USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49)

USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) is the lead ship of her class of landing ship dock of the United States Navy. This warship was named for the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which, because of the Federal arsenal there, was an important location during the Civil War. , Harpers Ferry is commanded by Commander Stephen Ilteris. USS Harpers Ferry is assigned to the Navy's "Amphibious Group 1". The homeport of the Harpers Ferry is at San Diego, California. Harpers Ferry was previously stationed at the American Naval Base in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan before she was relieved in 2011 by USS Germantown. This base is available to the U.S. Navy because of the Mutual Defense Treaty between Japan and the United States.

Harpers Ferry was laid down on 15 April 1991, at the Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, and she was launched on 16 January 1993. She was commissioned on 7 January 1995.

On 1 September 2002, Harpers Ferry relieved USS Germantown (LSD-42) as a forward-deployed warship based in Japan. In 2011, the two ships exchanged places again with the USS Harpers Ferry returning to San Diego, California as its homeport.

Following the Cyclone Nargis disaster in Burma in 2008, and during the following "Operation Caring Response" humanitarian aid mission to Burma, Harpers Ferry steamed in Burmese waters from 13 May to 5 June, waiting for the Burmese junta government to allow American aid to be taken to its citizens. During this operation, she was a part of USS Essex (LHD-2)'s expeditionary strike group, which also included USS Juneau (LPD-10) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG-89), However, in early June, with permission to enter Burmese airspace and land areas still not forthcoming from the Burmese government, it was decided to withdraw this aid mission and to return this Naval Task Group back to its previously-scheduled operations.

In October 2009, Harpers Ferry participated in humanitarian rescue operations in the Pangasinan province, of the Philippines, following the impact of a typhoon that caused serious flooding.

In early April 2010, the ship participated in the recovery efforts of the sunken R.O.K. Navy ship ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772).

This ship was one of several participating in disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.