USS Ponce ( LPD - 15 ) USS " Ponce " ( LPD - 15 ) , - " now " USS " Ponce " ( AFSB - I ) - an " Austin " - class amphibious transport dock , is the only ship of the United States Navy that is named for Ponce in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , which in turn was named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León , the first governor of Puerto Rico and European discoverer of Florida . Her keel was laid down on 31 October 1966 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle , Washington . She was launched on 20 May 1970 sponsored by Mrs . John J . Hyland , and commissioned on 10 July 1971 . The " Ponce " has been used as a testbed for new applications including Afloat Forward Staging Base and the Laser Weapon System . 1980s and 1990s . On 2 February 1982 during a towing exercise while en route to Portsmouth , England , " Ponce " collided with , causing minor damage to " Ponce " ' s port side , mainly to the accommodation ladder and flight deck catwalk . On 14 February 1984 , while attempting to move an assault craft to Radio Island , near Morehead City , North Carolina , " Ponce " suffered a major casualty when her stern gate was damaged and eventually lost . She was later repaired in Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . On 5 August 1990 as part of Operation Sharp Edge to remove US citizens caught in civil war in Liberia , " Ponce " , together with , , and , inserted a United States Marine Corps reinforced rifle company into the U . S . Embassy compound in Monrovia for increased security . In 1991 June - December " Ponce " completed a six - month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea , and was part of Operation Desert Shield and supported Operation Desert Storm . In the first half of 1992 , " Ponce " completed a four - month maintenance availability in Norfolk . In June she took on midshipmen for a training cruise off the Virginia Capes , which earned her the " CORTRAMID ' 92 Surface Warrior of the Week " . In September she arrived in Miami for Hurricane Andrew relief efforts . In October she commenced counter drug operations in the Caribbean with a USCG Law Enforcement Detachment on board . On 17 March 1993 the " Ponce " departed on a six - month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of Operations “ Deny Flight ” and “ Provide Promise ” . She was accompanied by the USS " Saipan " and . During the deployment she operated bilaterally with Greek units in exercise " Alexandros ' 93 " and conducted amphibious landing exercises with the Tunisians in " Phiblex ' 93 " . 2000s . On 29 August 2001 " Ponce " crewmembers boarded two derelict Italian boats , a 19 - foot motorboat and a 12 - foot sailboat , in the Straits of Messina between Sicily and Calabria . The civilian vessels were adrift , creating a navigational hazard . A boarding party in a rigid hull inflatable boat found both derelicts unmanned , though the motorboat was well stocked . They towed both boats back to " Ponce " , which flooded her welldeck , brought the boats aboard , carried them into Catania , and turned them over to the " Guardia Costiera " ( Italian Coast Guard ) . On 10 January 2003 " Ponce " received orders to depart Norfolk , Virginia , and take on Marines from Camp Lejeune , North Carolina , for the 2003 invasion of Iraq . That duty kept " Ponce " at sea through February . At the end of February , she became the flagship of the Commander of Mine Countermeasure Squadron Three , designated as Commander , Task Group 55 . 4 . The Task Group included a US Navy special clearance team , two explosive ordnance disposal ( EOD ) units , a detachment of MH - 53E Sea Dragon helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron FOURTEEN ( HM - 14 ) , a United Kingdom unit and an Australian team . The ships involved included the mine coastal hunters USS " Cardinal " ( MHC - 60 ) and " Raven " ( MHC - 61 ) , mine counter measure ships " Ardent " ( MCM - 12 ) and " Dextrous " ( MCM - 13 ) , and dock landing ship " Gunston Hall " ( LSD - 44 ) . After breaking the Squadron ' s pennant at her yardarm , " Ponce " s crew ( and " Gunston Hall " s ) enjoyed liberty ashore in Manama , Bahrain , beginning on 28 February . On 5 March , however , the amphibious ships got underway again . Humanitarian aid to Iraq was being blocked by naval mine s in the Khawr Abd Allah river and the port of Umm Qasr . The weeks - long minesweeping operation was directed from " Ponce " , the flagship of the Task Group . The Group used a variety of methods , including MH - 53E Sea Dragon helicopter s towing magnetic minesweeping sleds , trained marine mammals , unmanned underwater vehicles and EOD divers . On 28 March a 200 - yard - wide channel was declared safe , and RFA " Sir Galahad " ( L3005 ) docked at Umm Qasr Port and began offloading hundreds of tons of food and water . Work continued for weeks after that , widening the channel . On 25 March 2005 , " Ponce " again departed Norfolk , deploying with the " Kearsarge " Expeditionary Strike Group ( ESG ) for six months . Following a port visit to Augusta Bay , Sicily , " Ponce " spent three months in the Persian Gulf conducting operations in support of the global War on Terrorism . While in the Gulf , she made port visits to Bahrain and Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates . " Ponce " departed the Gulf in August 2005 . On 19 August , Ponce was in the Gulf of Aqaba awaiting the underway movement of the USS Ashland to allow the USS Ponce to dock pier side . While the USS Ashland was in the process the Katyusha rocket attack occurred on the USS " Kearsarge " ( LHD - 3 ) and " Ashland " Ponce remained in the Gulf for over a week in response to the attack . " Ponce " conducted port visits to Malta and Rota , Spain , before returning to Norfolk on 27 September . 2010s . On 2 March 2011 , " Ponce " , along with " Kearsarge " , traveled through the Suez Canal in response to the 2011 Libyan civil war . Commander , U . S . Sixth Fleet ( C6F ) relieved the commanding officer and executive officer of " Ponce " on 23 April 2011 . As a result of a hazing inquiry , Vice Adm . Harry B . Harris Jr . , relieved Cmdr . Etta Jones , " Ponce " s commanding officer , due to demonstrated poor leadership , and failure to appropriately investigate , report , and hold accountable sailors found involved in hazing incidents . Additionally , she failed to properly handle a loaded weapon during a security alert which endangered some of her ship ' s crew . The relief of the executive officer , Lt . Cmdr . Kurt Boenisch , was attributed to failure to provide support to the command and to his commanding officer . On 26 October 2011 , " Ponce " began a three - week tour which would take her to Port Canaveral , Florida , the U . S . Virgin Islands , and her namesake city of Ponce , Puerto Rico . Upon her return to Norfolk , in December 2011 , she was to begin the process of decommissioning . On 2 December 2011 , " Ponce " came home to await decommissioning on 30 March 2012 , when she would be towed to the Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Naval Shipyard and be placed with the mothball fleet , likely to await being sold for scrap in consideration of her age and accumulation of rust ; however a contract was let for a rush retrofit for the ship to be re - deployed as the first of a planned series of mine - countermeasures warships for use in keeping open strategic sea lane s . On 17 April 2012 , " Ponce " received a new commanding officer when Capt . Jon P . Rodgers relieved Cmdr . Cole Hayes . On 1 June 2012 , " Ponce " deployed to the Fifth Fleet area in the Middle East . It was reported on 22 June 2012 that " Ponce " was passing through the Suez Canal on her way to Bahrain . She arrived in Bahrain on 5 July . " Ponce " participated in International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2012 ( IMCMEX 2012 ) between 16 and 27 September 2012 , demonstrating the capabilities her " stop - gap " role was intended to fill . On 29 October 2012 , " Ponce " rescued seven Bahraini fishermen whose vessel was foundering in a hailstorm . Afloat Forward Staging Base , Interim ( AFSB - I ) . On 24 January 2012 , the Military Sealift Command posted a bid request to retrofit the USS " Ponce " on a rush - order basis . In response to requests from United States Central Command , the ship was converted to a staging base for mine countermeasures helicopters and ships / boats . The ship was expected to be completely transformed in an estimated four to five months , and the target date for re - deployment to her new role was met . The ship is operated jointly by active - duty Navy officers and sailors , as well as being crewed by government civilian mariners from Military Sealift Command - - - some of whom , on her initial cruise in her new role , were more than 60 years old . The USS " Ponce " was modified as an Afloat Forward Staging Base ( AFSB ) to support mine - sweeping MH - 53 Sea Dragon helicopters and small mine - clearance vessels . MSC issued requests for proposal to upgrade and refit the ship . The work included upgrading the ship ’ s navigation systems , bringing habitability up to MSC standards and general refurbishment . The " Ponce " was designated as AFSB ( I ) 15 ( " I " for the interim nature of the ship in this role , until purpose - built vessels come on line in 2015 ) . The ship is now in the Persian Gulf to serve as the Pentagon ' s first floating staging base for military operations or humanitarian assistance . It was later reported that despite the capability to do so , the " Ponce " would not be a mothership for special operations , but rather a " lilypad " for MH - 53 helicopters in a mine - clearance role , as well as for patrol and mine - clearance craft . As Admiral John Harvey stated , “ The topic was a hot one , and people read these [ documents ] we generate very closely . I think they put two and two together and got 22 . " In 2013 the USS " Ponce " functioned as the operational center and HQ for the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise in the Persian Gulf , using the berthing designed for transporting marines in order to function as a floating " hotel " for the operation . Laser weapon testbed . The " Ponce " is reported to become a testbed platform for the Laser Weapon System ( LaWS ) , with installation of a prototype weapon system to be completed " sometime after October 2013 " . The weapon system is said to be effective against drones and small watercraft . The " Ponce " will deploy with the laser weapon in 2014 .