a 13-day upkeep. Inport Sasebo again from Feb. 8-28.

March 25, The Reuben James moored at Manila South Harbor, Republic of the Philippines, for a four-day port visit.

May 3, USS Reuben James returned to homeport after a seven-month deployment.

July 18, The Reuben James held a decommissioning ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after more than a 27 years of active service. The ship will be towed to Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Office Philadelphia while awaiting final disposition as a potential for foreign military sales.

August 1, USS Reuben James (FFG 57) was officially decommissioned and stricken from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register.

October 9, 2015 The guided-missile frigate recently moored at Wharf B2 on Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

January 18, 2016 The ex-Reuben James was sunk with the Navy’s new anti-surface warfare (ASUW) variant of Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), launched from the USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), during the operational test at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) Barking Sands, off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii.