USS Juneau ( LPD - 10 ) USS " Juneau " ( LPD - 10 ) , an " Austin " - class amphibious transport dock , is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital of Alaska . The ship entered service on 12 July 1969 , and participated in the Vietnam War , was command ship for the response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill , transported troops to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm , and was part of the attempted US response to Cyclone Nargis . " Juneau " was decommissioned in 2008 , and is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet . Construction and launch . Her keel was laid down by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle , Washington , on 23 January 1965 . She was launched on 12 February 1966 ( sponsored by Mrs . William A . Egan , wife of William A . Egan , the Governor of Alaska ) , and commissioned on 12 July 1969 . Operational history . Throughout the 1970s , " Juneau " completed five deployments to the western Pacific , including eight trips into Vietnamese waters , earning five battle star s for its efforts in the Vietnam War . " Juneau " conducted the first AV - 8A Harrier landing on a Pacific Fleet LPD in February 1976 . On 4 July 1976 , " Juneau " arrived in Juneau , Alaska with a complement of Marines from 1st Battalion , 5th Marines , 1st Marine Division as part of the United States ' Bicentennial celebrations . During the 1980s " Juneau " completed seven deployments . In April 1989 , " Juneau " received emergency orders to Prince William Sound in support of the Exxon Valdez oil spill clean up . She was the first naval vessel on station , and assumed the duties of command and control ship for Joint Task Force Alaska . She provided berthing , communications , transportation ( both surface and air ) , food , medical and laundry services for over four hundred civilian cleanup workers . She was the host of Vice - President Quayle ' s visit to Prince William Sound , where he toured an oil soaked beach and then returned to the " Juneau " and gave a speech that was televised nation wide . After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the initiation of Operation Desert Shield , " Juneau " sailed with 12 other ships of Amphibious Group Three in December 1990 to participate in Operation Desert Storm . Joining with ships from Amphibious Group Two , " Juneau " was a member of the largest amphibious task force since the United Nations assault on Incheon , South Korea . On 24 February 1991 " Juneau " off - loaded her equipment and ammunition in record time and landed her embarked troops at Ras Al Mishab , Saudi Arabia , whence they would assault Iraqi positions in southern Kuwait . In May 1991 , " Juneau " proceeded to Bangladesh to assist in Operation Sea Angel , providing relief after a disastrous cyclone . During her 14th deployment , " Juneau " was diverted to the coast of Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope . Her embarked Marines ensured the security of shipments of food supplies to the people of Somalia . " Juneau " was homeported in San Diego until 30 July 1999 when she relieved as part of the forward - deployed naval forces . From June to September 1999 " Juneau " participated in the first Ship Swap with her sister - ship " Dubuque " , where each ship ' s crew remained in their original home ports , allowing " Dubuque " to return to the homeport of San Diego , California . Since that date , " Juneau " has been homeported in Sasebo , Japan . " Juneau " was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian - led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 28 to 31 January 2000 . During the 2008 Myanmar Cyclone Nargis crisis and the subsequent Operation Caring Response aid mission , the " Juneau " ( as part of the ' s amphibious group , along with the , and the ) , she stood by off Burma from 13 May to 5 June , waiting for the Myanmar junta government to permit US aid to its citizens . However , in early June , with permission still not forthcoming , it was decided to put the group back on its scheduled operations . Decommissioning . " Juneau " swapped with her sister ship , the during the third quarter of fiscal year 2008 . After the swap , the ship sailed to San Diego for decommissioning . The decommissioning took place 30 October 2008 after which the ship was moved to Hawaii and placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet .