A journal bearing assembly comprising: a bearing housing comprising a radial outer wall; a plurality of bearing pads mounted within said bearing housing, said bearing pads comprising at least one of a gas permeable porous media and an array of gas delivery holes; and a plurality of bearing pad support assemblies radially interposed between said bearing pads and said radial outer wall, each said bearing pad support assembly comprising: a spring assembly; and a damper assembly comprising a hermetically sealed fluid-filled damper comprising: a sealed damper housing comprising a body having a cavity and a resistive flow path defined therein, the cavity and resistive flow path being filled with a viscous fluid; a plunger disposed within the cavity, said plunger separating the cavity into a first control volume and a second control volume, wherein the resistive flow path provides fluid communication between the first and second control volumes (278, 280); and a load transferring member coupled to said plunger, said load transferring member configured to transmit mechanical loads imparted on said bearing pads to said plunger. a bearing housing comprising a radial outer wall; a plurality of bearing pads mounted within said bearing housing, said bearing pads comprising at least one of a gas permeable porous media and an array of gas delivery holes; and a plurality of bearing pad support assemblies radially interposed between said bearing pads and said radial outer wall, each said bearing pad support assembly comprising: a spring assembly; and a damper assembly comprising a hermetically sealed fluid-filled damper comprising: a sealed damper housing comprising a body having a cavity and a resistive flow path defined therein, the cavity and resistive flow path being filled with a viscous fluid; a plunger disposed within the cavity, said plunger separating the cavity into a first control volume and a second control volume, wherein the resistive flow path provides fluid communication between the first and second control volumes (278, 280); and a load transferring member coupled to said plunger, said load transferring member configured to transmit mechanical loads imparted on said bearing pads to said plunger. a spring assembly; and a damper assembly comprising a hermetically sealed fluid-filled damper comprising: a sealed damper housing comprising a body having a cavity and a resistive flow path defined therein, the cavity and resistive flow path being filled with a viscous fluid; a plunger disposed within the cavity, said plunger separating the cavity into a first control volume and a second control volume, wherein the resistive flow path provides fluid communication between the first and second control volumes (278, 280); and a load transferring member coupled to said plunger, said load transferring member configured to transmit mechanical loads imparted on said bearing pads to said plunger. a sealed damper housing comprising a body having a cavity and a resistive flow path defined therein, the cavity and resistive flow path being filled with a viscous fluid; a plunger disposed within the cavity, said plunger separating the cavity into a first control volume and a second control volume, wherein the resistive flow path provides fluid communication between the first and second control volumes (278, 280); and a load transferring member coupled to said plunger, said load transferring member configured to transmit mechanical loads imparted on said bearing pads to said plunger.