The crew of USS Denver (LPD 9) celebrated the ship's 40th birthday Oct. 26 during the annual Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) off the coast of the Philippines. The entire crew gathered on the mess decks to celebrate the 40 years since Denver's commissioning as a U.S. Navy warship in 1968. Current USS Denver commanding officer, Capt. Kent D. Whalen offered some historical prospective. "There's a lot of history associated with the two previous hulls that carried the name Denver and with the current one we are on," said Whalen. "It is a great honor to be the commanding officer.