USS Cleveland Decommissions After 44 Years of Service
Former crew members, family and friends gathered Sept. 30 to celebrate 44 year of service.
www.cpf.navy.milI don’t have live access to current news in this turn, but I can share what’s publicly known about USS Cleveland in recent history and where to check for the latest updates.
What is USS Cleveland
- The original USS Cleveland (LPD-7) was an Austin-class amphibious transport dock that served for about 44 years and was decommissioned in 2011.[3][7]
- It was moored at Pearl Harbor after decommissioning and later sunk as a target during a live-fire exercise in 2024 (Valiant Shield 2024) northeast of Guam.[4][3]
- A modern successor with the same name, USS Cleveland (LCS-31), is a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship that was christened and launched in 2023 and is expected to be commissioned in the mid-2020s to carry the Cleveland name forward.[8][9]
Where to find latest news
- Official Navy and fleet newsrooms: look for “USS Cleveland” in the Navy Newsroom or U.S. Navy official releases for current status, commissioning updates, and ceremonies related to LCS-31. Examples include:
- Navy.mil or CPP (CNO) press releases
- Major defense and naval news outlets:
- Naval- or ship-specific pages (e.g., Navysite.de, Seaforces.org) for status updates on ships named Cleveland and their deployments or decommissionings.
- Local Cleveland outlets and regional military-interest outlets often cover commissioning ceremonies, ship sponsorships, and city-ship ceremonies for the new USS Cleveland (LCS-31).[9]
Key points to verify with latest sources
- Status of USS Cleveland (LCS-31): commissioning date, home port, and initial deployments.
- Any changes to the old USS Cleveland (LPD-7) commemorations or memorial activities, if applicable, given its 2011 decommissioning and 2024 sinking.
- Availability of related ceremonies in Cleveland, Ohio, or Hawaii (where the ship may have ties through sponsorships or commissioning events).
If you’d like, I can look up the very latest updates for you and summarize them with citations. I can also provide a concise timeline of both the decommissioning of LPD-7 and the christening/commissioning status of LCS-31.