THE “MIGHTY J” COMES TO TOWN

USS Juneau, Alaska’s capital city namesake, made a port visit today in Juneau. I attended reception today aboard the ship. Her nickname is “The Mighty J.” The grand old ship’s next stop is San Diego, where it will be de-activated after a long and distinguished history.

The Juneau served in Vietnamese waters eight times, assisted in rectifying the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, assisted in Desert Storm off Iraq, and many other critical missions. The USS Juneau is an “LPD” – or an Amphibious Transport Dock vessel. She is manned by 350 sailors, 30 officers, and is skippered by Captain Dennis Mikeska.

The ship can carry troops, cargo, tanks, fixed wing aircraft, as well as helicopters. It can also carry various types of Landing Craft, boats that leave a ship and carries troop to a beachhead. The Juneau is unique in how the landing craft are deployed. The troops step aboard the Landing Craft inside the safety of the Juneau, the deck is flooded, and the Landing Craft motor out of their mother ship and head for shore!

The photos shows me enroute to the reception, and Captain Mikeska and his Executive Officer speaking to the reception.