USS Essex ( LHD - 2 ) USS " Essex " ( LHD - 2 ) is a built at what is now Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula , Mississippi , and commissioned on 17 October 1992 while moored at North Island NAS beside the . It is the fifth ship named for Essex County , Massachusetts . Dick Cheney , then the Secretary of Defense in the first Bush Administration , spoke at the commissioning ceremony . " Essex " served as the command ship for Expeditionary Strike Group Seven until replaced by the on 23 April 2012 . The " Essex " collided with in May 2012 . History . 1993 . " Essex " conducted an arduous and highly successful training program during the spring of 1993 , and from 18 August until 23 November , was undergoing upgrades , during Post Shakedown Availability , in Long Beach harbor , while her crew was at 4 section duty . 1994 . The " Essex " s maiden deployment was in October 1994 . With the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit ( Special Operations Capable ) embarked , " Essex " showcased her abilities on numerous occasions . The highlight of the deployment came in January 1995 , when she left the Persian Gulf to prepare for the complex task of covering the withdrawal of United Nations multinational force from Somalia in Operation United Shield . Under fire from advancing Somalis , every member of the force was successfully extracted . " Essex " returned to San Diego on 25 April 1995 . 1996 . After a short maintenance period , " Essex " embarked on a vigorous workup cycle , culminating in her participation in Rim of the Pacific Exercise ( RIMPAC ) , a biennial , seven - nation naval exercise . On 10 October 1996 , she embarked on her second Western Pacific deployment , with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit ( SOC ) and Amphibious Squadron Five . During the deployment , " Essex " participated in multinational exercises with Qatar , Oman and Kuwait , as well as Exercise Tandem Thrust 1997 , an American - Australian combined exercise with over 28 , 000 troops , 250 aircraft and 40 ships participating . 1997 . Upon her return in April 1997 , " Essex " again went into a short maintenance period , followed by a shortened workup cycle . She then departed for her third Western Pacific , Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf deployment on 22 June 1998 with the 15th MEU ( SOC ) and Amphibious Squadron Five . " Essex " participated in Exercises Sea Soldier and Red Reef , and participated in Military SALT and Non - Combatant Evacuation Operations with the U . S . Embassy in Kuwait . Additionally , " Essex " supported Operation Southern Watch , enforcing the UN - mandated no - fly zone over southern Iraq . 2000 . On 26 July 2000 , after successful completion of the largest crew swap in U . S . Navy history , " Essex " replaced and inherited the distinctive role as the Navy ’ s only permanently forward - deployed amphibious assault ship in United States Fleet Activities Sasebo , Japan . 2001 . In the role , " Essex " has participated in various humanitarian assistance / disaster relief operations including East Timor in October and November 2001 and Foal Eagle in Korea in 2002 . 2004 . In 2004 , " Essex " carried the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ( 31st MEU ) to Kuwait , along with and . " Essex " stayed in the Persian Gulf while the 31st MEU and the combat element 1st Battalion , 3rd Marines went into Iraq for the Battle of Fallujah . During that time , " Essex " went to aid in Operation Unified Assistance in Banda Aceh , Indonesia after the St . Stephen ' s Day 2004 Tsunami . She then returned to the Persian Gulf to embark the 31st MEU SOC and the combat element despite being in need of maintenance . After picking up the MEU and the Combat Element , the three ships returned to Okinawa , Japan . The ship had been at sea a total of 8 months . 2008 . During the 2008 Myanmar Cyclone Nargis crisis and the subsequent Operation Caring Response aid mission , the " Essex " and her carrier group ( made up of the , the , and the ) 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 . 2009 . Early in 2009 , " Essex " completed a successful exercise Cobra Gold , which had been cut short the previous year . " Essex " followed this with exercise Balikatan with the Republic of the Philippines . " Essex " then got underway in support of exercise Talisman Saber 2009 and conducted various welldeck and flight deck evolutions in support of this joint bi - lateral exercise between the U . S . and Australian military forces . 2010 . During 21 – 23 October , the " Essex " Expeditionary Strike Group provided humanitarian assistance / disaster relief to the Philippines after the Super Typhoon Juan ( international name Megi ) caused extensive destruction to municipalities along the eastern coast of the Province of Isabela . Despite the efforts of the " Essex " Expeditionary Strike Group , 31st MEU , and elements of the 3rd MEB and Marine Air Group 36 , no Humanitarian Service Medal and / or Philippine Presidential Unit Citation were awarded . 2011 . On the request for assistance from the Japanese government , the Navy directed the " Essex " to be deployed off the northeastern coast of Honshu after the massive 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami . The ship was involved in relief activities in the Sea of Japan off Akita Prefecture . Helicopters from the ship helped deliver relief supplies to quake and tsunami survivors along the northeast coast of Tohoku . The ship departed Sasebo in September 2011 for a patrol of the western Pacific . Accompanying the ship were the and . In November , Petty Officer 1st Class Regan Young was fatally injured on the " Essex " during a weapons systems test while the ship was off the coast of Bali . 2012 . The " Essex " was scheduled to depart for Cobra Gold 2012 , an annual exercise with Thailand . The mission was canceled , however , due to mechanical or maintenance issues . It was announced in January 2012 that " Essex " would be returning to its home port of San Diego , California . This occurred with a hull swap with . In a hull swap , respective crews change ships . Thus , the current " Essex " crew moved to the " Bonhomme Richard " and continued their deployment in Sasebo . On 16 May 2012 , the " Essex " suffered an apparent steering failure while approaching USNS " Yukon " for an underway replenishment . The two ships collided causing damage to both ships . There were no injuries and no loss of fuel was reported . Both ships were able to continue to San Diego under their own power . On 19 June 2012 the Navy announced that the ship ' s commander , Captain Chuck Litchfield , had been relieved of command due to " loss of confidence in his ability to command . " The " Essex " is expected to participate in RIMPAC in Hawaii during June – July 2012 despite damage incurred during the collision . An investigation determined that the collision was avoidable and caused by improper supervision by Litchfield over his junior bridge crew . Although the " Essex ' s " bow had jammed , the investigation determined that better leadership by Litchfield could have prevented the collision . The investigation recommended administrative action against " Essex ’ s " executive officer , officer - of - the - deck , conning officer and helm safety officer . The " Essex " entered a 18 - month maintenance and upgrade at Naval Station San Diego on September 18 , 2012 . Capt . Joker L . Jenkins , a Taiwan - born USN officer , was announced as the new captain in November 2012 . Unit awards . Since her commissioning , " Essex " has received numerous awards , including all of the warfare excellence awards , seven Battle “ E ” awards ( most recently in 2008 ) , the Golden Anchor Award for retention , the Ney Award for food service excellence , the Thompson Award for public affairs excellence , the Ogden Award for firefighting excellence , and the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander , Naval Surface Forces Pacific Safety Award .