USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) was built by Avondale Industries in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was commissioned on January 7, 1995. She was the first of the United States Navy's four new cargo variants of the Whidbey Island Class of Dock Landing Ships. Her first commanding officer is Cmdr. Charles P. Salsman.

LSD 49 participated in the six-nation Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) '96 Maritime Exercise. The exercise, which ran from May 22 through June 21, 1996, involved more than 44 ships, 200 aircraft and 20,000 sailors, Marines, Airman, Soldiers and Coast Guardsmen. The regularly scheduled exercise is designed to improve the coordination and interoperability of combined and joint forces in maritime tactical and theater operations.

The USS Essex ARG, including USS Harpers Ferry, spent several months operating and training in the Arabian Gulf and conducting port visits in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. Three ships participated in the Seventh Fleet exercise Tandem Thrust '97, a combined and joint exercise between the U.S. and Australian armed forces at the Shoal Water Bay training area in Queensland, Australia. More than 28 ships and 1200 Marines, including the Independence and Kitty Hawk carrier battle groups, the Amphibious Ready Group with the 11th MEU embarked, and U.S. Coast Guard vessels participated in RIMPAC '96. The Harpers Ferry returned to San Diego on April 10, 1997.

In March 2001 the dock landing ship was deployed with the USS Boxer (LHD 4) in the western Pacific.

September 1, 2002 USS Harpers Ferry relieved USS Germantown (LSD 42) as a forward deployed naval unit in Sasebo, Japan.

May 29, 2003 LSD 49 arrived in White Beach, Okinawa, to load up marines and equipment, in preparation for the upcoming Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise. CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually throughout Southeast Asia that began in 1995, by combining a number of existing exercises to be conducted sequentially by a single U.S. Navy task group.

July 3, 2004 USS Harpers Ferry and USS Cowpens (CG 63) arrived in port Vladivostok, Russia, for a regularly scheduled port visit. Capt. John. J. Sorce, Cowpens commanding officer, and Cmdr. Humberto Quintanilla II, Harpers Ferry commanding officer, met with local Russian dignitaries during an official welcoming ceremony just after both ships moored to Pier 33.

August 2004, USS Harpers Ferry, as part of the USS Essex ESG 3, deployed to Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

October 11, LSD 49 pulled to Doha, Qatar, for a three-day visit, marking the first U.S. warship to visit the port in more than two years.

December 24, The dock landing ship is serving as Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) for Sailors currently providing security for Al Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT) and Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT) in the Northern Arabian Gulf (NAG).

April 6, 2005 USS Harpers Ferry returned to Sasebo completing a successful eight-month deployment that included operations in the Persian Gulf and in support of Operation Unified Assistance, following the Dec. 26 tsunami in Southeast Asia.

August 23, The annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series ended with the closing of the Philippines phase. The Philippines phase of the 11th annual exercise series was marked with many milestones, including the first-time operational employment of the U.S. Navy’s Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS), a real-time communications capability that gave commanders a comprehensive tactical picture. The CARAT 2005 task group, under the leadership of Capt. Buzz Little, commander of Destroyer Squadron 1 and the CARAT task group, was made up of USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60), and USS Safeguard (ARS 50). CARAT Singapore was conducted May 30-June 13, while CARAT Thailand took place June 17-26. The nine-day CARAT Malaysia phase began July 8 and ended July 18. CARAT Indonesia was July 25-29. CARAT Brunei took place Aug. 4-12. The CARAT Task Group ships arrived in the Philippines Aug. 15 for the final phase of the CARAT series.

December 11, USS Harpers Ferry is currently underway, in the East China Sea, performing sea trials after an extensive Selective Restricted Availability (SRA) period in her forward deployed base of Sasebo, Japan.

January 21, 2006 The Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) departed Okinawa, Japan, for Blue-Green Workups and ARG Exercise (ARGEX) after embarking Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The exercises are designed to prepare ARG Sailors and MEU Marines to carry out missions in support of theater contingencies, from humanitarian and disaster relief to full combat operations. Participating ships include USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Juneau (LPD 10) and USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), as well as the 31st MEU.

February 26, The Forward Deployed ARG, along with USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines, on 17th for the bilateral exercise Balikatan 2006, but were immediately called to assist in the relief efforts in Southern Leyte.

March 1, Sailors and Marines of the Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 31st MEU, completed Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) operations February 28, for the victims of a wide-sweeping mudslide that occurred there Feb 17. USS Essex and USS Harpers Ferry operated as sea basing platforms beginning Feb. 19 for numerous sorties into Southern Leyte in support of HA/DR, bringing relief supplies, equipment and personnel from ship to shore.

March 8, USS Harpers Ferry is currently off the coast of Iwo Jima to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the famous Pacific War battle in Feb. 1945.

March 14, Essex ARG returned to its forward-deployed home of Sasebo, Japan, completing bilateral training in the Republic of Philippines and Guam, while also delivering relief to mudslide victims in the Philippines' southern Leyte Island.

March 24, USS Harpers Perry arrived in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to participate in Reception, Staging, Onward-Movement and Integration (RSOI) and Foal Eagle (FE) 2006.

April 2, Ships assigned to the Essex ARG arrived in Pohang, Republic of Korea, to offload the ROK Marines and to backload personnel and equipment assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) after the completion of RSIO/FE 2006.

April 7, USS Harpers Ferry is off the coast of Okinawa offloading personnel and equipment of the 31st MEU in White Beach Naval Facility.

April 11, LSD 49 is currently in the Northern Pacific Ocean conducting Tailored Ships Training Availability (TSTA).

May 10, USS Harpers Ferry is en route to participate in the 25th anniversary of the annual U.S./Thai exercise Cobra Gold 2006, to be held in the Kingdom of Thailand, May 15-26, promoting regional stability and security. Cobra Gold is a combined annual joint training exercise aimed at developing interoperability, strengthening relationships between services and developing cross-cultural understanding among participating nations.

June 13, LSD 49 returned to homeport after a five-month training cycle known as Spring Patrol.

September 24, USS Harpers Ferry is in the East China Sea conducting deck landing qualifications. The dock landing ship is currently underway preparing for its fall deployment.

September 28, The Forward Deployed Expeditionary Strike Group (FD-ESG), led by USS Essex (LHD 2), successfully completed on load of personnel, equipment, and supplies of the 31st MEU, in White Beach Naval Facility, and will now conduct a series of workups in the vicinity of Okinawa before launching its fall patrol.

October 15, USS Harpers Ferry is currently at Subic Bay, Philippines, preparing for exercises with the Republic of the Philippines. The dock landing ship successfully finished Blue-Green workups and departed White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, for its fall patrol Oct. 12.

October 19, LSD 49, as part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group, began Talon Vision and Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) '07 with an official joint ceremony held at the Ft. Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City, Oct. 16. The two annual exercises, which will run concurrently Oct. 16-31, will partner 5,700 U.S. and 1,300 Philippine military personnel for two weeks of training. The Essex will primarily support the exercises in Luzon while USS Harpers Ferry and USS Juneau (LPD 10) will train in the vicinity of Palawan.

November 14, Cmdr. David L. Bossert relieved Cmdr. Marlin C. Anthony as CO of USS Harpers Ferry, during a change-of-command ceremony held abord the ship in White Beach Naval Facility on Okinawa.

November 20, Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger relieved Adm. Victor G. Guillory as Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet Amphibious Force and Amphibious Group One, on board of USS Harpers Ferry in Okinawa, Japan.

December 20, The dock landing ship successfully completed a material readiness inspection by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) Dec. 13 in Sasebo, Japan. INSURV is scheduled every five years ensuring a ship’s overall operational readiness for deployment.

January 29, 2007 USS Harpers Ferry completed Amphibious Specialty Training with Amphibious Assault Vehicle launch and recovery exercises. AST is a course of training maneuvers, which was held off the coast of Sasebo and Okinawa, for well deck operations. Harpers Ferry’s AST marks the end of a rigorous training period where Sailors prepared for and executed Unit Level Training and Readiness Assessment Sustainment (ULTRAS), immediately before AST.

March 12, LSD 49 completed Transport Exercise (TRANSPORTEX) 2007 with the Japanese Ship (JS) Ohsumi (LST 4001) off the coast of Japan on March 7.

March 23, The dock landing ship returned to Sasebo, Japan, after a two-day Tiger Cruise from Okinawa.

May 11, USS Harpers Ferry departed its forward-deployed homeport to participate in the annual exercise series Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2007.

June 8, The first phase of the 13th annual CARAT exercise series ended with a festive ceremony in the multi-purpose hall at Philippine Navy Headquarters in Manila.

June 18, LSD 49 arrived in Sattihip for the Thailand phase of the CARAT exercise.

July 13, The fourth-phase of CARAT started in Singapore with an exercise that will include an estimated 1,500 military personnel, 13 ships, a submarine and the newly-commissioned Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) frigate RSS Formidable (68).

August 3, CARAT ships arrived in Muara, Brunei, for the fifth phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise.

August 17, USS Harpers Ferry is currently underway in support of Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) 2007. SEACAT is a weeklong naval exercise between the U.S. and six Southeast Asia nations that allows participating nations to apply maritime security tactics in dynamic threat situations.

September 26, LSD 49 returned to Sasebo, Japan, after four-and-a-half-month underway period in the western Pacific.

February 4, 2008 USS Harpers Ferry is currently conducting Blue-Green workups near Okinawa, Japan, in preparation for the Spring Patrol as part of the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group.

March 10, Marines from 31st MEU, conducted bilateral Combat Rubber Raiding Craft beach landing exercises with Indonesian marines at Benungan Beach, Indonesia. From March 10-19, Marines and Sailors from Combat Logistics Battalion 31, Battalion Lading Team 2/4 and Sailors from Harpers Ferry will participate in a subject-matter exchange program, tactical engineering training and medical/dental civic action projects with Indonesian marines unit around Karentekok.

April 23, The dock landing ship is currently undergoing unit level training assessment-certification off the coast of Japan. An ULTRA-C certification shows a ship's competency in fire fighting, anchoring, small boat attack and various other items evaluated by assessors from Afloat Training Group.

June 26, USS Harpers Ferry returned to homeport after completing the Spring Patrol.

August 23, Cmdr. Marvin E. Thompson relieved Cmdr David L. Bossert as the ninth commanding officer of LSD 49, during a change-of-command ceremony in Sasebo, Japan.

September 27, The Harpers Ferry is currently off the coast of Okinawa in preparation for its Fall Patrol.

November 5, USS Harpers Ferry is currently participating in Korean Interoperability Training Program (KITP) '09 off the coast of Pohang.

January 29, 2009 The dock landing ship departed Okinawa, as part of the Essex ARG, to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold 09, during its Spring Patrol deployment. Cobra Gold is an annual military exercise co-sponsored by Thailand and the United States to train Thai, U.S. and Singaporean Coalition Task Force personnel.

May 20, LSD 49 arrived in Cebu City, Republic of the Philippines, for the first phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise.

June 22, USS Harpers Ferry, USS Chafee (DDG 90) and USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) recently arrived in Kemaman, Malaysia, for a third phase of CARAT exercise.

July 20, The dock landing ship arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the fifth phase of CARAT exercise.

August 13, The Harpers Ferry recently arrived in Singapore to participate in Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SECAT) 2009.

August 31, USS Harpers Ferry returned to Sasebo after a four-month underway period.

September 23, LSD 49 departed homeport for a Fall Patrol deployment in support of Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) 2010 with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

October 4, USS Harpers Ferry and USS Tortuga (LSD 46) arrived in Manila to assist the government of the Republic of the Philippines in their relief efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Ketsana and Typhoon Parma.

January 25, 2010 The Harpers Ferry departed Okinawa, after onloading personnel and equipment of the 31st MEU in White Beach Naval Facility, for the annual spring patrol.

February 13, USS Harpers Ferry pulled at the Royal Thai Navy installation in Sattahip to onload personnel and equipment after participating in ground force exercise during Cobra Gold 2010.

February 15, The dock landing ship arrived in port of Laem Chabang for a scheduled port visit.