The New Orleans has been deployed to Sasebo, Japan, since December 2019. The ship is one of the Navy’s San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks, which transport embarked Marines and can carry Landing Craft Air Cushions and other landing craft along with Amphibious Assault Vehicles and helicopters or MV-22B Ospreys.

A fire broke out aboard the USS New Orleans in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan, the U.S Navy confirmed. A spokesperson for the U.S. Navy said crews are responding to the fire. "We will provide more details as they become available," the spokesperson said in a statement.