USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44) is a of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship to be named for Gunston Hall, the Mason Neck, Virginia, estate of George Mason, one of Virginia's Revolutionary figures, and "Father of the Bill of Rights". Gunston Hall was laid down on 26 May 1986, at the Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans. The ship was launched on 27 June 1987, commissioned on 22 April 1989 and assigned to Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek. Gunston Hall is currently homeported at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia, and assigned to Amphibious Group 2 of the Atlantic Fleet. Ship history 1999 Gunston Hall deployed as part of the USS Kearsarge amphibious ready group (ARG) on 14 April 1999 and returned to Hampton Roads on 14 October 1999, following a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. The other ships of the ARG were and , with 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable (26 MEU(SOC)) and Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 6 embarked. On 15 April 1999, Gunston Hall embarked K Company of 3/8 Marines with their assault amphibious vehicles in Morehead City, North Carolina. Upon arrival on station in the Adriatic Sea to participate in Operation Allied Force and Joint Task Force (JTF) Shining Hope, the ARG deployed Marines from the 26 MEU(SOC) into Albania to construct a camp for refugees fleeing the fighting in Kosovo. Gunston Hall sailors conducted a pre-landing survey of the proposed landing beaches to assist in selection of the best landing sites. As the Serbs withdrew from Kosovo, the ARG conducted a rapid withdrawal of the MEU(SOC) and conducted a high-speed transit to Greece in order to again deploy the Marines ashore. An unopposed landing was conducted in Litokhoron, Greece to position the MEU(SOC) to enter Kosovo overland to provide an initial peacekeeping presence in the region, along with other NATO forces in Operation Joint Guardian. 26 MEU(SOC) spent 40 days in-country before the initial military technical agreements were finalized and more permanent security forces arrived. The ARG ships pulled into Thessaloniki, Greece, to backload the Marines and held a 'steel beach' cookout to celebrate their return. After enjoying liberty in several Mediterranean ports, the ARG/MEU team was once again called into action, this time to provide relief and assistance to Turkey in Operation Avid Response in the wake of a devastating earthquake. Gunston Hall sailors participated in constructing a "tent city" to