USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) is the lead ship of her class and the flagship of U.S. 7th Fleet — the most powerful naval force in the world's most strategically vital ocean. Commissioned on November 14, 1970, Blue Ridge has been continuously forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan since 1979, making her the longest-serving forward-deployed warship in the U.S. Navy. Where 7th Fleet goes, Blue Ridge leads — her sailors and staff bearing the weight of fleet command in waters that matter most.