The SteelNavy.Com Message Board: That opened a nasty can of worms...

The image shown by the gentleman making the original post is dated November, 1986. By this time, Bainbridge is now in the Atlantic Fleet.

My searches had been for DesRons, and turned up zilch. Now, from your post, I discovered CruDesGru's. Searching those, I determined that CruDesGru 2 was attached to the carrier JFK in 1986 "and beyond."

If you read the history of Bainbridge, she is largely unnattached/unassigned to any unit until 1988, when she joins the JFK carrier group. She had also previously been attached to it very briefly in December, 1986, and if you compare the JFK history with Bainbridge's, the two are sailing in very close proximity to each other throughout late 1986, and through '87 into '88. However, while in the same general proximity, Bainbridge bridge remains largely independent of JFK (and therefore of CruDesGru 2.)

So, I am back to believing this is the ship's own insignia. A reading of her history shows she simply is not assigned to any major unit until 1988, barring her attachment to the JFK group for several weeks in December, 1986. She is operating largely independently in the period of the photo in question in this thread.

Bainbridge history:
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/bainbridge-iv.html

JFK history:

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/john-f-kennedy-cva-67.html

JFK 1986-87 cruise book for sale. Note one of the pages lists CruDesGru 2:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166549603034

JFK 1986-87 cruise book again. Note also page featuring the commander of CruDesGru 2:

https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv67-86/index.html

This gent served in CruDesGru 2 from 1981-85, just before the "period in question" here. Notice the emblem for the group. This bears out the validity of that emblem for this time leriod:

https://x.com/HuffmanForNC/status/1361762735256707076

Another image of the emblem for CruDdsGru 2. Note, it is not blue:

https://it.pinterest.com/pin/cruiser-destroyer-group-two-command-chest-patch--165436986297299108/

As I noted, "a can of worms." Lots to sort through. My "first pass" through it all comes up with what I have written. She starts 1986 "supposed to be assigned to USS America group," but ends up not. She operates largely independently thereafter. She sails the same water (and makes some of the same port calls) as the JFK group, but not necessarily at the same times. JFK is operating in this period with CruDesGru 2, but Bainbridge does not seem to be a formal part of that until 1988.

FWIW

Previous Message

I think that on 30 June 1975, when most of the DLG(n)s were re-classified to CG(N), I believe they all left DesRon assignments and settled into CruDesGoups. The best I can remember of San Diego waterfront was that our cruisers belonged to either CruDesGru 4 or 6 (and maybe 2??). And I don't remember if there were some Groups for back home in Third Fleet and then did we chop to a different Group when deployed?

I'm pretty sure Bainbridge was in the same Group as Jouett and I think we were in 6 when at home.

Previous Message

That was my other thought, but I came up empty on what group she was in. The entry from her history reads: "The frigate became the flagship of Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 18 on 3 February 1963."

From this site:

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/bainbridge-iv.html

I doubt she remained there her entire existence?

The "logo" for DesRon 18, for whatever it might be worth...post number 43 (in upper right corner) by Salvage Sailor, of this thread:

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/194294-desron-desdiv-destroyer-squadrons-divisions/page/2/

Would you have some guesses as to which unit she might be in? If we know the unit, we can probably locate the patch.

Previous Message

From my time serving on San Diego-based cruisers, that location was usually used to display the badge of the Cruiser Destroyer Group to which the ship belonged.

Previous Message

Hello, I would like to seek assistance in identifying the emblem of USS Bainbridge CGN-25, being placed at the aft of the bridge and approximately behind the first carley float rack, as shown in the photo dated 1986 in the provided link. THANK YOU!