Shreveport (LPD 12) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS SHRE EPGRT LPD- - ' ding and Construction Company. She was commission d b the Lockheed Sh1pbu1l I The USE IZg'5t'fiovhiEsc:2Il:EuN:val S!hiPYard locaped itn Brfemftgggiovggllxfgggkhe Sixth Fleet in the Mediterran 12 Decem er - 1973 or er 1rs , , . rf lk earl january SHREVEPORT departed No o in Y S d Two SHREVEPORT v1s1ted ports 1n France Ital G . l 1973. . . Crete and Turkey before returning to dis lbniheedhgitgdifeliddeyan Sea in july 1975 with Cfmlmandefa AmPh1bl0uS Sfluadmll n SHREVEPORT again tieploye- gall Spain SHREVEPORT returned to Norfolk in earlY Februa1'Y 1976, having susta cmb k d Followin Christmas in 21 H13 1 at C D f foot wave resulting from the North Wall Effect Off CaPe Hatteras' North Carolina' fb , . . ya reece 1 . h1b1ous ua ron - ' 1::. Sea. serving as na85h'P for Commander' Ainp - q Two med ght I damage from a masstgeSplrRYEVEPORT deployed to Northern Europe as flagship for Commander, Amphibious Squadron Ei , ln late August 197 , , . . . - i h'b' A l E ' d ' ' During this two and one half month cruise, the ship pairigtpaged in two major NATO Amp 1 1ous ssau t xercises an visited ' ' om. 1 , ports in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and URS. de ilfymem to the Mediterranean Sea, returning to Norfolk m February In 5fP'cmbe' ww' SHREVEPORT began ano d the Flumanitarian Service Medal for their .On-scene assistance to the Cuban ww' In August wsu' SHREVEPORT S Crew eamgl-IREVEPORT visited Cancun, Mexico while supporting the President of the Flotilla in the Florida Straits. In September 1921i ic Summit Conference. y , .tg .X United States' participation tn the North-Sourt conom M dkerranean deployment as Hagshipifm. Commander, Amphibious ln August 1982, SHREVEPORT departed Norfolk for a e .1 b 1982 and gserlvedfor four months off the coast of Squadron Six. SHREVEPORT ioined the multinational force 1nVSE5g11pTeraS awarded the Navy Unk .Commendation and the licirut. Lebanon. UPOn return to Norfolk tn March 1282, SLHEE Coast W i ' 4. lfh 'oteeanese . 9 A 1 it , ,, Nasty hxgpetltt2pln.'pyiFolrceeSdtgd:ini2 Iilcgligrgggnean Sea July 1984. While in Rota, Spam, SHREVEPORT, received mission ildkhviffltpnd hcti-Pegiybarkgd marines and embark Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Fourteen ,fl-IIVE-141. CIEJSSEIZ 'M 'UH '0 ' ' . . . - SHREVEPORT articipated in Operation ntense oo , the Mediterranean Sea and transiting the Suez Canal tn record time, P. . I 0 y p 7 PORT . . - - ' ' f this crtticaloperation, SHREVE WHS ' nl 'ting mine clearance operations in the Red Sea. For her actions in support o i p p . th hiifitcrdbtl the Meritorious Unit Commendation. SHREVEPORT was again called to action off the Lebanese coast following e b b' fthe U.S. Embassy in Beirut. 9 i h it fi . . I olh l:tll?y1l9H5, SHREVEPORT was present for the opening ceremonies of the Tennessee-Tombtgbee Wategwayxin bitmd. ln October 1985, SHREVEPORT departed Norfolk for overhaul in Brooklyn, New York. Whlle 10 I C 58gPY9 1 ttntlcrwcnt extensive refurbishment. modernization and upgrade. SHREVEPORT returned to Norfolk 1njulyg19 - REFTRA, at After several weeks at sea in December 1986 and january 1987, SHREVEPORT conducted l1efresher.Tra1n1ng ins lid Shield Guitntnnitmo Bay. Cuba in February and March of 1987. In April 1987, SHREVEPORT participated in eiterctse 0 8 in preparation for her upcoming deployment. i I I I 1 , p . , ln September 1987. SHREVEPORT departed Norfolk for another deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. Embarkedxvill :lid iinni. of inn Ti,-cnt, Second Marine Expeditionary Unit Q22 Mem, SHREVEPORT, along with Uss NASSAU QLH lm. USS MANITOXYOC QLST 11801. composed the first Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group QMARGQ I0 dePl0Y lnllioqlfltxin tion with .1 regularly scheduled Aircraft Carrier Battle Group QCVBGQ deployment. SHREVEPORT returned to N01'f0 1 March 1988. if lnjune 1988. SHREVEPORT entered the Metro Machine Corporation Shipyard in Norfolk where shegunderwent four mffnfhs of extensive repair. upgrade and refurbishment. january 1989, SHREVEPORT departed Norfo1k,for Refresher .Training QRPFTRAJ at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba. During this most successful training period, SHREVEPORTfbecame the f1rstsll1P ever pass six ot' six main space fire drills on the first attempt. , I and ln late May 1989. SHREVEPORT deployed to the Mediterranean Sea visiting ports in Spain, France, Israel, ESV? Ita XFN' Portugal. ln july 1989. SHREVEPORT became the first U.S. Navy ship to ever visit St. Cyr Sur Mer, France. SHREVEROR d P lllrnt-'sl 10 Norfolk in November 1989 for a two month maintenance availability. In june 1990 SHREVEPORT Was agam un ew way. spending the majority ofthe summer months in support of Western Atlantic operations. Four days after receiving Ofdffsus deploy. SHREVEPORT sailed to the Persian Gulf in support of operation Desert Shield with Commander, Amphlbm Squadron Six embarked. During operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm , SHREVEPORT steamed nearly 50,000 nautical miles and servedas the Primary Control Shi dur' f ' ' ' I P mg OU! Sea Soldier amphibious assault exercise. SHREVEPORT was an integral member ofthe Persian Gulf Amphibious Task Force which was the la ' ' War r e bl d 1, 1 ' 1 h d the Kofean ' returned home to a hero'S 1 g SI OI16 ZSSCIIJ C SIIICC I C Bfldlllg af DC Ofl llflflg mn H 5 we come and 1 b l ' h B k Fl et Tr0PhY for 0 standing readiness and performance in 1991. was Su sequent y awarded the Arlelg ur e e Later that year. in December 1991 SHREVEPORT ' Cl 1 ' ' d r Amphibious Squadron Six embarked. During the six mgnth d agam ep oyed to the Mgcinerranean Sea with Comman e land Turkey. SHREVEPORT rem: d v ePl0Yl11ent SHREVEPORT visited Spain, France, Crete, Israel, Portugfl N ne to homeport in june 1992, Cl ' A b ' 'l bility. In Allgust' 1995. smtrvspoar d8Pl0ved once again for the M d' an In ugus' egan a four month Shipyard mi a the . - - hrough I 5 , ' . . . . e neffaflean, in a deployment that took her to the Adriatic, I ttftitcglgzllfiqihtilfffliflf soils! of Afnca to Pan'C1Pa'e in OP91'afi0H Restore Ho e II Cl D ln that deploy' , 1 I A h visited Spain. France. Italy. and Turke d P , an across thegquator ur g Sovfh w -' est Sm Senlce Medal. Y an earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the .-s II, H Q, iii Tl di U' .J

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22ndM RI EXPEDITIO ARYU IT During the 19605 and 1970s the current 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit tMEUi was actitated at various times as the 32d Ma- rine Amphibious Unit to participate in exercises and operitions in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean Sea, and in the North At- lantic Ocean. On December 15, 191-32, the MEL' vias redesignated the .Eid Marine Amphibious Unit. The MEU assumed tts cur rent designation in the late 1980s. The 22d MEU and its two sister units, the 24th MEL' .ind the 26th MEL', operate on it rotational basis as the Landing Force, U.S. Sixth Fleet, usually in the Mediterranean Sei. While deployed as Landing Force Sixth Fleet tLF6l'i 1-55 from February 1985 to May 1985, the MEU was ordered ashore to serve as the U.S. contingent to the Multinational Peacekeeping l-orce in Lebanon. After being reltesed of its duties tn Beirut, the MBU conducted several key operations with its European Allies and .t short training exercise in Key West, Fla., before returning to Camp Lejeune. On October 18, 1985, the MEU left for another tour in Beirut. this time as LF6F 1-8-1. Seseral days after embttrkation at More- head City. the MEU was diverted to the tropical island of Grenada. Following several days of fighting, the victorious Marines rc-embarked and again set -tail for Lebanon. ln February 1984 the MEU redeployed on Naval shipping off the Lebanese coast except for a detachment left behind to pro- vide security for the embassy. The MBU was relieved of tts LF6F commitment during April. The MEU returned to the Mediterranean during fall of 19511 .ind received many accolades for its outstanding performance in a number of allied training exercises including ones in Spain, Mtirtitcti. Italy. Turkey and Tunisia. lt returned to the States in early February 1985. On july 5. 1984 the Ml-YU reastutncd the l.FoF tomntitment .ind rcniaitietl in the Mediterranean until December 1985. lt rc- turned to sea as l.P6E 1-H7 from October vm' until lt-bruary Ive-lit, lht- Ml- l' also st-rved as the landing forte for Phase ll of Ex- ercise Solid Shield '87 in Honduras. ln 1990 the 22d MEU Conducted .t non'totnb.tmnt evacuation operation tu rcscuc U.S. and other friendly citizens from worn- torn Liberia. ln 1991 it was the first Maritit- unit to tontluct cotnbitirtl exercises in Kun .tit following operations Desert bhteld and Desert Storm. D rin its do lu ment as Ll'6F 1-'M from Utttibcr iw: until April Iwi. tht- Mlfll prosided a U.S. presence in the Adriatic U ll P Y Sea off the coast of the former Yugotl.iti.t .it p.trt or tipt-Litton Prtitidc Pronittt-. The Mlill departed Morehead Ltty for the cur- rent deployment in August 1995 .titer be-ing htimt' It-tt than four months, Highlights of this deployment included participating in operations Provide Promise and Deny Flight in tht- Atlrmttt in both St-ptcniber .tntlj.tnuary, and UNOSOM llfOperation Con- tinue Hope an part ofjoint Task Force Somalii The Ml-ill .also ttintluttctl .t number of joint exercises with its allies in Spain, Turkey. France. and Egypt. ' ' - ' - ' - M l' H'l' r S uadron 162, and During LFGI' 5-93. the MBU w.ts tomprtsttl ot ll.ttt.tlion lntntltnt, Tt.tm lp, H, Marine ct tum t tcoptc q MBU Service Support Group 22.