USS COMSTOCK (LSD-45) is the second ship to be named after the Comstock Lode, an early American pioneer mining site near Virginia City, Nevada. The Comstock Lode, founded in 1859, has become indelible in the history of our American West; it produced more than $500,000,000 in gold and silver.

Equally important as the riches the mine produced were the peripheral effects that it had on other industries. To mine the ore, huge hoisting machines, giant pumps, heavy stamps, drills, cables and hundreds of other tools were manufactured. To drain water from underground reservoirs, engineers completed a five- mile tunnel under the floor of the Carson River to the Comstock mine.

Water required for the 40,000 inhabitants of Virginia City and its surrounding area was transported from an artificial lake, Marlette, 30 miles away in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Using pipes that were cast to fit around mountains, tunnels, flumes and a large inverted siphon, the water transportation and distribution system was a considered an engineering marvel during this epochal period.

The original USS COMSTOCK (LSD 19) was commissioned during the end of World War Two in 1945, and later served in both the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts. She earned ten battle stars for service in the Korean War, the most awarded to a ship of this type. She received a Meritorious Unit Commendation and six battle stars for Vietnam War service. Now her successor, LSD 45, continues the rich naval tradition associated with the name Comstock.

Since her commissioning in February, 1990, COMSTOCK has completed three extended deployments to the Western Pacific and Middle East Forces, and has completed one deployment to the Southern Pacific conducting counter narcotic operations.

Since being commissioned, COMSTOCK has been at the "tip of the spear". She participated in evacuation operations after Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines. She was on station during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, and participated in Operation Continue Hope off the coast of Somalia. Time and again COMSTOCK's ability to perform under pressure has been demonstrated by the Sailors and Marines that serve their country with pride.

In December, 1995 COMSTOCK returned from an extended deployment to the Arabian Gulf in continued support of United Nations and United States policies for that region. Among the highlights of the deployment were integrated amphibious operations with the Jordanian Armed Forces during Operation Infinite Moonlight.

COMSTOCK is a "can do" ship with "can do" Sailors and Marines. The ship was the first USN combatant to have a fully integrated crew of male and female Sailors.

Sailors on COMSTOCK have seen the world with port visits to the tropical climes and Asian shopping extravaganzas with stops in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Her extensive tours in the Arabian Gulf have been highlighted by visiting such ports as: Aquaba, Jordan; Manama, Bahrain; Kuwait City, Kuwait; and Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. Other popular ports of call for COMSTOCK have included: Mombasa, Kenya; Seychelles; Perth, Australia; and Hawaii. Not all the good liberty ports are overseas, however. Some of the best visits have been to some of America's fine west coast cities, such as San Francisco and Monterey, California.