The Vella Gulf, commissioned in 1993, is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser named for the 1943 destroyer action in the Solomon Islands where American forces sank three Japanese destroyers without loss. She has served in both Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, providing AEGIS air defense for carrier strike groups across the globe. Her name recalls one of the finest small-ship actions of World War II, and her crew has honored that tradition through decades of professional service.