USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7)

History of Iwo Jima (LHD-7)

The LHD-7 was the second ship of its kind to be named after the famous "Iwo Jima" island battle of World War II. The LHD is an amphibious assault ship with helicopter dock landing capability. The ship's design is built around the needs and requirements of locating, transporting and landing naval battalions anywhere in the world with a coastline. Construction on Iwo Jima began at Ingalls Shipyard in September 1996 and was launched on February 4, 2000. On the ship's maiden voyage on June 23, 2001, her guests aptly included veterans of the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

A week later, she was commissioned on June 30, 2001, in Pensacola, Florida.

Iwo Jima has two steam propulsion units, the largest of its kind currently in service with the U.S. Navy. In total, these systems produce 400 tons of steam per hour to generate 77,000 shaft horsepower, enabling speeds in excess of 24 knots.

It used more than 21,000 tons of steel, 400 tons of aluminum, 400 miles of electrical wiring, 80 miles of pipes and hoses of various types and sizes, and 10 miles of ventilation ducts. Shortly after she was commissioned, the crew and vessel began an international deployment cycle - the venerable "shock" cruise.

Every system on board will be tested in combat conditions, from the RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) surface-to-air missile system to the installation in the galley - all areas are tested.

Iwo Jima and the Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26 MEU) and two other amphibious assault ships make up the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group. The 26 MEU is a rapid reaction force that requires only six hours of alert time and can be deployed for a variety of mission types. These mission types include combat operations, humanitarian assistance, non-combat evacuation, and security operations. The Marine Corps' newest amphibious warship has Marine Corps support as its primary mission.

The USS Iwo Jima and her sister ships are the first specifically designed to accommodate a new type of landing craft - the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) - for deployment on the beach. Also on board, the Marines use the McDonnell Douglas Harrier II (AV-8B), a short vertical take-off and landing (V/STOL) jet, to provide close support to advancing assault forces. To accomplish its primary mission, Iwo Jima is also equipped with an attack support system that allows troops to land by sea and/or helicopters, including the new and sophisticated MV-22 Osprey VTOL tilt-rotor aircraft. Flight operations are carried out via two aircraft lifts serving the hangar and flight deck. Six freight elevators, each measuring 13 x 26 feet, are used to transport materials and supplies from the ship's 110,000 cubic feet cargo hold to docking areas on the flight deck, hangar and vehicle storage areas.

The cargo was transferred to a waiting landing craft docked on the ship's 1,200-square-foot, 270-foot deck. Helicopters in hangar cabins or flight decks are loaded using forklifts.

Iwo Jima has medical and dental facilities capable of providing medical care to 600 war victims or those injured in humanitarian operations. Medical facilities on board include four main and two additional emergency operating rooms, four dental operating rooms, two X-ray rooms, a blood bank, state-of-the-art laboratories and wards.

Because quick medical treatment can save lives, the ship has a casualty gathering area on the flight deck level and three changing stations. Medical elevators are located nearby, taking casualties from the flight deck and hangar to medical facilities, depending on the severity of a particular injury. To the satisfaction of the 1,075 crew and 1,897 Marines, all manned spaces and berths are individually heated and air-conditioned.

Dock areas are divided to provide semi-private spaces without adversely affecting space requirements. Deck and wall coverings are decorative, as opposed to the plain grey walls of older ships.

The exhibition area has a restaurant atmosphere and is designed to accommodate a large number of employees in a short period of time. The ship features a well-stocked library, a multimedia center with internet access, an arcade room, a weight room and satellite TV.

In March 2003, USS Iwo Jima was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and from April onwards dispatched Marines from the Mediterranean to northern Iraq. In July 2003, Iwo Jima was deployed to the coast of Liberia as part of Joint Task Force Liberia in response to the Second Liberian Civil War. Task Force Command aboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) intends to keep a small naval footprint ashore. On August 14, 2003, the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Team conducted an amphibious assault at Roberts International Airport that included 150 Marines and another 50 Marines at Monrovia Freeport on Bushrod Island.

Nigerian soldiers have also deployed peacekeepers as part of the African Defence Force. The area was stabilized by the Joint Task Force, enabling the United Nations to distribute humanitarian aid as needed.

On August 31, 2005, Iwo Jima was dispatched to the Gulf of Mexico to provide disaster relief and rescue operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Iwo Jima was relocated to the Mississippi River in New Orleans to support relief efforts and serve as the central command center for all federal, state and local humanitarian operations there.

Iwo Jima is also the only helicopter-operated airport in the region. Navy helicopters have flown more than a thousand sorties from the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima. Crew members and ships provide National Guard and rescue workers with hot food, showers, drinking water and quarters, while their impressive on-board medical facilities provide first aid and surgery to disaster victims.

Iwo Jima also served as the flagship of Commander-in-Chief George W. Bush during Joint Task Force Katrina, and is just one of two Navy ships that will fly the U.S. presidential flag.

In June 2006, Iwo Jima departed from her home port of Norfolk, Virginia, to begin a six-month deployment with U.S. European Command as the flagship of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group's 6,000 sailors and Marines . On February 16, 2007, Iwo Jima won the 2006 Combat "E" Award.

In 2002, 2004 and 2009, Iwo Jima participated in the annual Fleet Week in New York City.

The USS Makin Island LHD-8 is the eighth ship in the Wasp class; it will feature some notable technological advancements and will enter service in San Diego, CA in October 2009.

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