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USS Essex (LHD-2) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in 1992. Essex conducted an arduous and highly successful training program, leading to her maiden deployment in October 1994. With the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) embarked, Essex showcased her abilities on numerous occasions. The highlight of the deployment came in January of 1995, when she left the Gulf to prepare for the complex task of covering the withdrawal of UN multinational force from Somalia in Operation United Shield . Under fire from advancing Somalis, every member of the force was successfully extracted. Essex returned to San Diego on 25 April 1995.

After a short Maintenance period, Essex embarked on a vigorous workup cycle, culminating in her participation in RIMPAC ’96, a biennial, seven-nation naval exercise. On 10 October 1996, she embarked on her second Western Pacific deployment, with the 11th MEU (SOC) and Amphibious Squadron FIVE.

During the deployment, Essex participated in multinational exercises with Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, as well as Exercise Tandem Thrust ’97, an American-Australian combined exercise with over 28,000 troops, 250 aircraft and 40 vessels participating.

Upon her return in April 1997, Essex again went into a short maintenance period, followed by a shortened workup cycle. She then departed for her third Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf deployment on 22 June 1998 with the 15th MEU (SOC) and Amphibious Squadron FIVE.

Essex participated in Exercises Sea Soldier and Red Reef, and participated in Military SALT and Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations with the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. Additionally, Essex supported Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the UN-mandated no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

On 26 July 2000This page is about the year 2000. See 2000 AD for the UK comic book, Number 2000 for other uses. 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar), and also the International Year for a Culture of Peace''. Events Y2K passes without the seri, after successful completion of the largest hull swap in U.S. navy history, Essex replaced Belleau Wood (LHA 3) and inherited the distinctive role as the Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed Amphibious Assault Ship in Sasebo, JapanJapan (, Nippon/Nihon literally "the origin of the sun") is a country in East Asia situated on a chain of islands east of the Asian continent on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The largest of these islands are, from north to south, Hokkaido , Honsh.

In the role, Essex participated in humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations in East TimorThe Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste commonly known as East Timor is an island nation in Southeast Asia, consisting of the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecussi-Ambeno, a political exclave of East Timor in October and November 2001 and Foal Eagle in KoreaKorea is a formerly unified country, situated on the Korean Peninsula in north East Asia adjacent to China in the west and Russia in the north. When World War II ended in 1945, the country was divided into two: the Republic of Korea ( South Korea) and the in 2002.

Since her commissioning, Essex has received numerous awards, including all of the warfare excellence awards, six Battle “E” awards, the Golden Anchor Award for retention, the Navy Award for food service excellence, the Thompson Award for public affairs excellence, the Ogden Award for firefighting excellence, and the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific Safety Award.

See USS EssexFive ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Essex after the town of Essex, Massachusetts. The first Essex was a 32-gun sailing frigate launched in 1799, one of the heroes of the War of 1812. The second Essex was an ironclad steamer in the Ame for other Navy ships of the same name.