The keel of USS STOCKDALE (DDG 106) was laid on August 10, 2006, in Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works Corporation. After sailing around the United States and through the Panama Canal to her homeport in San Diego, USS STOCKDALE was commissioned on April 18, 2009. Commander Fred Kacher was the first to take command of the destroyer.
On November 30, 2010, STOCKDALE departed on her maiden deployment to Southeast Asia. The deployment was a great success, and included visits to Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Cambodia, Guam and Hawaii. In July 2011, the crew received the opportunity to conduct exclusive missile testing off the coast of Hawaii. STOCKDALE and her crew returned safely home on July 22, 2011.