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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Comstock (LSD-45)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Whiskey - Kilo
 NCWK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award (2) - Navy Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (5) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (2)
Whidbey Island Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 27 October 1986, at Avondale Shipbuilding New Orleans, LA.
  • Launched, 16 January 1988
  • Commissioned USS Comstock (LSD-45), 3 February 1990, CDR. Robert H. Howe, USN, in command
  • Comstock is assigned to COMSURFPAC, Amphibious Group Three and is homeported in San Diego, CA.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,471 t.(lt), 16,360 t.(fl)
    Length 609' 7"
    Beam 84'
    Draft 19' 2"
    Speed 20+kts.
    Complement 20 Officers, 327 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations 34 Officers, 471 Enlisted
    Aircraft Helicopters, (Flight Deck, 2 spots)
    Boats Well Deck Capacity up to five LCAC's
    Armament
    two (MK15 mod1) Phalanx (CIWS) 20mm Vulcan cannon gun mounts
    two (MK16) 25mm Bushmaster chain gun mounts
    six .50 cal. machine guns
    Propulsion four Colt Industries PC2.5V 16 cylinder diesels, 2 shafts, combined SHP 33,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Comstock 1294k Aerial port bow view of USS Comstock (LSD-45) underway on builders sea trials, prior to her commissioning.
    US Navy photo # 900101-N-0000X-001 GULF OF MEXICO (1 January 1990) courtesy of Avondale Industries, Inc.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Comstock 1417k USS Comstock (LSD-45) moored at New Orleans, March 1990. ©Richard Leonhardt
    Comstock 28k USS Comstock (LSD-45) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 USS Comstock web site
    Comstock 291k USS Comstock (LSD-45) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Tommy Trampp
    Comstock 598k A Landing Craft Air Cushion in the well deck of USS Comstock (LSD-45) at San Diego in 1996. These specialized, high-speed landing craft travel up to 45 knots (more than 50 mph!) while carrying a very heavy payload (up to 75 tons) and are used to transport troops, tanks, trucks, weapons, cargo and equipment from ship to shore and across the beach. Because of its innovative air cushion, the LCAC can reach 70 percent of the world’s shoreline, while conventional landing craft can only land on 15 percent of coasts.
    Photo from the N.A. "Stretch" Brown collection    		 Submitted by Carol Edgemon Hipperson author of "Radioman: An Eyewitness Account of Pearl Harbor & World War II in the Pacific" (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martins Press, 2008) ISBN-10 031238694X ISBN-13 978-0312386948
    Comstock 431k Looking aft across the flight deck of USS Comstock (LSD-45) while underway off San Diego in 1996. Note the LARC trailing the ship.
    Photo from the N.A. "Stretch" Brown collection    		 Submitted by Carol Edgemon Hipperson author of "Radioman: An Eyewitness Account of Pearl Harbor & World War II in the Pacific" (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martins Press, 2008) ISBN-10 031238694X ISBN-13 978-0312386948
    Comstock 84k USS Comstock (LSD-45) at anchor off Seattle, WA. during the Seattle Sea Fair in the summer of 1992
    Photo taken from Cape Cod (AD-43).    		 Photo by Lee Nolan STGC(SW) USN, Ret.
    Comstock 109k USS Comstock (LSD-45) in company with USS Peleliu (LHA 5), both part of San Diego based Amphibious Squadron One, pulled into Apra Harbor, Guam for a scheduled port visit, 19 September 1997.
    US Navy photo # 970919-N-9404C-001 by PH2 Todd R. Cromar.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Bonhomme Richard 4166k Amphibious Task Force-West (ATF-West), comprised of;
    USS Bon Homme Richard (LHD-6),
    USS Boxer (LHD-4),
    USS Dubuque (LPD-8),
    USS Comstock (LSD-45),
    USS Anchorage (LSD-36),
    USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52), and
    USS Cleveland (LPD-7),
    steam in formation with Military Sealift Command (MSC) oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO-200). ATF-West deployed from San Diego January 17, transporting Marines and their gear to Kuwait for further deployment into Iraq.US Navy photo # 030524-N-1352S-006 Arabian Gulf (May 24, 2003) by PH2 Jennifer Swader.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Comstock 88k A Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) transports Marines and mission essential equipment from USS Comstock (LSD 45) to the Kuwait Naval Base, 7 July 2004. Comstock was deployed to the Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
    US Navy photo # 040707-N-2972R-068 by PH3 Angel Roman-Otero     		Navy NewsStand
    Comstock 53k USS Comstock (LSD-45) moored pierside at San Diego, CA. while undergoing repair, June 2005. Note the unidentified APL astern of Comstock. Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Comstock 5727k USS Comstock (LSD-45) is moored to the left as USS Hopper (DDG-70) is being moored at right to piers at Naval Station Pearl Harbor as a landing craft air cushion (LCAC) delivers equipment to the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) during Rim-of-the-Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008, 9 July 2008. RIMPAC is the world's largest multinational exercise scheduled biennially by the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
    US Navy photo # 080709-N-8135W-071 PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (July 9, 2008) by MC1 Kirk Worley.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Comstock 2117k USS Comstock (LSD-45) steams in the operation area of Rim-of-the-Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008. RIMPAC is the world's largest multinational exercise scheduled biennially by the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Participants include the United States, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
    US Navy photo # 080712-N-7949W-066 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 12, 2008) by MC1 Daniel N. Woods.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Comstock 2092k USS Comstock (LSD-45) moored pierside at Naval Station San Diego, August 2008. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Comstock 1594k USS Comstock (LSD-45) returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010 exercises. RIMPAC is a biennial, multinational exercise designed to strengthen regional partnerships and improve multinational interoperability.
    US Navy photo # 100729-N-0641S-059 PEARL HARBOR (July 29, 2010) by MC1 Jason Swink.    		 Lee Wahler
    Comstock 2102k USS Comstock (LSD-45) departs San Diego Bay for a scheduled 2011 western Pacific Ocean deployment. Comstock is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group.
    US Navy photo # 110222-N-3428H-020 SAN DIEGO (Feb. 22, 2011) by MCSA David Hooper.    		 Lee Wahler
    Comstock 303k USS Comstock (LSD-45) transits the Indian Ocean. Comstock is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group deployed in the US 7th Fleet area of responsibility.
    US Navy photo # 110324-N-GW695-137 INDIAN OCEAN (March 24, 2011) by MC3 Stephen M. Votaw.    		 Lee Wahler
    Comstock 511k Landing Craft Utility LCU-1648 assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU-1), passes USS Comstock (LSD 45) at anchor. Comstock is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
    US Navy photo # 110601-N-RC734-497 ARABIAN GULF (June 1, 2011) by MC2 Joseph M. Buliavac.    		 Lee Wahler
    Comstock 498k An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Wild Cards of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC-23) carries supplies past USS Comstock (LSD-45). Comstock is supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
    US Navy photo # 110607-N-GW695-082 GULF OF ADEN (June 7, 2011) by MC3 Stephen M. Votaw.    		 Lee Wahler
    Comstock 625k USS Comstock (LSD-45) front, and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD-20) transit the Indian Ocean. Both ships are part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and recently completed maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility during a deployment to the western Pacific Ocean.
    US Navy photo # 110818-N-ZS026-141 INDIAN OCEAN (Aug. 18, 2011) by MC3 Trevor Welsh.    		 Lee Wahler
    There is no DANFS history for USS Comstock (LSD-45) available at NavSource

    For more photos and information about USS Comstock, see;
  • History and Command Operational Reports
  • Navy Fact File - Dock Landing Ship - LSD
  • USS Comstock (LSD-45) Welcome Aboard brochure
  • USS Comstock (LSD-45), Official US Navy Web Site
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 1 March 2013