USS Bonhomme Richard makes 1st port visit in US 3rd Fleet

April 30, 2018

US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) arrived in Pearl Harbor on April 27, marking the ship’s first port visit since it entered US 3rd Fleet.

Bonhomme Richard is stopping at Pearl Harbor as part of the ship’s transit from Sasebo, Japan, to San Diego, where the ship will be permanently homeported.

“Our visit to Hawaii marks a new chapter in Bonhomme Richard’s history, and we are proud to be back on American soil after a successful FDNF tour of duty,” Capt. Larry McCullen, Bonhomme Richard’s commanding officer, said.

Forward-deployed to Japan since 2012, Bonhomme Richard has called Sasebo home for six years, serving as the flagship of Expeditionary Strike Group 7, providing a rapid-response capability for the US 7th Fleet area of operations.

The ship is transiting to San Diego where it will conduct operations in 3rd Fleet prior to entering an extended maintenance availability, including upgrades and modernization to operate the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft.