In 2004 , '' Essex '' carried the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ( 31st MEU ) to Kuwait , along with and . '' Essex '' stayed in the Persian Gulf while the 31st MEU and the combat element 1st Battalion , 3rd Marines went into Iraq for the Battle of Fallujah . During that time , '' Essex '' went to aid in Operation Unified Assistance in Banda Aceh , Indonesia after the December 2004 tsunami . She then returned to the Persian Gulf to embark the 31st MEU SOC and the combat element despite being in need of maintenance . After picking up the MEU and the Combat Element , the three ships returned to Okinawa , Japan . The ship had been at sea a total of eight months
December 2004 tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
USS Essex (LHD-2)