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Homeports of USS Makin Island

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USS Makin Island (LHD 8)

USS MAKIN ISLAND is the eighth and final WASP-class Amphibious Assault Ship and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name. The MAKIN ISLAND is unique because she's the only ship in her class powered by LM 2500+ Gas Turbine Engines and Electric Drive. Additionally, MAKIN ISLAND is the only LHD to feature an all electric design - no steam is used onboard MAKIN ISLAND.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: April 19, 2002
	Keel laid: February 14, 2004
	Launched: September 22, 2006
	Commissioned: October 24, 2009
	Builder: Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Pascagoula, Miss.
	Propulsion system: 2 General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines, 2 electro motors, 6 diesel generators
	Propellers: two
	Aircraft elevators: two
	Length: 840 feet (256 meters)
	Flight Deck Width: 140 feet (42.6 meters)
	Beam: 106 feet (32,.3 meters)
	Draft: 26,5 feet (8.1 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 40,500 tons full load
	Speed: 23 knots
	Aircraft: 12 MV-22B, 4 CH-53E, 4 AH-1Z, 3 UH-1Y, 6 AV-8B, 3 MH-60S (approx. numbers, actual numbers depend on mission)
	Well deck capacity: three LCAC or two LCU or six LCM-8 or 40 Amphibious Assault Vessels (AAV) (normal) or 61 AAVs (stowed)
	Crew: Ship: 73 officers, 1,009 enlisted Marine Detachment: 1,894
	Armament: two Mk-29 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers, two 20mm Phalanx CIWS, eight Mk-33 .50 cal. machine guns, two Rolling Airframe Missile Systems
	Homeport: San Diego, Calif.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS MAKIN ISLAND. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

Click here to view the list.

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Click here to see which USS MAKIN ISLAND memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS MAKIN ISLAND Cruise Books:

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

The shield border shape and thickness symbolize Makin Island, the atoll in the Gilbert Islands and honors the 30 Marine Raiders who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country there. The five stars commemorate the five battle stars awarded to CVE-93 during World War II. The USMC Raider Crest, a blue shield with skull and five stars in the shape of the Southern Cross commemorates Marine Raider Companies A and B, Second Raider Battalion. The trident, symbol of sea prowess, with its three tines represents the future contributions of USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8), its associated Expeditionary Strike Group, and USMC main battery in the air, across the surface, and under the sea. The trident also symbolizes the contributions that were made in these areas of Sea Power by the Second Raider Battalion and USS MAKIN ISLAND (CVE 93).

The Crest:

The inverted blue star honors SSGT Thomason, who distinguished himself during the Makin Island Raid and was the first enlisted U.S. Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II. The embedded stylized cross alludes to the Navy Cross and commemorates the 23 awarded to Carlson’s Raiders after Makin Island. The Phoenix is the symbol of transformation and new beginnings. It has two heads, one looking to the past and the other to the future representing MAKIN ISLAND’s role as the transformational bridge between the LHD class and the next generation of amphibious capital ships. The flames and lightning bolts below the Phoenix symbolize the rebirth of amphibious capital ships with Gas Turbines, Electric Drive and all-electric auxiliaries. In the wreath below the flames, blue represents the US Navy and the United States. White represents integrity and loyalty. The two colors interwoven in the wreath represent how these two responsibilities are forever intertwined.

The Supporters:

A USN Officer’s Sword, 1917 Naval NCO Cutlass, USMC Officer’s Mameluke and a 1840 USMC NCO Sword were chosen to represent the teamwork required of Officer and Enlisted, Navy and Marine Corps for USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8) to accomplish her mission.

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About the Ship's Name:

USS MAKIN ISLAND is the second ship in the Navy to honor the daring raid carried out by Marine Corps Companies A and B, Second Raider Battalion, on Japanese-held Makin Island, in the Gilbert Islands, Aug. 17-18, 1942.

The raid was launched from the submarines USS NAUTILUS and USS ARGONAUT and succeeded in routing the enemy forces based there, gaining valuable intelligence. The raid's leader, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Evan Carlson was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions, while Marine Corps Sgt. Clyde Thompson, was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism and was the first enlisted Marine to be so honored during World War II.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Michael Hagee, cited the transformational nature of the engagement in a letter to Secretary Johnson and noted that many considered the raid the Marine Corps' first action in the realm of special operations.

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USS MAKIN ISLAND History:

USS MAKIN ISLAND entered naval service in 2009 as the final WASP-class amphibious assault ship and the first large-deck amphib built with a hybrid gas-turbine/diesel-electric propulsion plant. After delivery to the U.S. Navy on April 16, 2009, she departed Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula on July 10, 2009, rounded South America via the Strait of Magellan while conducting theater-security cooperation events with Brazil, Chile, and Peru, and arrived at her new home port of San Diego on September 14, 2009. MAKIN ISLAND held her formal commissioning ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, on October 24, 2009.

In 2010, the ship completed post-delivery trials and certifications. A damaged turning gear delayed final check-out trials from August into September, after which she proceeded to high-visibility civic events including San Francisco Fleet Week in early October. These early operations rounded out the transition from delivery to a fully mission-ready big-deck amphibious flagship in the Pacific Fleet.

Work-ups in 2011 culminated in the ship's first deployment with the 11TH Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). MAKIN ISLAND departed San Diego on November 14, 2011, as flagship of the MAKIN ISLAND Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), operating with USS NEW ORLEANS (LPD 18) and USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52). After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor on November 21, the ARG crossed the Pacific and entered the U.S. 5th Fleet in early 2012 for maritime security operations, boarding drills and partner training around the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Aden. In late May the ship left 5th Fleet for port calls at Sepanggar Naval Base, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (May 18-21), and then Hong Kong (May 25-29). The ARG completed turnover with the IWO JIMA (LHD 7) ARG in 5th Fleet on May 5, and MAKIN ISLAND returned to San Diego on June 22, 2012, closing a seven-month maiden deployment that spanned the 7th and 5th Fleet theaters.

Back in the United States, the ship supported Fleet Week San Francisco from October 3-8, 2012, then entered a 13-month Chief of Naval Operations Phased Maintenance Availability at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego that ran through late 2013, modernizing and preserving the hull, machinery, and aviation support systems for subsequent deployments.

Following work-ups with the 11TH MEU, MAKIN ISLAND got underway from San Diego on July 25, 2014 - this time operating alongside USS SAN DIEGO (LPD 22) and USS COMSTOCK (LSD 45) - for a Western Pacific and Middle East deployment. After a short-notice hurricane evacuation mission near Midway Atoll during the Hawaii transit, the ship made an early port visit to Hong Kong on August 20, then entered 5th Fleet on September 12 as the U.S.-led coalition began Operation Inherent Resolve. From the northern Arabian Gulf the embarked AV-8B Harriers flew combat sorties. The ARG also executed non-traditional ISR, contingency support to diplomatic facilities, and regional exercises including Cougar Voyage (with British and Kuwaiti forces) and Red Reef 15 in Saudi Arabia. The long operational tempo produced a 115-day continuous stretch at sea. In January 2015, the ship paused for a Singapore port visit (January 16) and then shifted from 5th to 7th Fleet in early January. MAKIN ISLAND returned to San Diego on February 25, 2015, concluding a seven-month deployment marked by sustained combat and theater-security operations.

A subsequent maintenance period ran through December 12, 2015, when the crew completed another Phased Maintenance Availability in San Diego that restored material readiness ahead of the next cycle.

In 2016, the ARG (now with USS SOMERSET (LPD 25) and USS COMSTOCK (LSD 45)) finished group sail on June 17. MAKIN ISLAND changed command on August 4 and departed San Diego on October 14 for a deployment spanning the 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas. The first port visit came at Singapore in late November. During December, the ARG supported "Alligator Dagger" amphibious readiness training around Djibouti and the Gulf of Aden to maintain crisis-response posture near the Bab-el-Mandeb. In late October, while still in the Pacific en route west, the ship conducted a search-and-rescue mission 600+ miles northwest of Oahu for missing Chinese sailor Guo Chuan, dispatching helicopters and a RHIB to board his adrift trimaran - an effort that ended when the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search on October 26.

With scarce U.S. carrier presence in the Middle East at the start of 2017, the MAKIN ISLAND ARG/11TH MEU assumed a heavier share of maritime security tasks in 5th Fleet before shifting back to the Western Pacific. MAKIN ISLAND visited Hong Kong April 7-11, 2017, then returned to San Diego on May 15, closing a seven-month cruise.

From August 2017 through March 2018 the ship entered a Docking Phased Maintenance Availability at NASSCO's floating dry dock in San Diego. The period included extensive hull and propulsion work to reset service life for the next several years.

The next full ARG/MEU deployment began after COVID-era training in 2020. Following a pre-deployment sequester and back-to-back at-sea exercises in October, MAKIN ISLAND - now flagship for the MAKIN ISLAND ARG with USS SAN DIEGO (LPD 22) and USS SOMERSET (LPD 25) - deployed on November 10, 2020, with the 15TH MEU. The force executed Operation Octave Quartz in December 2020-January 2021, supporting the repositioning of U.S. forces from Somalia while maintaining regional presence. On February 8, 2021, MAKIN ISLAND transited the Strait of Hormuz during continued 5th Fleet operations. Later in the spring, after shifting north and east, the ship participated in Northern Edge 2021 around Alaska to integrate amphibious aviation and joint effects before returning to San Diego on May 23, 2021.

Routine local operations and certifications continued into 2022, including amphibious combat vehicle evolutions on April 10 and a Rolling Airframe Missile live-fire on April 14 in the eastern Pacific. On November 9, 2022, the MAKIN ISLAND ARG - now with USS ANCHORAGE (LPD 23) and USS JOHN P. MURTHA (LPD 26) - deployed with the 13TH MEU. The ARG/MEU composition included VMFA-122 with a full squadron of ten F-35B aircraft, enabling fifth-generation fixed-wing operations from the big-deck amphib.

Through early 2023, the ship operated in the South China Sea and Philippine Sea alongside major U.S. formations. In mid-January the ARG/MEU completed CARAT/MAREX Singapore (January 9-13) around Changi Naval Base and Pulau Sudong. During February the Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center executed an emergent repair on board at Pearl Harbor while the ARG transited the region. In March, MAKIN ISLAND trained with the USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group and with USS AMERICA (LHA 6), integrating expeditionary sea-base and amphibious aviation effects across the South China Sea. The ship visited Manila for a scheduled port call on April 28, supported Exercise Balikatan 23 around Subic Bay in April, and entered Subic Bay on May 6 before continuing to Guam for logistics on May 14. The ARG returned to San Diego on June 6, 2023, concluding a seven-month Western Pacific deployment centered on allied interoperability and presence operations.

Post-deployment, the Navy awarded General Dynamics NASSCO a Selected Restricted Availability package for MAKIN ISLAND in May 2023, with the ship entering SRA in San Diego through 2024. In October 2024, the ship changed command while in maintenance and was named a 2024 Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award winner (large field-level category). On December 11, 2024, MAKIN ISLAND received the 2024 Phoenix Award - the Department of Defense's top maintenance honor - marking the first time in four decades that an amphibious ship earned the distinction.

In 2025, MAKIN ISLAND continued post-availability readiness activities in San Diego. Chaplain Candidate Program Officers embarked from July 8-24 to gain at-sea ministry experience. The ship conducted short local sorties noted by fleet trackers in August and mid-September, reflecting the return to sea time after her maintenance reset.

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Homeports of USS MAKIN ISLAND:

Period	Homeport
commissioned at San Diego, Calif.
2009 - present	San Diego, Calif.

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USS MAKIN ISLAND Contruction Gallery:

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USS MAKIN ISLAND Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the MAKIN ISLAND at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 23, 2010.

The photos below were taken by me and show the MAKIN ISLAND departing San Diego, Calif., on the morning of September 29, 2011.

The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee and show the MAKIN ISLAND during her port visit to Hong Kong May 25-29, 2012.

The photos below were taken by me on October 6, 2012, during a public tour of USS MAKIN ISLAND as part of Fleet Week San Francisco. The MAKIN ISLAND was the host ship for the event. She arrived in San Francisco, Calif., on October 3 and stayed until October 9.


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The photos below were taken by me on October 6, 2012, and show the MAKIN ISLAND berthed at San Francisco's Pier 30/32 for San Francisco's Fleet Week 2012.

The photos below were taken by me on October 9, 2012, and show the MAKIN ISLAND departing San Francisco for San Diego, Calif., where she arrived on October 11, 2012.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning on October 9, 2012, and show the MAKIN ISLAND departing San Francisco for San Diego, Calif. The photos were taken from the Golden Gate Bridge.

The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee and show the MAKIN ISLAND during her port visit to Hong Kong August 20-23, 2014. The MAKIN ISLAND visited Hong Kong with the USS COMSTOCK (LSD 45) and the USS SAN DIEGO (LPD 22).

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MAKIN ISLAND at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the MAKIN ISLAND at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on April 18, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee and show the MAKIN ISLAND during her port visit to Hong Kong April 7-11, 2017. The photos of the reception aboard were taken on April 10. The MAKIN ISLAND deployed from San Diego, Calif., on October 14, 2016, for operations in the 5th and 7th fleet areas of operation.


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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MAKIN ISLAND during her Drydocking Phased Maintenance Availability (DPMA) at the General Dynamics NASSCO Shipyard in San Diego, Calif., on October 11, 2017.

The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the MAKIN ISLAND during her Drydocking Phased Maintenance Availability (DPMA) at the General Dynamics NASSCO Shipyard in San Diego, Calif., on November 10, 2017.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MAKIN ISLAND during her Maintenance Availability at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on September 28, 2018.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MAKIN ISLAND during her Maintenance Availability at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 2, 2019.