USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) - History

History

USS Blue Ridge was commissioned on 14 November 1970, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard as a command and control ship for the Navy. On 11 February 1971, with Captain Carroll (Vice Admiral Kent J. Carroll) in command, Blue Ridge steamed on her maiden voyage from the shipyard to her first homeport, San Diego, California, via the Strait of Magellan.

From 1972 until 1979, Blue Ridge deployed to the Western Pacific as the Flagship, Commander Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet.

Since October 1979, Blue Ridge has been forward-deployed at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan as the flagship of the US Seventh Fleet.

Blue Ridge performed a nine-and-one-half month deployment as flagship for the Commander, United States Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 1990 through 24 April 1991.

Blue Ridge participates routinely in U.S. and allied training exercises each year with countries throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.

This ship was one of several participating in disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami/Operation TOMODACHI. Blue Ridge brought relief supplies from Singapore to Japan and remained underway in the vicinity of Honshu providing C4I support to Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet for the duration of Operation TOMODACHI.

Blue Ridge is expected to remain in service until 2039.

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