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USS Juneau (LPD 10)

USS JUNEAU was the 7^th ship in the AUSTIN - class of Amphibious Transport Docks and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. Last homeported at Sasebo, Japan, JUNEAU was decommissioned at Naval Base San Diego on October 31, 2008. The ship was subsequently laid-up at Pearl Harbor, Hi., before sunk as a target on June 27, 2026, during exercise Valiant Shield off Guam.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS JUNEAU. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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• Click here to see which USS JUNEAU memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS JUNEAU Cruise Books:

• Maiden Cruise Book 1970-71

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Accidents aboard USS JUNEAU:

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USS JUNEAU's Commanding Officers:

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USS JUNEAU History:

USS JUNEAU, the third ship to bear the name, was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company at Seattle, Washington, as part of the AUSTIN-class of amphibious transport docks designed to embark, transport, and land Marines and their equipment during the Cold War's emphasis on flexible amphibious forces. Her keel was laid on January 23, 1965, and after nearly a year of construction she was christened and launched on February 12, 1966, into the waters of Elliott Bay. In early 1969, the pre-commissioning crew began to assemble. The prospective commanding officer and a nucleus crew arrived in Seattle during January and February 1969, to work with the builder and oversee final outfitting and trials, while the balance of the crew reported to the Fleet Training Center at San Diego in April 1969 for school and team training before joining the ship.

Builder's trials, testing the hull, machinery, and basic ship systems under the builder's control, were conducted from May 12 to May 14, 1969. Acceptance trials, including an inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), followed on June 16-20, 1969. On July 7, 1969, the ship was formally delivered to the Navy at Bremerton, Washington, and entered a fitting-out period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from July 7 to September 12. She was commissioned at Bremerton on July 12, 1969, placing her in full active service just as the United States was beginning to shift from peak Vietnam combat operations toward Vietnamization and drawdown.

After commissioning, USS JUNEAU completed final dockside work and in September 1969 got underway with a Navy crew for the first time on September 9. Later that month, she steamed south, arriving at her first home port, Long Beach, California, on September 23, 1969. In early October, she went to San Diego for deperming from October 1-3 to reduce her magnetic signature against mines. From October 6-31, she conducted shakedown training out of San Diego, testing all combat systems, engineering plants, and amphibious capabilities. From November 10-21, she carried out amphibious shakedown training, including well-deck operations with landing craft and helicopter evolutions, establishing her role as a primary lift ship for Marine units on the West Coast. In early December, she participated in the amphibious exercise PHIBRAIDEX from December 1-5, then on December 8, 1969, became flagship of Amphibious Squadron Eleven (PHIBRON ELEVEN), reflecting the importance of the new ship within the Pacific Fleet's amphibious force. Final contract trials and a follow-on INSURV inspection were held from December 16-19, 1969, rounding out her first year in commission.

In the context of the ongoing Vietnam War and U.S. strategy to reduce ground forces while maintaining strong naval capabilities, USS JUNEAU quickly moved from work-ups to forward operations. During 1970, she remained flagship of Amphibious Squadron Eleven and prepared for and then executed her first deployment to the Western Pacific. She deployed in August 1970, transiting westward via Pearl Harbor, Okinawa, and Subic Bay in the Philippines. On August 23, 1970, she moored at Da Nang, South Vietnam, where she embarked elements of the 9th Engineer Battalion and 3d Military Police Battalion together with several hundred tons of equipment for transport out of the combat theater, then returned those units to the United States with refueling stops at Okinawa and alongside the combat support ship USS CAMDEN (AOE 2) north of Hawaii; she completed this cruise back at Long Beach on September 11, 1970.

Beyond that single documented lift, USS JUNEAU repeatedly operated off the Vietnamese coast using her well deck and smaller craft to pick up troops and equipment and carry them away from Vietnam from August 1970 through March 1971, supporting the larger American withdrawal and redeployment effort. These operations placed the ship regularly in Vietnamese coastal waters during the final phase of large-scale U.S. amphibious support to the war, even as ground combat was gradually turned over to South Vietnamese forces.

In early 1971, USS JUNEAU's organizational alignment shifted. After completing her initial deployment with Amphibious Squadron Eleven she was reassigned in February 1971 to Amphibious Squadron Seven, while remaining based at Long Beach. During the summer of 1971, she conducted a long at-sea training cruise designated NATRON-71, embarking U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen and crossing the equator en route to port visits in Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia. This cruise combined midshipman training with practical experience in long-range amphibious operations in the South Pacific, and it included a traditional line-crossing ceremony as she passed into the Southern Hemisphere.

Later in 1971, the ship moved from high-latitude training to a politically sensitive mission in the North Pacific. In October 1971, USS JUNEAU provided naval support for the underground nuclear test program at Amchitka in the Aleutian Islands, backing a controversial series of U.S. detonations that formed part of the broader Cold War nuclear posture. Her role, as summarized in later histories, was to support the operation with transport and logistics, demonstrating the adaptability of amphibious ships beyond purely assault missions. During this period she continued to be employed in fleet exercises and amphibious operations with Pacific Fleet formations referred to in official text as the First and then Third Fleet, while continuing deployments with the Seventh Fleet in the Western Pacific. A second Western Pacific deployment followed, and by December 1972, she had completed that second tour with the Seventh Fleet. From June to November 1972, USS JUNEAU again operated off Vietnam, using smaller vessels from her well deck to embark troops and cargo and transport them out of Vietnamese ports as U.S. forces withdrew, marking the last phase of her direct connection to the Vietnam War.

After that second Western Pacific tour, the ship spent 1973 largely in the Eastern Pacific, with a combination of maintenance and intensive local training, and with an important administrative change. USS JUNEAU moored at the Naval Station in Long Beach at the start of 1973, completing leave and upkeep after her return from overseas. On January 16, 1973, she went to San Clemente Island to load and offload Marine detachments, then spent January 17-18 in independent ship exercises off southern California, followed by participation from January 22-30 in the amphibious exercise PHIBLEX-MABLEX (designated SUCM 1-73). After returning to Long Beach on January 31, she remained in port for upkeep through February 11. From February 12–16 she underwent an INSURV inspection, followed by a period of readiness improvement and shipyard restricted availability in Long Beach extending through March and into April.

From mid-April 1973, USS JUNEAU resumed at-sea operations with independent exercises in the southern California operating areas from April 16-20 before returning to Long Beach. A change of command took place on April 25. Through the spring and early summer she cycled between restricted and technical availabilities and pier-side maintenance. On July 23-24, she conducted further ship's exercises at sea, and in August she shifted her home port: on August 15, 1973, the ship's home port was officially changed from Long Beach to San Diego, reflecting broader Navy consolidation of amphibious forces at San Diego. Shortly afterward, she loaded ammunition at Seal Beach and conducted additional exercises off southern California, then from late August to early September took part in PHIBREFTRA, an intensive amphibious refresher program. After local upkeep, she again went to sea for independent exercises in late September, then from October 1-12 she executed INTREFTRA, the standard refresher training cycle under Fleet Training Group oversight. In November, she participated in fleet exercise BELL BANGO 2-73 from November 12-19, a Cold War readiness drill involving multiple Pacific Fleet units, before returning to port for the remainder of the year to prepare for another overseas deployment.

By early 1974, with the U.S. combat role in Vietnam effectively concluded but American naval presence still crucial across Asia, USS JUNEAU returned to forward duty with the amphibious force of the Seventh Fleet. USS JUNEAU deployed again in February 1974 for a third Western Pacific tour operating across the western Pacific and Indian Ocean with a heavy schedule of exercises and port visits. In the spring of 1974, she moved westward with other amphibious units, serving as flagship for Amphibious Squadron Seven and participating in amphibious ready group operations around Japan, Okinawa, and the Philippines. By late May 1974, she was in Subic Bay, Philippines, where on May 29 a presail conference for a major multinational exercise was held on board USS JUNEAU. On May 30, she departed Subic for Shoalwater Bay, Australia, beginning the long transit south for Exercise Kangaroo I, a large combined exercise involving Australian and U.S. forces. During the passage, she conducted replenishments at sea, including connected replenishment with the combat stores ship USS NIAGARA FALLS (AFS 3) and fueling evolutions for destroyers USS GURKE (DD 783) and USS WADDELL (DDG 24), and executed helicopter operations and radio-frequency checks. On June 5 and 6, she again fueled escorts and on June 8-10 rendezvoused with Royal Australian Navy units, joining a combined fleet of nineteen ships.

From June 11-17, 1974, USS JUNEAU operated in Shoalwater Bay during Exercise Kangaroo I, supporting landings by embarked Marines and allied forces and conducting wet well operations with the Australian landing craft heavy HMAS SALAMUA. She loaded and back-loaded landing forces over several days while maintaining station in confined waters that had been swept by minesweepers, reflecting combined amphibious procedures between allied navies. After the exercise, she departed Shoalwater Bay on June 17 and proceeded to Sydney, arriving there June 20 for several days of port visit, followed by further movement along the Australian coast to Hervey Bay on June 27-28. USS JUNEAU was then relieved as amphibious ready group flagship by USS CLEVELAND (LPD 7) and turned north across the Pacific. She called at Suva in the Fiji Islands from July 3-5, then continued east, arriving at Pearl Harbor on July 11 and departing the next day for San Diego, where she returned on July 19, 1974, entering a post-deployment stand-down and upkeep period lasting to mid-August.

Following local training at San Clemente Island in August 1974, USS JUNEAU prepared for an overhaul. She completed ammunition offload runs to Seal Beach in early September, then spent September and early October in pre-overhaul planning and a technical availability. On October 2, 1974, she shifted berths in San Diego, beginning a lengthy restricted availability that modernized her systems and extended her service life.

The mid-1970s saw continued emphasis on amphibious readiness and alliance exercises in Asia and the Pacific. After completing her extended availability, USS JUNEAU returned to sea and deployed again to the Western Pacific in late 1975 for a fourth tour with the Seventh Fleet. During this deployment, she participated in multinational operations with regional allies and in March 1976, took part in Exercise Sugod III in the Philippines, a combined amphibious exercise reflecting the continued U.S. security relationship with Manila following the formal end of the Vietnam War.

In February 1976, an AV-8A Harrier from a Marine attack squadron conducted the first recorded landing of that aircraft type on an amphibious transport dock when it operated from USS JUNEAU's flight deck, demonstrating the ship's capability to handle vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft during a period when the Marine Corps was experimenting with dispersed basing at sea. In July 1976, during the United States bicentennial year, USS JUNEAU also visited the city of Juneau, Alaska, bringing embarked Marines of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines and providing a symbolic presence of the ship named for the city in its namesake port.

In 1977, the ship again spent much of the year deployed with the Seventh Fleet, supporting Cold War alliance relationships around the western Pacific. After earlier port visits in Japan, USS JUNEAU spent five days in the resort city of Beppu, Japan, on the Inland Sea, where several shipboard athletic teams played against local Japanese teams and more than three thousand local visitors toured the ship, reflecting her public-relations role as a visible symbol of U.S. presence. Embarking Battalion Landing Team 3/9, she proceeded to Inchon, South Korea, where the crew observed the Fourth of July. She then steamed to rendezvous off Pohang with the ships of Amphibious Ready Group Bravo for Exercise Ssang Yong VI / BLTEX 3-77, a combined U.S.-Republic of Korea amphibious exercise that brought together Korean naval units, Korean Marines, U.S. destroyers and an oiler, underwater demolition teams, and helicopter detachments. During the exercise, USS JUNEAU alone carried around eleven hundred Navy and Marine personnel, both American and Korean, illustrating the scale of the operation. After rehearsal landings, full-scale assault landings were conducted on July 11, 1977, demonstrating the capability of allied amphibious forces to conduct coordinated landings on the Korean coast in the face of potential threats from the North.

By 1978 the ship was due for more extensive work. She arrived in Portland, Oregon, in late 1977 and remained there into 1978, with the ship placed in drydock at Willamette Iron and Steel and then shifted to pier 2 at the yard. In early July 1978, her crew took part in the Portland Rose Festival alongside seven other U.S. naval units and two Canadian destroyers, combining public visits with crew liberty in the city. During the overhaul there were several noteworthy events: in early August, more than one hundred crewmembers received small-arms training at a nearby gun club; on August 7 an accident occurred when an improper drop light caused an explosion in ballast tank 8-52-2, injuring four shipyard workers, highlighting the hazards of industrial work in confined ship spaces. On August 12-15, the executive officer was relieved, and throughout August and September supervisors from the Superintendent of Ships in Seattle and Amphibious Squadron Seven inspected the material condition of the ship.

By early October 1978, the crew moved back from the temporary berthing ship to USS JUNEAU herself as systems were restored. Boilers were lit and fuel systems flushed, and by early November she was underway for sea again, leaving Portland on November 4 for San Diego, where she arrived on November 8, 1978. She then completed engineering inspections, including an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination (LOE), and by late November embarked on ECCET and other training evolutions in the southern California operating areas. The year closed with a Christmas stand-down in San Diego as the crew and ship shifted from overhaul status back to full operational readiness, with plans for refresher training and an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination in the spring of 1979.

In summer 1979, JUNEAU deployed to the western Pacific again. She was anchored in Victoria Bay, Hong Kong, on January 1, 1980, enjoying a port visit at the end of the 1979-80 Western Pacific deployment. On January 2, she weighed anchor and sailed for White Beach, Okinawa, conducting onload operations there from January 4-6. After completing that work, she headed north and arrived at Inchon, South Korea, on January 8, conducting flight operations with the 377th Medical Company during the transit. After three days in Inchon from January 8-11, she proceeded to Numazu, Japan, to onload Battalion Landing Team 2/4, U.S. Marine Corps, from January 14-17. Departing Numazu on January 18, she returned to Okinawa, arriving January 20. While there the commanding officer welcomed aboard the chief of staff of Commander Task Force 76.

From January 21-28, 1980, the ship transited to Enewetak Atoll, reflecting ongoing U.S. presence at former nuclear-test sites and logistic nodes in the central Pacific, and anchored there for two days. On January 29, she sailed for Johnston Atoll, mooring there on February 2 after crossing the International Date Line. On February 3, she departed Johnston for Pearl Harbor, arriving February 5 for a short visit before leaving on February 7 for the final leg to San Diego. On February 14, 1980, USS JUNEAU returned to San Diego, where her homecoming received extensive local media coverage, and immediately entered a leave and upkeep period that lasted until March 27.

At the end of March she shifted to the Del Mar operating area to embark Battalion Landing Team 3/1 on March 28 and conduct local amphibious training. Through mid-1980, she conducted repeated periods underway in the southern California operating areas, including boat operations at Green Beach on the Silver Strand, helicopter training, and gunnery exercises, interspersed with visits to San Diego. Later in the year, she visited San Francisco, mooring at pier 31, and returned to San Diego afterward. In the closing months of 1980, she continued local amphibious work and began preparations for the next cycle of large-scale exercises, including planning for participation in an exercise titled Kernel Usher 81-1.

In 1981, USS JUNEAU's activity reflects renewed emphasis on large, multinational exercises in the western Pacific as part of Cold War deterrence and alliance reassurance. On January 1, 1981, she lay in San Diego completing predeployment preparations for another Western Pacific tour. On January 19, Commodore Paul C. Matthews Jr., commander of Amphibious Squadron Five, embarked in the ship. Two days later, USS JUNEAU went to Laplaya Pier to load motor gasoline, and on January 23 she conducted a dependents' cruise for family members. During the week of January 29, she loaded "opportune lift" cargo - Marine equipment and supplies - while finishing pre-overseas movement checks by February 3.

On February 4, 1981, USS JUNEAU got underway for her seventh Western Pacific deployment as part of a group sail that included Amphibious Squadron Five units USS THOMASTON (LSD 28), USS CAYUGA (LST 1186), and USS TUSCALOOSA (LST 1187), with detachments from Beachmaster Unit One, Assault Craft Unit One, and Tactical Air Control Squadron One embarked. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on February 11, where Amphibious Squadron Five shifted its flag to the amphibious assault ship USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3), and she embarked 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines and elements of the 25th Infantry Division. From February 14-18, she took part in Exercise Bell Volcano, a mid-Pacific amphibious and readiness exercise involving multiple ships and air units. After the exercise and a further short port period in Pearl Harbor, she sailed west on February 21 alongside BELLEAU WOOD and other squadron units, entering the Seventh Fleet's operational control on March 1.

Upon arriving at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on March 7, 1981, USS JUNEAU offloaded the opportune lift cargo and immediately began loading for Exercise Team Spirit 81, a large annual joint exercise with South Korea. She embarked Battalion Landing Team 3/4, Headquarters 4th Marines, and Headquarters Battalion Landing Team 3/12, then steamed to waters off Pohang, South Korea, where from March 9-19 she participated with all units of Amphibious Squadrons Seven and Five and South Korean naval and Marine forces in combined amphibious operations designated Team Spirit/Valiant Flex 81-2. These exercises practiced large-scale landings, helicopter assaults, and subsequent operations ashore, reinforcing allied readiness on the Korean Peninsula.

After Team Spirit, USS JUNEAU and USS CAYUGA formed a separate operating group, Task Group 76.7, and returned to Okinawa to offload exercise cargo on March 22. She then transported headquarters personnel of 3rd Marine Division back to Pohang and on to Okinawa again by March 28, emphasizing her shuttle role in regional movement of Marine units. Through April and May 1981, the ship operated across the western Pacific: she conducted exercises near Thailand in the vicinity of Rayong, visited Subic Bay for upkeep, then proceeded to Hong Kong for a port visit, before returning to Okinawa for further amphibious training and to Sasebo, Japan, for upkeep. Later in June, she loaded at Numazu, Japan, sailed to Pusan, South Korea, and participated in Exercise Valiant Usher 81-5 near Tok Sok, South Korea, another combined amphibious drill.

In July 1981, USS JUNEAU returned to Sasebo for upkeep, then sailed with USS CAYUGA to Okinawa and onward to Pearl Harbor, turning over with Amphibious Squadron Three before joining Amphibious Squadron Five units for the transit back to San Diego. She arrived in San Diego on August 4, 1981, ending the deployment.

After a post-deployment leave and upkeep period she resumed local operations in September, including independent steaming, boat operations, and helicopter training in the southern California operating areas. On September 11, 1981, a change of command was held on the flight deck, transferring command from Captain Charles R. Flather to Captain Lynn P. Blasch, with Amphibious Squadron Five staff in attendance. Later in September, she berthed at Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego for the Cabrillo Festival "visit ship" weekend, hosting thousands of visitors and recruits. She then continued local training, including gunnery, abandon-ship, and general-quarters drills. On October 29, 1981, she moved to South Mole Pier and subsequently began a regular overhaul period in San Diego, closing out the year in repair status.

Throughout early 1982, USS JUNEAU alternated between drydock and mooring at pier 11, with hull and machinery work underway. Even while in overhaul the crew remained busy with inspections and training. On July 27, 1982, the crew completed Crew Certification Phase I, and on August 4 they completed Crew Certification Phase II. From August 16-18, the ship underwent Intermediate Combat Systems Team Training, followed by Advanced Combat Systems Team Training on August 19-20. On August 17, she conducted dock trials, marking a major step toward returning to sea.

From August 25-27, 1982, USS JUNEAU went to sea for trials, testing propulsion, steering, and major systems, then returned to port on August 28. In early September, she was again underway in the southern California operating areas conducting ECCET drills before returning to San Diego on September 12. At the same time, she went through a Ship Intermediate Maintenance Activity availability and a Fleet Training Group training assist visit, and received a Mobile Training Team visit Phase I, focusing on crew proficiency as systems came back online. Early October was occupied by a demanding pre-INSURV inspection from October 2-20, followed on October 21 by an underway period in the southern California areas, after which the formal underway material inspection phase of INSURV took place on October 26-27. The inspection continued in port through October 30, after which a post-INSURV upkeep period ran from October 31 to mid-November. In mid-November, she returned to sea for Mobile Training Team Phase II events in the southern California operating areas, then came back to San Diego in late November, closing 1982 in port during the holiday period.

With systems restored and crew certifications re-established, USS JUNEAU entered 1983 as a fully effective amphibious unit once again. On January 1, 1983, she lay inport San Diego while the crew enjoyed holiday leave. Shortly afterward, from January 3-7, she went to sea for the first week of refresher training (REETRA), beginning the post-overhaul tactical and damage-control training cycle. For much of the rest of January, she alternated between short underway periods and weekends in port. Up to January 24 she conducted local operations in the southern California operations area, including gunfire exercises as part of Readiness Exercise 83-2 with other Pacific Fleet ships, then returned to pier 6 San Diego on January 29 for the remainder of the month.

On February 28, 1983, USS JUNEAU was again underway in the southern California operating areas for further exercises, returning to port in early March. During March, the ship's combat systems underwent a Combat System Readiness Test (CST), with the underway portion conducted during a brief period at sea on March 10-11. After several more days in port she went to sea again from March 14-15 for exercises with other ships of Destroyer Squadron One in the local operations area. Following another short inport period, from March 22-29 she took part in Operation Kernel Blitz 83-1 off the California coast, a large amphibious exercise focused on embarkation, offload, and landing coordination between amphibious ships, landing craft, and embarked Marines.

The early days of April 1983 were spent in port, but from April 5-8, USS JUNEAU was underway for Engineering Casualty Control Exercise Training, running a series of drills to test the crew's response to engineering failures. On April 12, she went to sea again for the Operational Propulsion Plant Examination (OPPE), a critical inspection of her engineering department. The examination concluded successfully on April 14, and she remained in port through early May, preparing for deployment.

On May 4, 1983, USS JUNEAU departed San Diego for her eighth Western Pacific deployment. She transited to Pearl Harbor, arriving on May 13 and remaining in port until May 15, then sailed on May 16 for an exercise off Hawaii. From May 16-20, she participated in an exercise designated Bell Volcano off the island of Kahoolawe, operating with other Pacific Fleet ships in an amphibious and naval gunfire scenario. She returned to Pearl Harbor on May 20, then on May 22 departed on the long western transit to Okinawa.

Arriving at White Beach, Okinawa, on June 3, 1983, USS JUNEAU embarked Battalion Landing Team 1/7 and got underway the next day for Operation J.D. Hogg, an amphibious training evolution in regional waters that also involved visits to and coordination with other ships in the exercise group. After these initial operations, she moved south and by June 17 reached Hong Kong, where the crew and embarked Marines enjoyed liberty until June 22. From there, she transited to Subic Bay in the Philippines, anchoring off Zambales on June 24 for a large-scale landing exercise, then mooring later that day. She remained in Subic for a week-long upkeep and rest period.

On July 12, USS JUNEAU left Subic Bay for Okinawa, arriving at White Beach on July 15. The next day she was underway again for Numazu, Japan, where she anchored on July 19 for onload operations in support of embarked Marines. Late that evening, she departed for Yokosuka, arriving July 20 for a port visit. At the end of July she proceeded north to Hakodate, Japan, arriving on July 30. She was recorded as the first U.S. Navy ship to visit Hakodate in two years, and the crew encountered strong local interest and hospitality during the stay through August 2. From there, she sailed to Pohang, South Korea, arriving and anchoring on August 4.

Off Pohang she took part in Exercise Valiant Usher 83BR (commonly rendered in documents as a Valiant Blitz series event), a bilateral amphibious exercise south of the Korean coast that lasted until the late evening of August 10, 1983. Afterward, she headed toward Okinawa, but a developing typhoon in the region forced her to seek shelter near Chinhae, South Korea, where she anchored until August 16. Once the weather improved, she completed the delayed transit to Okinawa, arriving at White Beach on August 18, offloading Battalion Landing Team 2/4 and embarking Battalion Landing Team 2/5 in short order, then getting underway that evening for another return to Pohang.

USS JUNEAU arrived back in Pohang on August 21, 1983, offloaded Battalion Landing Team 2/5, and then transited to Sasebo, Japan, where she remained in port from August 22-29 for maintenance and crew liberty. On August 30, she again set sail for Pohang, returning to Korean waters as part of continuing regional amphibious presence and training. On September 1 she turned south once more for the Philippines, and by September 2 she was again in Subic Bay. She moored in Subic Bay on September 12 after several days at anchor, then remained in port until September 27. Leaving Subic, USS JUNEAU headed back toward Okinawa, arriving at White Beach on September 30 and departing that evening for the long transit to the central Pacific. She reached Pearl Harbor on October 14 and remained there until October 16, then sailed for the U.S. West Coast, arriving at San Diego later in October 1983 and mooring at pier 6. The deployment, spanning operations with allied forces in Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, reflected the ongoing U.S. strategy of demonstrating amphibious readiness and reinforcing alliances during the latter phase of the Cold War.

In the final months of 1983, USS JUNEAU continued local operations out of San Diego. After a brief period of upkeep, she went to sea again in the southern California operating areas for additional amphibious and engineering exercises, then in early December moored at Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego for a "visit ship" weekend, hosting the public, recruits from the San Diego Recruit Training Command, and a reunion group from the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. After that event, she returned to pier 11 at the naval station, where she remained through the end of December 1983 while the crew observed the holiday leave period.

At the beginning of 1984, USS JUNEAU lay moored at Naval Station San Diego, California, with her crew, families and friends in the traditional holiday leave and upkeep period that followed the previous year's deployment. Through January and February, she alternated short underway periods in the Southern California operating areas with time in port at San Diego, conducting routine maintenance, drills and local amphibious training off Camp Pendleton that kept ship and embarked Marines current in well-deck and flight-deck procedures. These early-year evolutions included independent steaming exercises, helicopter operations, and repeated boat and landing-craft drills that reflected her role as a key amphibious transport in the Pacific Fleet.

As spring approached, JUNEAU entered a more intensive phase of training. In April and May 1984, she spent extended periods underway in the SOCAL operating areas, sharpening navigation, engineering casualty control, and amphibious warfare skills. A major element was Amphibious Refresher Training, which demanded coordinated work between bridge, engineering, combat information center, well deck and flight deck to demonstrate she could embark, transport and land a Marine landing team safely and efficiently. The ship also conducted ammunition moves through Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach and logistics visits around San Diego to build up and then prove her load and handling capabilities under realistic conditions.

On July 30, 1984, JUNEAU began formal Amphibious Refresher Training in the Southern California areas, a multi-week evolution that ran into early August and culminated in graded battle problems and amphibious demonstrations. On August 4, she shifted to Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego for an open-ship period, receiving thousands of visitors as a public relations event while crews continued to work maintenance behind the scenes. Later in August, she took part in exercise Kernel Usher 84-2 off Camp Pendleton, embarking Marines through the Camp Pendleton "White Beach" training area and operating alongside other Pacific Fleet amphibious ships, including USS TRIPOLI (LPH 10) and USS MOUNT VERNON (LSD 39). The exercise stressed rapid loading and offload of landing craft and vehicles, and coordination with Marine ground units ashore.

Through early September, JUNEAU remained on the San Diego waterfront completing final preparations for an extended Western Pacific deployment, including inspections, supply loading and certification events. On September 30, 1984, she departed San Diego for the western Pacific with Amphibious Squadron elements, beginning another WESTPAC tour. After a transit across the central Pacific that included training while en route, she entered Pearl Harbor in October, then continued west to Japan, operating under Commander, Seventh Fleet. By mid-November, JUNEAU was supporting amphibious evolutions around Japan and Korea, moving through ports such as Yokosuka, Buckner Bay at Okinawa, and Korean training areas near Pohang and Inchon in support of U.S.-Republic of Korea amphibious readiness. Late November and early December saw additional at-sea periods interspersed with logistics stops, and by mid-December she was again in port in Japan for upkeep and holiday stand-down, ending 1984 in the western Pacific.

JUNEAU began 1985 moored at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, still in WESTPAC status. Between January 1 and 14, 1985, she remained in Yokosuka, completing maintenance and allowing leave. On January 14, she shifted berths to Akasaki Pier and on January 15 departed Yokosuka for Okinawa, arriving at White Beach on January 16 to onload Battalion Landing Team 1/6 and associated Marine and Navy units. She then proceeded north and from February 16 through February 20 participated in amphibious operations in the Iwo Jima area, rehearsing landings on the historic island as part of a larger training evolution that linked shipboard amphibious capability with Marine ground operations ashore.

After Iwo Jima, JUNEAU returned to Okinawa and Japanese waters in a series of short transits. She operated between White Beach, Pohang in Korea, and Yokosuka from late February through early March, conducting embarkations and landings that kept Marine units proficient in cold-weather and coastal operations. On March 8, she again arrived at White Beach to onload Battalion Landing Team 1/5 and attached elements in preparation for the large annual combined exercise Team Spirit 85. From March 14 to March 27, 1985, JUNEAU took part in Team Spirit, operating with other U.S. and Republic of Korea ships and forces in complex amphibious scenarios that tested contingency plans for reinforcing the Korean peninsula. She then called at Pusan from March 28 to March 30, giving the crew liberty and allowing logistics resupply, before moving to Pohang from March 31 to April 1 for final offloads and re-embarkations.

With Team Spirit complete, JUNEAU turned for home. She visited Naha, Okinawa on April 4, then departed the western Pacific on April 6, 1985. A brief port call at Pearl Harbor from April 17 to April 18 provided fuel and stores, after which she crossed the eastern Pacific and arrived back at San Diego on April 26, 1985, closing out the deployment. Post-deployment leave and upkeep followed through late May. In June, she offloaded ammunition at Seal Beach and entered a Phased Restricted Availability at San Diego that ran from late June into mid-September, during which shipyard and tender workers completed repair and modernization tasks while the crew focused on training, inspections and administrative improvements.

From mid-October through the end of 1985, JUNEAU resumed local operations in the Southern California operating areas. These included short underway periods for amphibious drills off Camp Pendleton, engineering casualty-control training, and inspections aimed at ensuring she met all readiness standards after the availability. The year closed with the ship pierside at San Diego, completing routine maintenance and giving the crew a holiday stand-down before the next training cycle.

The year 1986 began with JUNEAU moored at Naval Station San Diego, her crew taking holiday leave while departments worked through a series of inspections and upgrades. Early in the year, she received the SNAP II automated supply system, moving from manual to computerized logistics management, and completed diesel inspections, mine warfare readiness checks, aviation certification, and medical readiness evaluations. From April 1 to April 11, 1986, she conducted Amphibious Refresher Training in the Southern California operating areas, exercising all warfare and support areas in preparation for deployment. Immediately afterward, from April 22 to April 27, she operated off Camp Pendleton in exercise Kernal Blitz 86-1, practicing large-scale amphibious assaults, followed from May 6 to May 15 by Kernal Usher 86-2, an additional amphibious evolution focused on well-deck operations, loading and launching assault craft under varying conditions.

On June 19, 1986, JUNEAU departed San Diego with USS TARAWA (LHA 1), USS FRESNO (LST 1182) and USS TUSCALOOSA to begin a Western Pacific deployment and to participate in TRANSITEX 86-18. Embarked were Marine Service Support Group 13 and Battalion Landing Team 2/11. Her first major deployment evolution was exercise Kernel Potlatch 86-1 off Adak, Alaska, from July 2 to July 5, an amphibious exercise in northern waters. Having completed Kernel Potlatch, she in-chopped to Seventh Fleet on July 7 and entered Subic Bay in the Philippines, where the crew carried out an upkeep period and participated in community relations work at local hospitals, orphanages and schools.

From July 18 to July 29, 1986, JUNEAU transited from the Philippines toward Thailand for her next exercise, and during this period recorded her 10,000th helicopter landing, a milestone for the ship's aviation operations. From August 4 to August 13 she participated in the fifth annual U.S.-Thai exercise Cobra Gold 86 off Sattahip, Thailand, conducting amphibious landings, logistics movements and joint training with Thai forces. After the exercise she visited Singapore from August 18 to August 26 for liberty and minor upkeep, then trained with the Malaysian Navy off Lumut from August 28 to August 31, focusing on combined amphibious and maritime operations.

In September 1986, JUNEAU took part in Valiant Usher 86-AS, a Seventh Fleet-sponsored exercise from September 10 to September 15 that brought together U.S. amphibious units and the Royal Australian Navy for coordinated landings and sea control operations. Following the exercise, she enjoyed a six-day port visit at Fremantle, Australia, from September 16 to September 21. From October 1 to October 20, she returned to Subic Bay for another upkeep period, then on October 24 and 25 she onloaded equipment and personnel in Buckner Bay, Okinawa. From October 26 to November 3, she was at sea off Subic in a major amphibious training exercise, listed as a training exercise under Commander Task Force 76, that further refined the task force's amphibious readiness.

Following additional upkeep in Subic Bay from November 4 to November 7, JUNEAU transited to Hong Kong, where she anchored from November 10 to November 14 for liberty. She then returned to Subic from November 17 to November 24, before heading eastward for home. From November 25 to December 11, she was en route to Pearl Harbor, conducting naval gunfire support exercises at the Tabones range in the Philippines on November 25, then crossing the Pacific and out-chopping from Seventh Fleet on December 4. At Pearl Harbor, she onloaded "Tigers" (embarked dependents) for a Tiger Cruise to the mainland, and on December 18, 1986, she anchored off Camp Pendleton to offload Marines from MSSG-13 and Golf Company, BLT 2/11. On December 19, she arrived back in San Diego to begin holiday upkeep and leave, closing her 1986 deployment cycle.

During early 1987, JUNEAU remained pierside in San Diego completing maintenance and inspections. In January, she took part in Kernal Blitz 87-1 in the SOCAL areas with USS FRESNO and USS FORT FISHER (LSD 40), an evolution that was immediately followed by an unplanned Operational Propulsion Plant Recertification Examination. The examination was not completed successfully due to failures of main feed pumps, and over the next two months the ship remained largely in port undergoing continuous upkeep, availability periods with USS JASON (AR 8) and the shore intermediate maintenance activity, and focused engineering training. A second OPPE from April 14 to April 16 produced satisfactory results.

From mid-April through the end of May 1987, JUNEAU stayed in San Diego, using sequential availabilities to complete as much maintenance as possible before entering a major Drydock Phased Maintenance Availability. She also underwent a 3-M (Maintenance and Material Management) Inspection from July 13 to July 17, scoring well above fleet averages. On July 20, 1987, she entered dry dock at Southwest Marine, San Diego, for DPMA. During this period, which ran into late September, the ship received new high-capacity firefighting systems, replacement of much of her air de-ballast piping, new boiler economizers, and extensive hull blasting, inspection and repainting, as well as shaft and bearing work. Sea trials were conducted from October 17 to October 18 to verify the repairs.

On October 30, 1987, JUNEAU moved to Broadway Pier in San Diego for an open-house weekend and a change of command on October 31, when Captain T. A. Willandt relieved Captain E. R. Bailey. In November, she returned to sea for Kernal Usher 88-1 (conducted in late 1987) off San Clemente Island, operating with USS PELELIU (LHA 5), USS FORT FISHER, USS BRISTOL COUNTY (LST 1198) and other amphibious units, and embarking Marine and Navy detachments including landing support, beachmaster, SEAL and boat units. From November 30 to December 6, she underwent an ISIC Engineering Readiness Assessment, and for the remainder of December 1987 she entered her pre-overseas movement period, granting holiday leave and beginning modifications to allow operations with Landing Craft Air Cushion in her well deck.

In early 1988, after a brief period of leave and upkeep in San Diego, JUNEAU completed a three-day underway period in the local operating areas to certify for LCAC operations and to verify her TACAN navigation system. With those certifications complete, she prepared for deployment. On January 14, 1988, she deployed as part of Amphibious Ready Group Alpha, commanded by Commander, Amphibious Squadron One and built around USS PELELIU, USS BRISTOL COUNTY and USS FORT FISHER. After a brief fuel stop at Guam on February 2, she arrived at Subic Bay on February 7. From February 8 to February 14, the ARG took part in exercise Valiant Usher 88-1 off Subic Bay, rehearsing amphibious assaults and integrated task force operations under Seventh Fleet control.

After the exercise, JUNEAU entered Subic Bay on February 15 for upkeep with Ship Repair Facility Subic Bay. On March 3, she sailed again with ARG Alpha and arrived at Hong Kong on March 5, remaining there until March 9 for liberty. Departing on March 10, she reached Okinawa on March 13 and onloaded troops for Team Spirit 88, then remained anchored in Buckner Bay from March 14 to March 16. From March 17 to April 4, she was underway for Team Spirit 88 off Pohang, South Korea, a large combined exercise bringing together U.S. and South Korean naval, ground and air forces to demonstrate readiness to defend the Republic of Korea. Afterward, she anchored off Pohang from April 5 to April 10, then entered Pusan on April 11 for a three-day port visit through April 13.

On April 14, 1988, JUNEAU departed Pusan for Buckner Bay, arriving April 16 to offload Team Spirit personnel and equipment. She then sailed on April 17 for Subic Bay, where she arrived on April 21 for another Ship Repair Facility upkeep period. On May 5, she left Subic for the Korean Straits to participate in Valiant Usher 88-3 from May 10 through May 16. After completing the exercise, she proceeded to Hong Kong, arriving May 21 and remaining until May 24, then returned to Subic Bay from May 27 to May 31. On June 1, she departed Subic for the island of Tinian, reaching the exercise area on June 8 and conducting Valiant Usher 88-4 off Tinian through June 15. She then moved to Guam for nine days of upkeep and preparations for an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination from June 21 to June 23, which the ship did not pass due to main feed pump problems and firefighting deficiencies identified during the engineering drills.

After OPPE, JUNEAU sailed on June 25 for Pearl Harbor, arriving July 5 for refueling and stores onload and embarking "Tigers" for a Tiger Cruise. She departed Pearl Harbor on July 6 and anchored off Camp Pendleton on July 13 to offload Marine units from MSSG-11 and Bravo Company, BLT 1/1, before returning to San Diego on July 14 and debarking the Tiger Cruise riders. The ship's return marked completion of her tenth deployment to the Pacific.

From July 14 to August 12, she remained in San Diego on post-deployment leave and upkeep. From August 13 to early September, JUNEAU continued in-port work while acting as mothership for four frigates preparing for decommissioning - USS BROOKE (FFG 1), USS RAMSEY (FFG 2), USS SCHOFIELD (FFG 3) and USS BRADLEY (FF 1041) - providing berthing, food service and administrative support. She also underwent annual boiler inspection and hull cleaning, and on September 6 completed a Pre-Training Readiness Inspection for Amphibious Refresher Training, followed by a fast cruise on September 22.

From September 26 to September 30, 1988, JUNEAU was underway in the SOCAL operating areas for independent steaming and emergency casualty-control drills. She returned briefly to San Diego from October 1 to October 2 and then again went to sea October 3-5 for further ECC drills, including participation in a search and rescue effort on October 4 for a helicopter lost from USS RANGER (CV 61). On October 6, she moored at La Playa Pier for fuel and MOGAS transfer. From October 7 to October 10, she shifted to Broadway Pier for another public visiting period, and from October 11 to October 14, she conducted Amphibious Refresher Training in the SOCAL operating areas. The final weeks of 1988 were spent between short underway periods and in-port upkeep at San Diego, consolidating the high tempo of two back-to-back years of deployments and exercises.

In early 1989, JUNEAU completed a Phased Maintenance Availability that had begun the previous year, incorporating significant repairs and upgrades. After sea trials in March, she embarked Marines and equipment and in April 1989 took part in exercise Kernal Blitz 89-1 off Camp Pendleton, conducting large-scale landings and logistics operations. Soon afterward, in late March 1989, the tanker EXXON VALDEZ ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, causing a major oil spill. JUNEAU was ordered north as part of the naval response. She arrived in Prince William Sound in April 1989 and became one of the first U.S. Navy amphibious ships on scene, serving as a command-and-control platform for Joint Task Force Alaska while also providing berthing and support for cleanup personnel and senior visitors, including Vice President Dan Quayle, who visited the ship during the operation. These missions reflected the ship's flexibility in supporting civil-military disaster response as well as traditional amphibious warfare tasks.

After completing her EXXON VALDEZ support mission and returning south, JUNEAU resumed local training, inspections and maintenance in the San Diego area through the remainder of 1989. She also prepared for a future deployment, refining her amphibious capabilities and engineering reliability. The ship spent much of 1990 in maintenance and pre-deployment training on the West Coast, then shifted toward Middle East contingency operations as the regional situation changed.

Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 and the start of Operation Desert Shield, JUNEAU was assigned to support the massive U.S.-led buildup in the Gulf region. On December 1, 1990, she deployed from San Diego with other units of Amphibious Group Three as part of the amphibious forces heading west across the Pacific toward the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.

On January 1, 1991, JUNEAU was in port at Subic Bay. On January 3, she got underway en route to Masirah, Oman, arriving January 16 after transiting via Diego Garcia. There, she joined other ships of an amphibious task force assembling in the North Arabian Sea. From late January through February 1991, she operated in company with ships such as USS TRIPOLI and USS NEW ORLEANS (LPH 11), supporting Marine forces poised for potential amphibious landings along the Kuwaiti coast. She embarked Marines of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade and rehearsed amphibious plans intended to fix Iraqi forces along the shoreline while coalition ground operations unfolded inland. On February 24, as the ground offensive began, JUNEAU moved in closer to the northern Gulf and offloaded Marines and equipment to support operations in the Ras al Mishab area of Saudi Arabia and along the Kuwaiti littoral.

After the cease-fire at the end of February 1991, JUNEAU remained in the region for stabilization duties. She continued operations in the Gulf area through the spring, including logistics movements and presence missions. In late April, she departed the Gulf and shifted to humanitarian operations in South Asia as part of Operation Sea Angel, the U.S. relief effort after devastating cyclones and flooding in Bangladesh. Off the Bangladeshi coast, she supported helicopter and landing-craft operations delivering relief supplies ashore, demonstrating the utility of an amphibious transport dock in disaster relief. Following completion of Sea Angel, she returned via Subic Bay and other ports, eventually arriving back on the U.S. West Coast by mid-1991 to resume normal peacetime operations.

In 1992, after post-deployment upkeep and training, JUNEAU again prepared for operations beyond the eastern Pacific. Early in the year, she conducted local evolutions from San Diego, including amphibious training off Camp Pendleton. Later, she redeployed westward to join an amphibious ready group built around USS TRIPOLI and USS RUSHMORE (LSD 47). As Somalia collapsed into civil war and famine, the United Nations and United States prepared a large relief operation, and JUNEAU became part of the U.S. naval force assigned to support it.

On December 9, 1992, JUNEAU took part in the amphibious landings at Mogadishu that opened Operation Restore Hope. Operating off the Somali coast alongside TRIPOLI and RUSHMORE and other ships, she landed Marines and equipment over the beach and by helicopter to secure the port, airfield and key facilities, enabling relief supplies to start flowing ashore. Throughout December 1992, she remained off Mogadishu and other Somali coastal points providing logistic support, command facilities, and a platform for landing craft and helicopters moving people and cargo inland. She spent the turn of the year into January 1993 operating off Mogadishu, supporting U.S. and coalition forces ashore as they stabilized the immediate area.

In early 1993, JUNEAU shifted her operating focus within the region. During January, she supported operations off Kismayo and other Somali ports as the Restore Hope mission expanded beyond Mogadishu. In February, she joined a multi-ship transit with TRIPOLI and RUSHMORE toward the Persian Gulf area and entered Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on February 9 for a port visit through February 26. On February 26, she left Dubai for Bahrain, anchoring in the Bahrain Bell anchorage on February 28, then operating between Bahrain and Kuwaiti waters into March as part of the U.S. naval presence tasking that followed the Gulf War, including patrols in support of Operation Southern Watch and regional security commitments.

From March 8 to March 20, 1993, JUNEAU lay at anchor at Bahrain Bell, then got underway for Singapore, arriving at Sembawang from March 24 to April 8 for upkeep and shore leave. Departing on April 9, she proceeded to Pearl Harbor, arriving April 16, and then from April 16 to May 18 she sailed in company with TRIPOLI and RUSHMORE back across the Pacific, arriving at San Diego on May 18, 1993. The remainder of 1993 saw JUNEAU operating locally from San Diego. In late May, she conducted short underway periods including anchoring off Camp Pendleton in company with mine countermeasures ships USS GALLANT (MSO 489) and USS CONQUEST (MSO 488), serving as senior officer present afloat platform for these units. Through the summer, she completed maintenance and limited exercises along the California coast. In October, she entered a Planned Maintenance Availability at Long Beach Naval Shipyard that began October 18 and extended into 1994, focusing on hull, machinery and systems work to sustain her for continued service.

By early 1995, JUNEAU was again fully active in the fleet. She began the year in San Diego, then got underway for Pearl Harbor to take part in Middle Pacific COMPTUEX 95-10M, an exercise that included deck-landing qualifications for helicopters, AAV operations and LCU operations designed to certify the ship and her embarked units for deployment. After returning to San Diego, she underwent upkeep and then in February and March 1995 participated in COMPTUEX 95-6M, the first major work-up evolution for an amphibious ready group built around JUNEAU, USS NEW ORLEANS, USS MOUNT VERNON and USS COMSTOCK (LSD 45), with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) embarked. Additional pre-deployment events included a combat systems readiness review, a further composite training exercise (COMPTUEX 95-7M) integrated with exercise Kernel Blitz 95, ammunition onload at Seal Beach, a fleet exercise (FLEETEX 95-1M), and a final joint task force exercise (JTFEX 95-2).

Following a pre-deployment maintenance availability, JUNEAU deployed to the western Pacific and Indian Ocean in mid-1995 with her ARG and 11th MEU(SOC) embarked. During the transit, she conducted repeated replenishments at sea with the oiler USNS PECOS (T-AO 197) and vertical replenishments with supply ships such as USNS SAN JOSE (T-AFS 7), combining intensive training with the long ocean crossings. After a period of sustainment training near Okinawa in July, she called at Hong Kong from July 22 to July 30 and Singapore on July 31, giving the crew and Marines much-needed liberty.

From Singapore, JUNEAU and the ARG continued west, conducting additional replenishments and arriving at Aqaba, Jordan, on August 15, 1995. There, the group took part in exercise Infinite Moonlight, a bilateral U.S.-Jordan amphibious and combined-arms exercise that lasted fifteen days and took place against the backdrop of continuing regional tensions with Iraq. JUNEAU provided the flagship and command-and-control facilities for much of the exercise while her Marines trained ashore with Jordanian forces. She also supported extensive community relations projects and hosted an intra-ARG sports competition dubbed "The Commodore's Cup". On August 31, the ARG left Jordan for Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, arriving after a replenishment at sea with PECOS and SAN JOSE and transiting the Strait of Hormuz on September 7.

At Jebel Ali, the ships conducted a two-week maintenance availability and "wash-down" to prepare for operations in the Persian Gulf, while sailors and Marines took advantage of local liberty opportunities. On September 19, 1995, JUNEAU and the ARG departed Jebel Ali for Kuwait City and began exercise Eager Mace 96-1 (the numbering reflecting fiscal-year designation). After arriving on September 21, they offloaded embarked units and then operated in the central Gulf, conducting tactical maneuvering, fueling-at-sea and helicopter vertical replenishments with PECOS and other support ships. The ARG returned to Kuwait City on October 4 to re-embark the Marines. Eager Mace concluded on October 9 after extensive joint training with Kuwaiti defense forces.

On October 10, 1995, JUNEAU and her consorts again got underway, conducted another replenishment with PECOS on October 12 and commenced exercise Neon Falcon on October 13, an evolution focusing on small-scale covert raids and special operations-capable amphibious missions. After concluding Neon Falcon on October 15 and hosting visits by senior leaders including the Secretary of the Navy and Commander, Fifth Fleet, JUNEAU went pierside in Bahrain on October 21 for minor maintenance. From October 25 to October 27, the ARG executed its last major exercise of the deployment, Reliant Gorilla, in the central Gulf, testing the group's ability to rapidly project forces ashore. On October 28, the group returned to Jebel Ali for final wash-down, maintenance, and the conclusion of "The Commodore's Cup", which JUNEAU won. Thereafter, the ARG turned east for the long trip home, eventually returning to the Pacific and then San Diego to complete the deployment.

On June 21, 1996, Captain Temotio E. Bugarin Jr., who had commanded the ship since June 1994, was relieved by Captain James J. Quinn in a change of command that marked the transition into the next deployment cycle. In early 1997, JUNEAU entered one of the most detailed and demanding workup and deployment periods of her career. She began 1997 in drydock at Southwest Marine in San Diego, undergoing maintenance and preparations for an upcoming Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf deployment. On January 6, 1997, she was moved without power in a dead-stick evolution from the shipyard to 32nd Street Naval Station, San Diego, and moored to begin a structured program of training and inspections. During January, the ship completed a Tailored Ship's Training Availability II (TSTA II) both in port and underway in the southern California operating areas (SOCAL OPAREA), exercising basic warfare, engineering, and amphibious skills as part of the pre-deployment cycle.

In February 1997, the focus shifted to engineering readiness. The crew spent the month preparing for an Engineering Certification (ECERT), a key prerequisite for deployment. On February 24, 1997, JUNEAU entered a two-week maintenance availability in San Diego, during which Amphibious Training Group Pacific inspectors conducted a Logistics Management Assessment on March 7. The ship's supply department was evaluated on its ability to support extended operations and received a satisfactory grade. On March 11, 1997, JUNEAU got underway again for TSTA III in the SOCAL OPAREA, embarking Marines from Battalion Landing Team 1/1 with combat rubber raiding craft (CRRC) and amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) teams. Together they rehearsed amphibious operations off Camp Pendleton, refining the procedures that would later be used in theater. On March 25, JUNEAU returned to sea for her Final Evaluation Phase (FEP), again in the SOCAL areas, conducting a full amphibious landing exercise with embarked Marines to demonstrate readiness for deployment.

At the end of March, the ship turned briefly to public-relations and local engagement. JUNEAU got underway from San Diego on March 31 and arrived off Santa Barbara, California, anchoring on April 3. Officers hosted a luncheon and ship tours for members of the Channel City Club, while the crew enjoyed four days of liberty ashore. Returning to San Diego in early April, the ship's medical department underwent a Medical Readiness Assessment on April 8 and received a top-tier "C1" rating. On April 9, JUNEAU embarked on a three-day SEMAT and pre-INSURV assist visit in port, followed by an intensive ten-day period beginning April 21 that combined Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), Combat Systems Readiness Review (CSRR), and Shipboard Electrical Systems Inspection (SESI). During this same period, on April 14, Commander Naval Base San Diego carried out a surprise disbursing audit aboard the ship.

On April 13, 1997, JUNEAU left San Diego for Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. On April 14, she conducted a major ammunition onload at Seal Beach, taking on more than 99 tons of ordnance over a two-day period in preparation for deployment. With inspections and certifications largely complete, the ship shifted into amphibious group training. On May 8, 1997, she began a ten-day Amphibious Ready Group exercise, COMPTUEX 97-12, the first pre-deployment evolution conducted with the amphibious assault ship PELELIU and the dock landing ship COMSTOCK, forming the core of the PELELIU Amphibious Ready Group.

During COMPTUEX 97-12, on May 10, a serious accident occurred. While JUNEAU was conducting night-vision-goggle landing qualifications, a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter from Marine Helicopter Squadron HMM-164 ("Knightrider 11") struck the ship's port stack antenna with its forward rotor. Losing control, the aircraft crashed into the sea approximately 100 yards astern. JUNEAU immediately commenced search and rescue operations, deploying her own boats and coordinating with SAR helicopters, CRRCs, landing craft utilities (LCUs), and rigid-hull inflatable boats from across the group, but no survivors were recovered.

After COMPTUEX 97-12, the ship continued through additional major exercises. On June 10, Marines from BLT 1/1 embarked off Camp Pendleton and conducted further CRRC and AAV amphibious operations. On June 20, JUNEAU put to sea for twelve days in the SOCAL OPAREA for exercise KERNEL BLITZ, an intensive, scenario-driven amphibious exercise involving two amphibious ready groups and a carrier battle group, designed to test large-scale amphibious assault and joint operations. On July 1, a second ammunition onload was conducted off Camp Pendleton by vertical replenishment (VERTREP), further building stocks before deployment. The ship marked her 29th commissioning anniversary on July 12. Two days later, on July 14, JUNEAU again got underway for ten days of Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX), the capstone pre-deployment test of the PELELIU ARG and embarked Marine expeditionary unit. Operating off southern California, the ARG/MEU team exercised its full range of special operations capable (SOC) missions. The ship returned to San Diego after refueling at La Playa pier on July 24 and immediately entered a pre-overseas movement (POM) period to finalize preparations and crew support systems, including setting up commercial satellite-based e-mail and installing Afloat Personal Telecommunications Service "Sailor Phones" for family contact during deployment.

On August 28, 1997, JUNEAU deployed from San Diego for the Arabian Gulf with her regular crew of around 387 sailors and an embarked contingent of about 498 Marines. Embarked units included the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, BLT 1/1, a Special Boat Unit detachment, SEAL Team 5 (H Platoon), and a naval cryptologic detachment. En route to Hawaii, a technical representative embarked to correct software and hardware problems with the new telephone system, improving connectivity significantly. On September 3, the ship entered Hawaiian operating areas, conducting amphibious operations on the northern side of Oahu with AAVs and CRRCs, though rough seas prevented LCAC operations. After completing these events she moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and then proceeded to a brief maintenance period at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

Following a short upkeep period in Hawaii, the PELELIU ARG conducted further local training and preparations. After a two-day maintenance period, JUNEAU left Hawaii on September 7, 1997, beginning the long transit across the Pacific to the western Pacific region. The ship had to divert south of her originally planned track to avoid two storm systems. On September 15, the ARG shifted operational control to Commander Seventh Fleet as it entered the western Pacific. On September 19, JUNEAU moored pierside in Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for a four-day port visit, her first of the deployment. The visit included a wardroom luncheon for the governor, a welcoming celebration ashore, and an open-ship event that brought more than 5,000 visitors aboard.

Departing Saipan on September 23, the ship headed for Singapore. En route she encountered the haze and reduced visibility associated with regional forest fires in Southeast Asia, which occasionally obscured the sun for days. JUNEAU arrived in Singapore for a port visit beginning September 30, berthing on the north side of the island. Sailors and Marines took advantage of shore leave and the ship conducted two community relations projects organized by the ship's chaplain. On October 5, she departed Singapore for Thailand, transiting the Strait of Malacca that evening in severely reduced visibility from the same fires. The installation of the new ARPA/ECDIS navigation suite was highlighted in the command history as critical to safe navigation through the congested strait.

JUNEAU anchored off Phuket, Thailand, on October 6, 1997, for a four-day port visit, the final liberty stop before entering the Arabian Gulf. The favorable exchange rate, quoted in the history as approximately 34 baht to one U.S. dollar, made this a popular visit with the crew. On October 10, the ship got underway for Bahrain. The next day, October 11, she conducted her first fuel-at-sea evolution of the deployment with the replenishment oiler USNS TIPPECANOE (T-AO 199), the first of many such evolutions that would support extended operations in the Gulf. On October 15, the amphibious group came under Commander Fifth Fleet as it moved into the Central Command area of responsibility. On October 18, JUNEAU transited the Strait of Hormuz with the rest of the ARG and the frigate FORD (FFG 54), entering the Arabian Gulf.

The ship entered Bahrain for a three-day visit beginning October 22, 1997. On October 23, Captain A. M. Haefner, who had been designated prospective commanding officer, reported aboard and final preparations began for a change of command. On October 25, JUNEAU sortied for Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. On October 26, while in the Jebel Ali area, the Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet, Vice Admiral Charles W. "Willy" Fargo, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Charles C. Krulak, visited the ship, touring spaces and reviewing her material condition. On October 27, she conducted a replenishment with the fast combat support ship SACRAMENTO (AOE 1). In Jebel Ali, the ship entered a maintenance availability and, during this period, held a formal change of command in which Captain Haefner relieved Captain Quinn, marking the transition in leadership during deployment.

Through late 1997, JUNEAU remained in the Arabian Gulf and Kuwait region conducting maritime and amphibious operations, consistent with U.S. policy of maintaining presence and readiness near Iraq. The chronology shows the ship operating in the central Arabian Gulf, conducting multiple fuel and stores replenishments with USNS SIRIUS (T-AFS 8), USNS SPICA (T-AFS 9) and SACRAMENTO, anchoring in Kuwait Bay, and moving repeatedly between Bahrain and Kuwait City. She participated in exercise EAGER MACE in Kuwaiti waters, supported surface segments of the exercise, hosted visits by the Commander Amphibious Group Three and the Chief of Naval Operations, and repeatedly shuttled between the Northern Arabian Gulf operating area and Kuwait Bay to embark and debark Marine forces and equipment before eventually back-loading for the return transit.

On January 1, 1998, she was underway in the Arabian Gulf, heading toward Jebel Ali. Early in the year, she cycled between short port visits in Jebel Ali and Bahrain and operating periods in the Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, the long-running enforcement of United Nations resolutions and no-fly zones over Iraq. From January 18-22, she was in Bahrain, then spent several days in the Northern Arabian Gulf operating area enforcing sanctions and maintaining readiness alongside other U.S. and allied units. During these periods, she conducted repeated fuel and stores replenishments with fast combat support ships and logistics ships, allowing the amphibious ready group to remain on station.

In February 1998, JUNEAU continued this pattern. The chronology records cycles of "underway Northern Arabian Gulf operating area", "anchored Kuwait Bay", and "in port Kuwait City", reflecting her role in shuttling Marines and equipment between ship and shore and serving as part of the visible U.S. maritime presence during renewed tensions with Iraq. As the deployment progressed, the ship participated in IRON MAGIC 98, a combined exercise with forces from the United Arab Emirates, while the broader regional context included diplomatic efforts and contingency planning around possible strikes against Iraqi targets.

Later in 1998, the ship left the Gulf and began the homeward transit. The chronology shows port calls and training stops as the ARG moved back across the Pacific. After returning to the eastern Pacific, JUNEAU arrived at San Diego on February 27. After a post-deployment leave period, JUNEAU underwent a phased maintenance availability at Southwest Marine in San Diego from April-July, before heading to Pearl Harbor for a short participation in RIMPAC 1998 in late July. Back in San Diego on August 14, the remainder of the year was spent locally in the SOCAL area.

In 1999, JUNEAU shifted focus from San Diego to forward deployment. After completing her post-deployment maintenance and local training, she was selected to relieve the older dock landing ship DUBUQUE (LPD 8) in Japan as part of the Navy's first "hull swap" between two amphibious ships. During the first half of 1999, the San Diego-based crew prepared the ship and themselves for forward deployment, while DUBUQUE's Sasebo-based crew prepared to take over JUNEAU. The swap was executed in Sasebo, Japan, on July 30, 1999, when JUNEAU replaced DUBUQUE as the permanently forward-deployed amphibious transport dock in the U.S. Seventh Fleet, and DUBUQUE returned to the United States with JUNEAU's original crew. Captain A. M. Haefner remained in command through July 28, 1999, after which Captain Andrew C. McCawley assumed command and led JUNEAU in her new forward-deployed role.

From her new homeport at Sasebo, Japan, JUNEAU integrated into the amphibious ready groups based there, regularly operating with the amphibious assault ship ESSEX (LHD 2) and other Seventh Fleet units. In the latter part of 1999, she conducted regional patrols and exercises throughout the western Pacific, including waters around Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, as part of routine presence missions and alliance training. The geopolitical backdrop included ongoing U.S. commitments to regional stability and, late in 1999, the crisis surrounding East Timor's independence referendum and subsequent violence.

In the aftermath of the East Timor crisis, JUNEAU took part in supporting operations around the newly independent territory. In late 1999 and early 2000, she operated in waters near East Timor as part of U.S. support to the Australian-led International Force East Timor (INTERFET) and subsequent United Nations operations, providing sealift, helicopter platforms and logistics support in coordination with Australian and other coalition vessels as the region stabilized after the UN-sponsored referendum.

Through 2000 and 2001, JUNEAU remained forward-deployed at Sasebo and rotated regularly with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the standard pattern of "fall" and "spring" patrols characteristic of the forward-deployed amphibious ready groups. These patrols took her repeatedly to Okinawa, the Korean peninsula, the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia for exercises such as Foal Eagle in Korea and combined amphibious training with regional partners, as well as routine presence and contingency readiness missions across the western Pacific. During this period, she continued to operate most often as part of an amphibious ready group built around ESSEX, providing well-deck and flight-deck support for Marine landing craft and helicopters, and serving as one of the primary platforms for Seventh Fleet amphibious operations. Captain McCawley's command ran through mid-2001, when Captain Michael R. Kieffer assumed command, guiding the ship through the period around the September 11, 2001 attacks and the subsequent reorientation of U.S. naval forces toward counter-terrorism and Middle East operations.

By early 2002, JUNEAU's activities reflected this broader shift while still emphasizing regional engagement. On February 21, 2002, under the command of Captain Andrew C. McCawley, she arrived off the coast of Dili, East Timor, to support the U.S. Support Group East Timor with humanitarian and civic-assistance projects. She remained in the area for roughly three days, serving as a sea-based platform for engineering and assistance efforts ashore. This visit came at the end of a sequence of port calls during an underway training period: before arriving off Dili, the ship had visited Darwin, Australia, where crew members joined local citizens in ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the Japanese air attack on Darwin in February 1942, and she had also visited Sydney and Cairns on that same deployment segment.

Later in 2002, JUNEAU continued to operate with the ESSEX amphibious ready group from Sasebo and Okinawa. On September 10, 2002, she departed White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, as part of the ESSEX ARG, alongside the dock landing ship FORT McHENRY (LSD 43). The group had left Sasebo on September 6 and returned to the vicinity of Okinawa for a semi-annual series of joint training events designed to integrate Navy and Marine Corps components into a cohesive combat force. The schedule included phased evolutions termed Blue-Green workups, an ARG Exercise, and a Special Operations Capable (SOC) Exercise, reflecting the standard path to an amphibious group's certification as fully capable of the full range of missions, from amphibious assault to non-combatant evacuation and humanitarian assistance.

On March 10, 2003, JUNEAU, as part of the ESSEX ARG, was off the coast of Iwo Jima, participating in the 58th commemoration of the World War II battle. This event combined ceremonial observances with amphibious operations and training, reinforcing alliance ties with Japan and commemorating the historic battle while the U.S. was simultaneously preparing for large-scale operations in Iraq.

In August 2004, JUNEAU, now commanded by Captain Kevin E. O'Flaherty, deployed again as part of ESSEX Expeditionary Strike Group 3 to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operating under U.S. Fifth Fleet, she provided amphibious lift, helicopter platforms and logistics support to Marines and joint forces in theater, at a time when coalition operations in Iraq had shifted from the initial invasion phase to sustained stabilization and counter-insurgency operations.

On December 1, 2004, while pierside in Muscat, Oman, JUNEAU held a change of command ceremony in which Captain Ronald C. Horton relieved Captain O'Flaherty. O'Flaherty had taken command in May 2003. Under his leadership the ship had participated in joint and multinational exercises throughout the Pacific and then been called forward to operate in the Fifth Fleet area in direct support of the Iraqi government and coalition forces. Horton assumed command during this deployment, as JUNEAU continued to shuttle between ports and operating areas in the Arabian Gulf and North Arabian Sea.

JUNEAU completed this extended deployment on April 6, 2005, when she returned to Sasebo after roughly eight months at sea. The deployment had included prolonged operations in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and, late in the deployment, participation in Operation Unified Assistance, the multinational humanitarian-relief mission mounted after the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami. In this latter role, she joined other U.S. and allied naval units providing sealift, helicopter support and logistics to devastated coastal regions in Southeast Asia.

Shortly after returning to Japan, on May 11, 2005, JUNEAU entered a six-week Selected Restricted Availability, during which shipyard workers and ship's force completed maintenance and repairs accumulated during the long deployment. Later in 2005, she rejoined ESSEX and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit for another routine patrol. On October 18, 2005, the ESSEX ARG, including JUNEAU and the 31st MEU, was in the East China Sea conducting Blue-Green workups and Amphibious Ready Group Exercises, refreshing amphibious skills after the yard period. On October 22, JUNEAU arrived in the Philippines for Talon Vision and Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) '06. On October 23, while embarked Marines and sailors prepared for the exercises, the ship held a "steel beach" barbecue on the flight deck as a morale event during the fall deployment. On November 9, the three-ship ARG left White Beach, Okinawa, and made a four-day port visit to Hong Kong from November 13, before returning to Sasebo on November 21, 2005, at the end of a seven-week deployment that had combined bilateral training in the Philippines with regional presence operations.

On January 21, 2006, the forward-deployed amphibious ready group left Okinawa again after embarking the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, beginning a new series of Blue-Green workups and an Amphibious Ready Group Exercise (ARGEX). On February 17, JUNEAU and sister ships of the group, including ESSEX and HARPERS FERRY (LSD 49), arrived in Subic Bay in the Philippines for the bilateral exercise Balikatan 2006. Almost immediately, however, the group was tasked to support disaster-relief operations in southern Leyte after a catastrophic landslide. While other group ships focused on that relief mission, JUNEAU split from the ARG to complete civil-military operations as part of Balikatan on the island of Jolo in the Sulu province, serving as the primary sea-based platform for U.S.-Philippine combined operations in that area.

On March 14, 2006, JUNEAU returned to Sasebo after completing this series of bilateral training events in the Philippines and Guam. Later that month, she moved north: on March 24 she arrived in the Republic of Korea to participate in Reception, Staging, Onward-Movement and Integration (RSOI) and Foal Eagle 2006, major U.S.-ROK exercises focused on reinforcement and combined operations on the Korean peninsula. On April 2, the ESSEX ARG, including JUNEAU, arrived in Pohang to offload ROK Marines and backload personnel and equipment from the 31st MEU at the conclusion of RSOI/Foal Eagle. On May 3, JUNEAU was off the coast of Okinawa offloading Marines and equipment at White Beach Naval Facility.

Shortly afterward, JUNEAU turned south again. On May 12, 2006, under the command of Captain John D. Alexander, she departed en route to the Kingdom of Thailand to participate in the 25th anniversary iteration of exercise Cobra Gold, held May 15-26. Cobra Gold brought together U.S., Thai and other regional forces for large-scale combined amphibious, land and air operations aimed at promoting regional stability and interoperability. By June 13, 2006, JUNEAU had returned to Sasebo, having completed this five-month "Spring Patrol" that combined exercises in the Philippines, Guam, Korea and Thailand with disaster-relief duties in southern Leyte.

Following a three-month ship's restricted availability in mid-2006, during which JUNEAU underwent overhaul and system upgrades in Sasebo, she returned to sea on September 16 for sea trials. After completing range work at the Shipboard Electrical Systems Evaluation Facility off Yokosuka, she returned to Sasebo to take on ammunition at anchor, then departed again on September 23 for White Beach to reunite with the 31st MEU. The ship completed initial workups with the Marines by October 4, having conducted LCAC and LCU operations, deck-landing qualifications for Marine pilots and launch and recovery of combat rubber raiding craft. On October 12, she left White Beach for her fall patrol, and by October 15 was at Subic Bay preparing for Talon Vision and PHIBLEX '07. An official opening ceremony at Fort Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City on October 16 marked the start of the exercises, which ran through October 31 and involved roughly 5,700 U.S. and 1,300 Philippine personnel. ESSEX primarily supported operations in Luzon, while JUNEAU and HARPERS FERRY trained in the waters around Palawan.

After a four-day port visit in Subic Bay, from which she departed on November 4, 2006, JUNEAU continued her fall patrol. On November 15, she arrived in Zhanjiang in the People's Republic of China for a scheduled port visit and search-and-rescue exercise with the People's Liberation Army Navy. On November 19, JUNEAU and the destroyer FITZGERALD (DDG 62) joined the Chinese destroyer ZHANJIANG (DD 165) for the second phase of a bilateral search and rescue exercise at sea, an event of diplomatic and operational significance given the evolving U.S.-China maritime relationship. The ship returned to Sasebo on November 25, 2006, concluding the fall patrol.

At the start of 2007, JUNEAU again took part in the recurring cycle of forward-deployed patrols. On February 3, 2007, as part of the ESSEX amphibious ready group, she was off the coast of Okinawa conducting a two-week set of Blue-Green workups in preparation for the spring patrol. Later that month, she called again at Subic Bay, leaving after a three-day port visit on February 26. In March, the ESSEX expeditionary strike group, including JUNEAU and the 31st MEU, took part in RSOI and Foal Eagle 2007 off South Korea, again rehearsing the rapid reinforcement of the peninsula. On April 4, JUNEAU visited Busan, Republic of Korea, following the conclusion of Foal Eagle, and on April 16 she returned to Sasebo, completing Spring Patrol 2007.

On May 20, 2007, JUNEAU departed Sasebo to participate in exercise Talisman Saber 2007 with the ESSEX ARG and Australian Defence Force units. She arrived in Brisbane, Australia, on June 6 for a four-day port visit ahead of the exercise, then later called at Sydney, departing there on July 10 after a scheduled visit. On July 24, she returned to Sasebo after roughly two months deployed, having completed bilateral amphibious and joint operations in Australian waters. Captain Kent D. Whalen was in command during this period.

In the autumn of 2007, JUNEAU began another fall patrol. On October 16, she arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines, for a scheduled port call as part of the ESSEX ARG. During this patrol, she again supported combined training under Talon Vision and PHIBLEX, which for 2008's iteration ran October 15-31, pairing about 2,700 U.S. and 1,300 Philippine personnel in a program emphasizing the ability of U.S. forces based in Japan to support regional stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Later in the patrol, she participated in joint training with Republic of Korea forces off the coast of Pohang, reflecting the continued emphasis on combined readiness on the Korean peninsula.

The final year of JUNEAU's active service, 2008, combined one last series of exercises and humanitarian contingencies with preparations for decommissioning. In early February 2008, as part of the ESSEX expeditionary strike group, she operated off Okinawa in another two-week set of Blue-Green workups in preparation for the spring patrol. On February 24, she was in the Philippine Sea taking part in exercise Balikatan 2008, the annual U.S.-Philippine bilateral exercise focusing on combined operations and civil-military cooperation.

In May 2008, JUNEAU and her sister ships again found themselves tasked for potential humanitarian operations. On May 9, ESSEX, JUNEAU and HARPERS FERRY were ordered to leave the Gulf of Thailand, where they had been participating in exercise Cobra Gold 2008, and proceed to the Andaman Sea off Burma (Myanmar) in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. Joined by the destroyer MUSTIN (DDG 89) from the KITTY HAWK (CV 63) carrier strike group, the expeditionary group remained off Burma prepared to provide relief, though the Burmese government did not grant permission for the ships to deliver aid directly. After several weeks on standby the ships ultimately departed, having nonetheless demonstrated the rapid response capability that would later become a hallmark of expeditionary strike groups.

On June 26, 2008, JUNEAU returned to Sasebo from this final underway period. With decommissioning scheduled for later in the year, she completed preparations for a "hull swap" with the amphibious transport dock DENVER (LPD 9). The swap ensured that the crews and families of the forward-deployed amphibious force remained in Japan even as the other hull left service. The exchange of crews and responsibilities was formally marked in a command-exchange ceremony aboard DENVER on July 10, 2008. Three days later, on July 13, JUNEAU - now commanded by Captain Dennis Mikeska and manned by DENVER's former crew - departed Sasebo for the last time, bound for a new homeport of San Diego and eventual inactivation.

On July 30, 2008, the ship made a four-day port visit to her namesake city, Juneau, Alaska, departing that day after commemorating her long association with the city and with the state whose capital she bore as a name. Continuing south to California, JUNEAU arrived at San Diego where she prepared for final decommissioning. On October 30, 2008, after thirty-nine years of service, the amphibious transport dock USS JUNEAU was formally decommissioned. Following inactivation, she was transferred to Hawaii to be laid up at Pearl Harbor prior to final disposal.

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Homeports of USS JUNEAU:

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USS JUNEAU Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the JUNEAU laid-up at Pearl Harbor, Hi., on March 20, 2010.

The photos below were taken by Sebastian Thoma and show the decommissioned JUNEAU laid up alongside her sistership CLEVELAND (LPD 7) at Pearl Harbor, Hi., on March 18, 2022.

The photos below are official US Navy photos taken by SA Anthony Vilardi and show ex-USS JUNEAU being sunk as a target on June 27, 2026, during exercise Valiant Shield 2026 approx. 200 nautical miles off Guam. The photos also capture the impact of a torpedo fired by a Japanese submarine.

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