USS Ashland (LSD 48) is the eighth and last of the Whidbey Island class ships to be commissioned and the second U.S. Navy ship to bear that name. The first was LSD 1 and was commissioned June 22 1942.

The Ashland's keel was laid on April 4, 1989 at New Orleans, Louisiana by Avondale Industries Incorporated. Launching and christening took place on November 11, 1989 with Mrs. Kathleen Foley, wife of ADM S. R. Foley, Jr. (Ret.), as ship's sponsor. She was commissioned on May 9, 1992 at New Orleans, Louisiana.

Since her commissioning, the dock landing ship has distinguished herself in a variety of missions and operations. During her maiden overseas deployment to the Mediterranean from August 1993 to February 1994, she participated in a number of significant operations including Operation Deny Flight off Bosnia, and Operations Restore Hope and Provide Promise off the coast of Somalia. The ship also made an historic port visit to Constanta, Romania, in the Black Sea.

In September 1994, USS Ashland received short notice orders to sail in support of Operation Able Vigil, the Cuban Migration Interdiction effort, during which she rescued or received from other units over 5,100 Cuban migrants and transferred them to processing centers at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This was immediately followed by operations in both the Cap Haitian and Port Au Prince theaters during Operation Uphold Democracy, the military intervention in Haiti.

After her return from these operations in October 1994, LSD 48 became the first amphibious ship to embark females as permanent members of the crew.

In December 1995, USS Ashland returned from an extensive six-month deployment to South America and West Africa as part of Unitas 36-95 and West African Training Cruise or WATC '95. During this period, the dock landing ship visited over 20 cities and operated with the navies and marines of 12 South American and African nations. It also transited the historic Chilean intercoastal Waterway, the Straits of Magellan, and rounded Cape Horn.

In May 1996, USS Ashland became the test platform for the Ship's Self Defense System (SSDS). SSDS integrates sensor and weapon systems to provide an automated, quick response, multi-target engagement capability against closing targets. SSDS utilizes both the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) and the Rolling Airframe missile (RAM) system, which is a multi-target engagement, "fire-and forget" missile system used to intercept hostile and anti-ship missiles.

From October 1997 to April 1998, LSD 48 completed her third deployment, operating in the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf. During this deployment, the ship participated in numerous exercises and operations including Operations Desert Thunder and Southern Watch during a period of heightened tension in Southwest Asia.

January 12, 2003 USS Ashland departed Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, with the Amphibious Task Force (ATF) East, for possible service in the Central Command area of operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism. The seven ships comprising ATF East, carring more than 4,750 Sailors and 7,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), are flagship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Saipan (LHA 2), USS Ponce (LPD 15), USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), USS Ashland (LSD 48) and USS Portland (LSD 37).

June 25, USS Ashland returned to homeport after five-and-a-half month combat deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. LSD 48 carried the heavy firepower of Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to the fight. The ship served as a “ready deck” for the aviation ships, as well as a logistic shuttle ship for task force.

March 25, 2005 USS Ashland departed NAB Little Creek for a regularly scheduled deployment, with the USS Kearsarge ESG and the 26th MEU, in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

April 18, The crew of the dock landing ship USS Ashland, along with Marines from elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, visited the Mediterranean island country of Malta April 9-13. The country offered many things to keep Ashland Sailors and Marines busy on their off-duty time. Tours offered the Upper Barraca Gardens, St. John's Cathedral and even a trip to the small island of Gozo, which included the Blue Grotto Cave, the hanging window in Dwejra Bay and the Ggantija temples, which date back to between 3600 and 2400 B.C.

May 24, The USS Kearsarge ESG offloaded the 26th MEU and their equipment, in the Kuwait Naval Base May 15-17, in support of training exercises in Kuwait.

August 30, USS Ashland, along with the Kearsarge ESG, passed through the Suez Canal, and exited into the Mediterranean Sea. During this scheduled deployment, the variety of capabilities and the innate flexibility of the ESG were on display while assigned to 5th Fleet. Capabilities ranged from MSO boarding missions to regional engagement with local armed forces to assisting mariners and providing a sea base for operations. The final exercise was conducted Aug. 13-25 with Jordan. More than 1,000 Marines of the 26th MEU were put ashore from Kearsarge, USS Ashland and the amphibious transport dock USS Ponce (LPD 15). Kearsarge and Ashland entered port in Aqaba that day and remained on station to support the exercise while in port. The ships got underway as a pre-planned security measure when a Jordanian warehouse in the port was struck by a terrorist rocket that killed one Jordanian soldier and injured another.

September 1, The dock landing ship pulled to Souda Bay, Crete, for a scheduled port visit.

September 27, USS Ashland returned to Little Creek after a six-month underway period in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

October 27, 2006 LSD 48 is currently conducting Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) with the USS Bataan (LHD 5) Expeditionary Strike Group but will not deploy with it.

November 16, USS Ashland departed Naval Amphibios Base (NAB) Little Creek to relieve Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship USS Saipan (LHA 2) in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).

January 8, 2007 The dock landing ship is currently off the coast of Somalia, conducting maritime security operations in an effort to capture al Qaeda terrorists attempting to flee the country.

February 27, Cmdr. Jeffrey Ward relieved Cmdr. David Owen as commanding officer of USS Ashland on station in Arabian Sea.

April 30, LSD 48 pulled to Souda Bay, Crete, for a routine port visit.

May 16, USS Ashland returned to homeport after a six-month deployment.

August 24, USS Ashland departed for the first at-sea group exercise in preparation for next year's six-month deployment.

December 15, The dock landing ship completed a 17-day Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX), as part of USS Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group, in preparation for the upcoming deployment earlier next year.

February 19, 2008 USS Ashland departed NAB Little Creek for a scheduled underway period.

March 14, LSD 48 arrived to Souda Bay, Crete, for a routine port visit.

March 25, The dock landing ship recently departed Haifa, Israel, after a scheduled port call.

April 8, USS Ashland arrived in Port Louis, Mauritius, the first U.S. Navy ship to visit the Indian Ocean island this year.

April 12, The Ashland departed French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean after a two-day port visit. The last U.S. Navy ship to visit the island was USS Spiegel Grove in 1961.

April 15, The dock landing ship pulled to Antsiranana, Madagascar, for a goodwill port visit. This is only the second time a U.S. Navy ship has visited Madagascar since 1972.

June 12, LSD 48 recently completed operations in the North Persian Gulf, as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 158, serving as the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) for security of Al Basra and the Khawr Al Amaya oil terminals.

June 15, USS Ashland arrived in Rhodes, Greece, for a scheduled port call.

July 11, USS Ashland returned home after successfully completing deployment in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

December 17, The Ashland departed the shipyard at Earl Industries in Portsmouth, Va., following a three-month availability period and pulled to Naval Station Norfolk where the ship will berth for the remainder of the year.

February 6, 2009 The Coast Guard medivaced a sailor off the USS Ashland, approximately 13 miles east of Virginia Beach, to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Wednesday evening. The condition of the sailor is unknown.

April 25, LSD 48 is currently participating in the 50th annual multi-national UNITAS exercise off the coast of Florida.

October 31, The Ashland is currently off the East Coast participating in COMPTUEX 10-2 with the USS Nassau ARG and 24th MEU.

January 18, 2010 USS Ashland departed Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story for a scheduled Middle East deployment.

January 23, The dock landing ship arrived off the coast of Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response.

February 1, The Ashland pulled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for a brief port visit to onload more than 200 pallets of humanitarian aid and supplies.

February 19, LSD 48 departed Rota, Spain, after a brief port call.

March 19, USS Ashland recently departed Manama, Bahrain, after a routine port visit.

April 9, Cmdr. Scott B. Curtis relieved Cmdr. Jeffrey R. Cronin as commanding officer of the Ashland during an at-sea change of command ceremony on the ship's Flight Deck.

April 10, The Ashland captured six pirates after being attacked by small-arms fire in the Gulf of Aden, at 5 a.m. local time, about 330 n.m. off the coast of Djibouti.

June 21, The dock landing ship arrived in Aqaba, Jordan, for a port call.

July 20, USS Ashland arrived in Bodrum, Turkey, for a scheduled port visit.

August 15, USS Ashland returned to homeport after a seven-month deployment.

February 9, 2011 LSD 48 is currently in dry dock at Metro Machine Corporation in Norfolk for a mid-life extension work that includes normal repair and refurbishment, as well as major alterations to several ship systems. Improvements to the ship’s diesel engines, onboard networks, engineering control systems, and power management, and improved capacity for air conditioning and chilled water distribution are being made. The biggest long-term change, however, will involve the replacement of high-maintenance steam systems with all-electric functionality. Work is planned for completion by January 25, 2012.

October 27, Capt. Ryan B. Scholl relieved Cmdr. Scott B. Curtis as CO of the Ashland during a change-of-command ceremony on board the ex-USS Wisconsin (BB 64) at the Nauticus museum in downtown Norfolk.