Sayonara San Diego.

The amphibious transport dock Green Bay left its sunny harbor Monday for Sasebo, Japan, where it will join U.S. 7th Fleet's forward-deployed force.

The San Antonio-class ship is to join the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group, which includes the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

"The crew has worked hard to get Green Bay ready," said Capt. Kristy McCallum, the commanding officer, according to a 3rd Fleet press release. "By my count, we completed a total of 23 training, certification and maintenance cycles in six months."

The Green Bay has completed two cruises since its 2009 commissioning, and in 2013 began a year-long dry dock overhaul to ready it for 7th Fleet service, where crews maintain a high-level of readiness to respond to crises and disasters across the Asia-Pacific region. The ship is equipped with advanced command and control, boosted airlift capacity, and increases in cargo and vehicle carrying, 3rd Fleet said in the news release.

The Green Bay is replacing the ex-amphibious transport dock Denver, which at the time of its retirement in 2014 was the fleet's oldest deployable warship.

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