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On 1 June 1985, Bainbridge changed her home port from San Diego to Naval Station, Norfolk, Va. Bainbridge concluded her overhaul later that month, and carried out refresher training in early July. The ship sailed for her new home port on 22 July, passed through the Panama Canal, visited Maracaibo, Venezuela, and moored at Norfolk in early August/85. The warship spent the remainder of the year familiarizing herself with Atlantic Fleet procedures and conducting local operations from Norfolk.

Bainbridge embarked a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) and sailed for her first drug interdiction patrol to the West Indies, on 6 January 1986. Two days later, she rescued two Haitians adrift in a small boat, took the castaways in tow, and dropped them off at Guantánamo Bay. She came about on 10 January, and on 13 January moored at Norfolk.

Bainbridge received orders tasking her to deploy with America to Libyan waters in response to ongoing crises with that country’s dictator Col. Muammar al-Qadhafi. Bainbridge did not sail, however, when America deployed on 10 March 1986. Instead, the cruiser resumed her West Indies patrol by sailing southward from Norfolk on 11 March. She spent nine days at sea and then put into Port Everglades, Fla., before returning to Norfolk on 26 March.

Following a series of fleet exercises off the Virginia capes in April 1986, Bainbridge sailed to the West Indies on 9 June for a series of weapons exercises in Puerto Rican waters. On 11 and 13 June, the guided-missile cruiser fired two Standard SM-2 surface-to-air missiles and five antisubmarine torpedoes off Vieques Island, after which she set course for Norfolk.

Bainbridge deployed on 18 August 1986. The warship worked her way around a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic, enduring 45° rolls in the process, reported to the Sixth Fleet (Med) on 28 August. She passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on 1 September, proceeded east and three days later anchored at La Spezia, Italy. The ship steamed from Italian waters on 12 September, visited Monaco for a week, and put back to sea on 19 September. Bainbridge participated in the month-long NATO exercise Display Determination, from the western Mediterranean to the coast of Turkey. The ship provided medical assistance to Turkish destroyer Yücetepe (D.345). Bainbridge then spent four days at Haifa, Israel, before sailing west to Toulon, France. While en route, she searched for a downed Grumman A-6 Intruder, recovering the bodies of the aircrewmen and some debris before putting in to port on 27 September.

On 10 November 1986, the guided missile cruiser returned to sea and provided antiair support to destroyer Moosbrugger (DD-980) and frigate McCandless (FF-1084) as those warships tracked a Soviet submarine. Bainbridge detached on 19 November, proceeded west, and on 24 November anchored at Palma de Majorca, Spain. In December, the warship sailed to Naples, where she joined John F. Kennedy (CV-67) while the aircraft carrier accomplished flight operations (5–9 December). The cruiser then visited Haifa (23 December 1986–2 January 1987).

Bainbridge operated near Augusta Bay, Sicily, for most of January 1987. The ship’s original orders scheduled her to stop at Tangiers, Morocco, on 29 January, and then sail for home. The Iranians and Iraqis continued to attack neutral tankers in the Persian Gulf, however, and the worsening situation compelled the Sixth Fleet to deploy the warship for three weeks of contingency operations in the eastern Mediterranean. Bainbridge came about on 21 February, and returned to Norfolk on 3 March.

It may be CSG-8 badge. It doesn't look quite right, but the painted ship badges aren't always exact copies.


It isn't Bainbridge's crest.



It's not the 6th Fleet badge



It's not Commander 6th fleet.


And it's not CV-67 JFK Carrier Group 4 badge


I'm not sure what other badges it could be.