USS Virginia ( CGN - 38 ) USS " Virginia " ( CGN - 38 ) was a nuclear - powered guided missile cruiser , the lead ship of her class , and the eighth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Commonwealth of Virginia . Construction . She was laid down on 19 August 1972 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company as a Destroyer Leader , Guided Missile , Nuclear , DLGN - 38 ; launched on 14 December 1974 ; sponsored by Virginia S . Warner , daughter of the Honorable John Warner , former Secretary of the Navy ; reclassified as a nuclear - powered , guided - missile cruiser and redesignated CGN - 38 on 30 June 1975 ; and commissioned on 11 September 1976 , Capt . George W . Davis , Jr . , in command . History . During the first six months of her commissioned service , " Virginia " ranged the eastern seaboard of the United States and cruised in the West Indies several times conducting myriad of post - commissioning tests and shakedown training . On 25 April 1977 , she entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a five - month , post shakedown availability . She completed her final sea trials on 28 September and began duty as an operational unit of the Atlantic Fleet . In November , she cruised along the New England and Canadian coasts , participating in anti - submarine warfare exercises . In December , she returned to the West Indies for missile firings on the Atlantic Fleet weapons range . She completed that mission on 13 December and reentered Norfolk three days later to begin holiday leave and upkeep in her home port . The beginning of 1978 found her still in Norfolk ; but , by mid - month , she returned to sea in the Virginia Capes operating area for a series of local operations . On 28 January , however , she departed Norfolk to return to the area along the Florida coast and in the West Indies for a series of special tests conducted under the auspices of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations . The guided - missile cruiser returned to Norfolk on 23 March and resumed local operations . That employment lasted until 23 August when " Virginia " embarked upon a cruise to northern Europe to participate in Exercise Northern Wedding , a NATO exercise , the purpose of which was to test the ability to reinforce NATO forces in western Europe . During that deployment , she visited Oslo in Norway , Rotterdam in the Netherlands , and Portsmouth in England . The warship departed the latter port on 3 October and reentered Norfolk on 12 October . On 16 November , she put to sea for training exercises in the Gulf of Mexico . During that voyage , she made a port visit at Mobile , Alabama , and conducted naval gunfire support training at Vieques Island near Puerto Rico . She made another port visit to the island of St . Thomas on 6 and 7 December before heading home . " Virginia " reentered Norfolk on 11 December and began preparations for her first deployment to the Mediterranean which was scheduled to commence in early 1979 . As part of an Indian Ocean deployment in 1980 , she crossed the Indian Ocean to the Philippines , for emergency Sonar dome repairs . During her third Mediterranean deployment in 1983 , she patrolled off Beirut and fired nearly 300 five - inch rounds into Lebanon , many in defense of the strategic mountain town of Suk El Gharb . Virginia provided emergency assistance after the Beirut Marine barracks bombing . She was honored as Sixth Fleet Top Hand for that extended deployment . In 1984 , she entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for her single major overhaul and was converted to the Navy ' s first strike cruiser with the addition of the Phalanx CIWS , Tomahawk missile and the SM - 2 extension of her surface to air capability . During this overhaul , the aft helicopter hangar and elevator were removed and the space refitted with 2 Armored Box Tomahawk cruise missile launchers ( 4 missiles each ) on deck and an Engineering Department training space below . In December 1990 , " Virginia " deployed to the Mediterranean in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . Most of the six - month deployment was spent in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea , off the coast of Israel , Lebanon , and Syria . There she commanded a strike group of four vessels including a destroyer ( " USS Spruance " ) and 2 SSN s ( " USS Pittsburgh ( SSN - 720 ) " and " USS Philadelphia ( SSN - 690 ) " ) . In January 1991 , she fired two Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Mediterranean to Iraq , which was at the time the longest combat firing of a Tomahawk . She also directed the launching of four other Tomahawks from the two submarines in the task group . Decommissioning . She was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 29 November 1994 , " Virginia " entered the Navy ' s Nuclear - Powered Surface Ship and Submarine Recycling Program on 31 March 1999 . Her missile launchers are now on display at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard , Portsmouth , Virginia .