Recent Activities
On 6 June 2006, the Iwo Jima left its homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, and began a regularly scheduled six-month deployment to the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command area of responsibilities, as flagship for the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, encompasing 6,000 Sailors and Marines. The ship has also been a part of the evacuation effort of American citizens from the conflict in Lebanon.
News reports on 15 July 2006 stated that the Iwo Jima, flagship of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, would be used to evacuate U. S. citizens from Lebanon after the Israeli Defense Force made the Beirut International Airport unusable through bombing its runways and fuel storage areas. This exercise was completed by 1st Battalion 8th Marines under the 2nd Marine Division, the same unit that was attacked in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.
In 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, and 2011, Iwo Jima participated at the annual Fleet Week in New York City.
On 16 February 2007, Iwo Jima was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award.
On November 3, 2010, Iwo Jima was deployed to Haiti in anticipation of providing humanitarian assistance due to an impending Tropical Storm Tomas.
On March 27, 2012, Iwo Jima was deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit supporting maritime security operations and security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.
On 11 April 2012, an MV-22 from the VMM-261 crashed near Agadir, Morocco, during a joint training exercise after taking off from USS Iwo Jima. Two Marines were killed and two others were seriously injured.
Early May 2012 Iwo Jima was operating in the Gulf of Aqaba and in the South of the Red Sea.
In November 2012, Iwo Jima was dispatched to the eastern Mediterranean, during escalating warfare between Israel and Hamas, in case evacuation of U.S. citizens from Israel was required, delaying the scheduled return to Norfolk of the Iwo Jima.
In 2013 Iwo Jima will shift homeport to Mayport.
Read more about this topic: USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7)
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