USS Shreveport ( LPD - 12 ) USS " Shreveport " ( LPD - 12 ) is an " Austin " - class American amphibious transport dock . It is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city in Louisiana . Her keel was laid down on 27 December 1965 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle , Washington . She was launched on 22 October 1966 sponsored by Mrs . Andrew McBurney Jackson , Jr . , and commissioned on 12 December 1970 with Captain Pehr H . Pehrsson in command . History . 1970s . On 22 January 1971 , " Shreveport " departed Puget Sound for her home port , Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia , where she arrived on 21 February . Between 9 March and 9 April 1971 , the amphibious transport dock underwent shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , and , from 16 June to 4 August , she carried 375 midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy on a training cruise to Northern Europe . After post shakedown repairs from 6 October to 24 November 1971 , she sailed for the Caribbean Sea , where she participated in landing exercises during the first part of 1972 . On 12 June , the ship again sailed on a midshipman training cruise to Northern Europe , visiting the Azores ; Aalborg , Denmark ; Portsmouth , England ; and Le Havre , France before returning to Norfolk , Virginia , on 3 August . During the rest of 1972 , " Shreveport " conducted amphibious training exercises off the coasts of Virginia , North Carolina , and Florida . " Shreveport " , with Amphibious Squadron 2 , departed Norfolk on 4 January 1973 for her first tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea . The squadron stopped at Morehead City , North Carolina , and embarked elements of the Sixth Marines ( BLT 1 / 6 ) before it proceeded to Rota , Spain , where it was assigned to CTF 61 . The task force departed Rota on 16 January , called at Cannes , France , on 18 January , and was underway for Monte Romano , Italy , on 22 January . During her six - month deployment , " Shreveport " also visited ports in Italy , Greece , Crete , and Turkey before returning to Morehead City on 2 July . The Marines were offloaded , and the ship continued to Norfolk that afternoon . " Shreveport " operated in the Norfolk area until February 1974 when she sailed , with PhibRon 2 , for operations in the Caribbean . She returned to her home port on 19 March . The ship made another trip south to the Panama Canal area that lasted from 18 April to 4 June . On 24 June , " Shreveport " sailed for Rotterdam and another deployment with the Sixth Fleet . Throughout 1974 and half of 1975 , " Shreveport " was the flagship of the Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group and participated in various fleet exercises with the Marine Corps , occasionally also with South American Forces . In July 1975 , she deployed back to the Mediterranean where she participated in a major NATO exercise involving British , Turkish and U . S . Navies . During the return trip to Norfolk in February 1976 , the ship ’ s flag bridge was destroyed by a forty foot wave off Cape Hatteras . Thereafter " Shreveport " returned to fleet exercises in the Caribbean until September 1979 when she began another Mediterranean deployment where she completed four major amphibious operations with various European allies . 1980s . In September 1981 , " Shreveport " visited Cancún , Mexico to support President Ronald Reagan ’ s participation in the North - South Economic Summit . During a Mediterranean cruise that began in August 1982 , " Shreveport " spent four months off the coast of Beirut , Lebanon . As a result of this operation , she received the Navy Unit Commendation and the Navy Expeditionary Medal . In July 1984 , she broke the world record for transiting the Suez Canal . In late 1984 , she received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for conducting mine clearing operations in the Red Sea in support of Operation Intense Look . Later in the deployment , she was called to action off the Lebanese coast . Following the bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut , Shreveport provided critical medical evacuation and logistics support services . After making port calls in Marseille , France , and Malaga and Rota , Spain , she returned to Norfolk . 1990s and Operation Desert Storm . From 15 August 1990 to 17 April 1991 , " Shreveport " was deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operations " Desert Shield " and " Desert Storm " with Commander , Amphibious Squadron Six embarked . Her involvement in this conflict helped to earn her the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy for Operational Readiness in January 1992 . During a Mediterranean deployment in November 1993 , " Shreveport " was assigned to Mogadishu , Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope . From 1994 and 1995 saw " Shreveport " participating in Operation Provide Promise in the Adriatic Sea by flying video reconnaissance missions over Bosnia - Herzegovina utilizing the Pioneer UAV . During this time , she also served in the first amphibious Partnership for Peace exercise in Bulgaria . From December 1995 to February 1996 , " Shreveport " participated in Operations " Deny Flight " , " Provide Promise " , and " Joint / Decisive Endeavor " in the Adriatic sea . On 3 October 1997 , USS " Shreveport " deployed for yet another Mediterranean cruise . While operating in the Black Sea , " Shreveport " conducted a Change of Command ceremony in Constanţa , Romania on 11 December 1997 . In early February 1998 , she was called away from her original schedule and spent the remainder of the deployment operating inn the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch . From July 1998 – November 1998 she underwent a Metro machine Dry Dock Phased Maintenance Availability . Was awarded the Commander , Naval Surface , U . S . Atlantic Fleet Battle Efficiency Award and Safety Award for 1998 and 1999 , as well as her sixth consecutive Engineering " E " , seventh Maritime Warfare " E " , third Operations " E " , first Logistics " E " and first Medical " H " . From September 1999 to April 2000 USS " Shreveport " deployed on a Mediterranean Cruise where she spent time in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf supporting exercises " Bright Star " , " Noble Shirley " , " Infinite Moonlight " . 2000s and Hurricane Katrina . On 16 February 2000 , Shreveport ran aground in the Suez Canal , on its way back into the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea . It sustained damage to its starboard propeller , propeller shaft , rudder and steering system . Its captain was relieved of command . Damages were estimated at $ 932 , 000 . From September 2001 to April 2002 USS " Shreveport " deployed on a Mediterranean Cruise to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Enduring Freedom . From February 2004 to September 2004 USS " Shreveport " deployed on a Mediterranean Cruise to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the " Wasp " Amphibious Ready Group On 31 August 2005 USS " Shreveport " deployed with the USS " Iwo Jima " Amphibious Ready Group where the had been since the day that the city of New Orleans was stricken and flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina . Final Voyage and Decommissioning . After one last deployment in January 2007 as part of the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group with her final Commanding Officer , Captain Paul Monger , The USS " Shreveport " was decommissioned on 28 September 2007 and towed to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia , PA .