USS WASP
LHD 1
  
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April 20, 1993 USS Wasp (LHD 1) run aground when the ship scraped its keel and propeller on a charted reef approximately 3.5 miles from shore off the Suthern Somalia. There were no injuries to the crew and the ship continued on its assigned mission. Following the incident the ships's CO and the navigator were relieved.

March 29, 1995 The Wasp collided with the Fast Combat Support Ship USS Seattle.

February 22, 2002 USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 22nd MEU departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

August 23, USS Wasp, commanded by Capt. Edward P. McNamee III, returned to homeport following the successful completion of a six-month combat deployment. Overall, the ARG steamed nearly 95,000 miles during their deployment. Along the way, the ships participated in Operation Sea Eagle in the Gulf of Aden and numerous multi-national exercises, in addition to making a variety of port visits including Souda Bay, Crete; Kingdom of Bahrain; and Rota, Spain, before heading home.

November 2002, LHD 1 is currently undergoing a six-month maintance period at NNSY after returning from deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

February 17, 2004 USS Wasp ESG 2, along with the 22nd MEU, departed Naval Station Norfolk for scheduled six-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

March 9, U.S. Sailors and Marines assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 are currently participating in Adriatic PHIBLEX 04-5 off the coast of Albania March 8-12. Six of ESG 2’s ships also wrapped up simultaneous port visits around the Mediterranean Sea March 8. The Wasp stopped in Valletta, Malta; Whidbey Island and Leyte Gulf visited Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia, respectively, while Yorktown and McFaul made calls to Taranto and Trieste, Italy. USS Shreveport tied up for liberty in Durres, Albania.

March 16, ESG-2 transited the Suez Chanel. On March 24, the Marines from 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit begin with off-loading in Pakistan.

April 10, After being out to sea for a month, the crew of the amphibious assault ship enjoyed a port visit to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, April 5-8.

September 18, USS Wasp returned to Norfolk after a seven-month deployment in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

November 4, LHD 1 offloaded ammunition at Earle Naval Weapons Station, N.J., Oct. 23-28. The Wasp is scheduled to conduct exercises with the Marine Corps' newest aircraft, the V-22 Osprey, in mid-November before its maintenance availability early next year.

November 24, USS Wasp completed a 10-day exercise testing the V-22A Osprey off the East Coast, Nov. 12-23. The amphibious assault ship spent nearly two weeks at sea helping more than 100 flight engineers, contractors, government employees and Marine Corps pilots collect data and aviation information about the military’s future transport aircraft.

July 7, 2005 The amphibious assault ship earned its well deck certification on June 23 off the coast of Virginia.

August 8, LHD 1 is currently in Atlantic Ocean conducting deck landing qualification.

October 13, USS Wasp is currently conducting deck landing qualifications in Atlantic Ocean.

October 22, Three Norfolk-based amphibious ships will get underway today, headed for the south Florida region in the event assistance is needed if Hurricane Wilma strikes land there. USS Wasp, USS Trenton and USS Nashville are making preparations to load humanitarian relief supplies.

November 2, LHD 1 is currently conducting port familiarization operations in anticipation of an upcoming underway training period with the MV-22 Osprey.

February 22, 2006 USS Wasp, commanded by Capt. Todd R. Miller, is currently conducting routine training operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

April 19, The amphibious assault ship is currently conducting routine operations off the coast of Virginia.

May 4, LHD 1 is currently conducting routine operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

July 21, More than 16,000 service members from five countries will participate in Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 06-2 "Operation Bold Step," July 21-31. U.S. and coalition naval assets underway for the exercise include the 2nd Fleet flagship, USS Wasp, with embarked 2nd Fleet distributed staff, the aircraft carriers Dwight D. Eisenhower and Theodore Roosevelt with associated units, and units from the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group.

August 25, USS Wasp departed Naval Station Norfolk for a surge deployment in support of the ongoing Joint Task Force Lebanon mission. A detachment from Mine Countermeasure Squadron (HM) 14, Assault Craft Units (ACU) 2 and 4, and a Fleet Medical Team left with Wasp to support a Request for Forces (RFF) from European Command. The Wasp will deploy to the eastern Mediterranean to provide support to the American embassy in Beirut and Department of Defense (DoD)-approved humanitarian assistance efforts.

September 6, LHD 1 became the command platform for the maritime component commander in the Eastern Mediterranean. The arrival of amphibious assault ship also allows the forward-deployed Mount Whitney (LCC 20) to return to her Gaeta, Italy, homeport for the second time since being on station in the Joint Operation Area shortly after the crisis began in mid-July.

October 12, USS Wasp, commanded by Capt. Michael Hawley, arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland, for a scheduled port visit. It is the first U.S. Navy ship to visit Iceland after the closing of the Naval Air Station in Keflavik.

November 11, USS Wasp returned to homeport after two-and-a-half month deployment in support of Joint Task Force Lebanon.

December 6, LHD 1 is currently in transit to Norfolk, after visiting Philadelphia, Pa., for the Army-Navy football game.

May 23, 2007 USS Wasp pulled to New York City to participate in Fleet Week 2007.

June 25, USS Wasp is currently in the Atlantic Ocean participated in a joint exercise Frontier Sentinel 07-2, after port visit to Halifax, Canada. Approximately 3,000 personnel from U.S. and Canadian military forces and government civilian agencies participated in the training exercise, which focused on maritime homeland security June 24-27. The exercise took place in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, about 100-150 miles off the coasts of northeastern United States and southeastern Nova Scotia, Canada.

June 28, The amphibious assault ship arrived in Boston Harbor for Navy Week.

July 29, USS Wasp is currently conducting routine training off the East Coast.

August 30, LHD 1 recently arrived in Colon, Panama, to participate in PANAMAX 2007, a U.S. Southern Command joint and multinational annual exercise in cooperation with the government of Panama to ensure the continued security of the Panama Canal and regional peace and prosperity. Nineteen nations have sent 30 ships, a dozen aircraft and more than 7,000 personnel to participate in the exercise between Aug. 29-Sept. 7.

September 6, USS Wasp arrived off the coast of Nicaragua to assist with disaster relief efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Felix Sept. 4.

October 4, Ten U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263, departed the USS Wasp in the Gulf of Aqaba, for its first combat deployment in Iraq.

November 1, Forty-eight Marines from 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST), 4th Battalion embarked on the LHD 1 in Manama, Bahrain, for participation in a humanitarian assistance/crisis response exercise Nov. 1-7.

December ?, USS Wasp returned to Norfolk after a four-month underway period.

February 7, 2008 The amphibious assault ship pulled to Naval Station Mayport to drop off equipment and for minor maintenance.

February 22, Rear Adm. Kevin M. Quinn relieved Rear Adm. D.C. Curtis as Commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic, during a ceremony aboard the USS Wasp at Naval Station Norfolk.

September 18, USS Wasp, commanded by Capt. Daniel H. Fillion, departed dry dock in Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), one day ahead of schedule. The remainder of the eight-month DPMA work is being done by BAE Systems and the alteration installation team. Major jobs include a new local area network system, fuel oil compensation stability and MV-22 Osprey modifications which allow the ship to operate, maintain and transport the tilt rotor aircraft effectively.

March 18, 2009 LHD 1 is currently underway in the Atlantic Ocean, preparing for an upcoming surge deployment which will include an on-load of an awaiting squadron of V-22 Osprey aircraft.

April 9, USS Wasp departed Norfolk Naval Station for the European Command Area of Responsibility to support the redeployment of U.S. Marine Corps assets in theater.

May 13, The Wasp is supporting a relocation project for an EA-3B Skywarrior, transporting it from Rota, Spain, back to the United States. The amphibious assault ship is expected to unload the aircraft onto a barge from its pier once the ship arrives in Norfolk. From there, the barge will carry the "Whale" to its new home in Alabama. Retired in 1991, the Skywarrior is commonly called a "Whale" because, at one time, it was the heaviest type aircraft on board a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.

July 2, Capt. Lowell D. Crow relieved Capt. Daniel H. Fillion as CO of USS Wasp during a change of command ceremony onboard the ship.

October 4, USS Wasp departed Norfolk for a three-month deployment in support of Southern Partnership Station (SPS).

November 19, The amphibious assault ship anchored off the coast of Ocho Rios, Jamaica, for one-day port visit.

November 24, Task Group 40.7 embarked on board the Wasp turned over approximately 39,000 pounds of medical and school supplies, text books, and toys to the government of Belize and various non-governmental organizations, during a ceremony in Belize City, as the ship steamed just off the coast of Belize.

December 22, USS Wasp returned to homeport after a scheduled underway period in the Caribbean Sea.

May 3, 2010 USS Wasp pulled into Mayport Naval Station for a routine port visit. The ship is currently conducting training exercises in the U.S. 2nd Fleet Area of Responsibility.

June 18, LHD 1 is currently underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting deck landing and engineering qualifications.

June 25, USS Wasp arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to celebrate the Canadian Naval Centennial and International Fleet Review (IFR), June 28-July 2.

July 12, The amphibious assault ship departed Norfolk for engineering and flight deck qualifications n preparation for the upcoming unit level training assessment.

August 2, USS Wasp is currently conducting test flight operations, with the HMLA/T-303, VMX-21, HX-21 and HSC-22, off the East Coast and was chosen as the platform to evaluate the limits and capabilities of newer models of aircraft such as the MV-22 "Osprey", AH-1Z "Viper", MH-60S "Knighthawk" and the UH-1Y "Venom".

August 20, The Wasp is currently conducting routine training and flight operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

September 17, LHD 1 began an eight-month Continuous Maintenance Availability on Aug. 23 to undergo a series of modifications and assessments as it prepares to be the first ship to carry the new fighter F-35B. USS Wasp was selected this year to be the test platform for the F-35B Lightning II, the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the JSF, but is unlikely that will conduct scheduled initial at-sea testing in March 2011 because of slow progress with vertical landings.

October 8, Capt. Brenda M. Holdener relieved Capt. Lowell D. Crow as the 17th commanding officer of the Wasp during a change-of-command ceremony aboard the ship.

January 13, 2011 USS Wasp arrived in BAE Systems Shipyard to begin a scheduled Phased Maintenance Availability (PMA).

May 2, The amphibious assault ship returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a five-day sea trials.

July 7, USS Wasp departed Norfolk for sea trials and air certifications off the coast of Virginia.

July 26, Trident Warrior 2011 (TW11) began aboard the Wasp, off the coast of Virginia, with the first in a series of numerous technological experiments. The annual fleet experiment, scheduled to run until August 1, is directed by U.S. Fleet Forces Command, sponsored by U.S. 2nd and 5th Fleets with a mission to improve and enhance the Navy's information dominance and policies, procedures and interoperability between U.S. forces and coalition partners during maritime war fighting. LHD 1 was selected for this experiment because the ships compatible network layout, which is somewhat unique in the fleet. Wasp workstations have 100 gigabytes, but the back-up servers are 10 times faster than other ships.

August 25, USS Wasp departed Naval Station Norfolk to avoid the approaching Category 3 Hurricane Irene.

September 9, The Wasp is currently underway off the East Coast conducting sea trials and flight deck certifications.

October 3, The F-35B Lightning II test aircraft BF-2, piloted by Lt. Col. Frederick G. Schenk, landed aboard the USS Wasp at 3.12 p.m. successfully completing the first at-sea vertical landing of Joint Strike Fighter, aboard the amphibious assault ship, as part of a three-week sea trials off the coast of Virginia. LHD 1 returned to Norfolk Oct. 21.

November 28, USS Wasp departed homeport for sea trials and certifications off the coast of Virginia.

December 13, Capt. Gary M. Boardman relieved Capt. Brenda M. Holdener as CO of the Wasp during a change-of-command ceremony aboard the ship at sea.

January 9, 2012 USS Wasp departed Norfolk to conduct qualifications in preparation fo an annual multinational amphibious assault exercise Bold Alligator 2012, Jan. 30- Feb. 12.