24 February 2025 USS St. Louis (LCS 19) Completes Maiden Deployment to Fourth Fleet USS St. Louis (LCS 19), a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), returned to Naval Station Mayport this week, concluding its maiden deployment to the U.S. Fourth Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR). The eight-month deployment, which lasted from June 15, 2024 to February 24, 2025, marked a...
23 February 2025 USS Iwo Jima Certifies in Fueling at Sea, Unit-Level Seamanship The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) successfully completed a fueling-at-sea evolution with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78), Feb 22, completing Iwo Jima’s mobility seamanship certification.Being able to conduct a FAS provides Iwo Jima—and...
22 February 2025 Destroyer Squadron 2 Holds Change of Command Ceremony Capt. Mark Lawrence relieved Capt. James Von St. Paul as commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 during a ceremony aboard the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), February 22, 2025.The ceremony was held before military and civilian guests in the ship’s fo’c’sle to honor...
22 February 2025 Destroyer Squadron 2 Holds Change of Command Ceremony Capt. Mark Lawrence relieved Capt. James Von St. Paul as commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 during a ceremony aboard the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), February 22, 2025.The ceremony was held before military and civilian guests in the ship’s fo’c’sle to honor...
18 February 2025 USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) Deploys to Fourth Fleet The Arleigh-Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) departs Naval Station Mayport, Florida to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations, Feb. 18. Thomas Hudner will deploy to the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility (USSOUTHCOM AOR) to support bilateral and...
13 February 2025 Truxtun Completes Intense At Sea Training Period The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) completed an intense at-sea training period, Feb. 7. Truxtun’s completion of a sustainment exercise (SUSTEX) provided opportunities for training, mentorship, and assessment of their tactical acumen operating within an...
23 January 2025 USS New York Hosts Change Of Command And Retirement Ceremony The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, USS New York (LPD 21), held a change of command and retirement ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia January 23.Capt. Benjamin Oakes relinquished command to Capt. Justin Issler and retired after 27 months as the commanding officer and 26 years of naval...
09 January 2025 Pursue, Attack, Vanquish: USS Truxtun Change of Command U.S. Navy Cmdr. James Koffi relieved U.S. Navy Cmdr. Chance Smith as commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) during a change of command ceremony here, Jan. 9, 2025.Friends, family, and honored military guests gathered to bid Commander Smith fair...
23 December 2024 USS COLE RETURNS FROM DEPLOYMENT TO FIFTH AND SIXTH FLEETS The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 23, after being deployed for more than seven months to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe – Africa and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command areas of operation.Cole deployed for 224 days to the...
20 December 2024 USS Bulkeley returns home after 5 and a half month patrol The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) returned home Friday after a five and a half month patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.Since arriving in Rota and joining the forward deployed Naval Forces Europe (FDNF-E) forces in August 2022, Bulkeley's crew has...
19 December 2024 USS Beloit (LCS 29) makes it home to Mayport Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Beloit (LCS 29) makes it to her homeport in Mayport, Fla., December 19. After 15 locks, four Great Lakes, three port visits, and over 2,500 nautical miles traveled, USS Beloit (LCS 29) and her mighty crew at last arrived in the Atlantic Ocean,...
19 December 2024 USS Arleigh Burke Change of Command Guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) held a change of command ceremony at Naval Station Rota, Dec. 19, 2024. Cmdr. Tyrchra Bowman was relieved by Cmdr. Ethan Reber as the commanding officer of USS Arleigh Burke, in a ceremony attended by distinguished visitors, guests, and crew."My...
09 December 2024 USS Arleigh Burke returns home after 4-month patrol The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) returned home Dec. 7 after a four-month patrol, its fifth since shifting homeport to Rota.Arleigh Burke departed Rota, Spain Aug. 15 on patrol in support of regional Allies and partners, and U.S. national security interests...
06 December 2024 U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System Romania Holds Change of Command Ceremony Cmdr. Robert Foster relieved Cmdr. Matthew Iwanczuk as U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System Romania (USAAMDSRO) commanding officer during a change of command ceremony held onboard Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu, Romania, Dec. 4. “For 75 years, partnerships with like-minded Allies and...
06 December 2024 From the Philippines to the Navy: Sailor’s Journey of Resilience and Purpose At just 13 years old, Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Erica Dolor, assigned to USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) found herself uprooted from the familiar chaos of her childhood in the Philippines. Her early life in a lower-middle-class province had been framed by the unconditional love of her siblings and...
06 December 2024 USS Iwo Jima Certifies Flight Deck with Green Team Integration USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and more than 30 Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit recently marked a significant milestone by certifying the ship's flight deck for aviation operations during a critical week at sea, Dec. 2-6. This accomplishment is a key step in preparing for integration...
06 December 2024 The WSP ARG-24th MEU (SOC) returns home after a 7-month deployment The Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (WSP ARG), commanded by Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 4, returned to Hampton Roads, Virginia following a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, Dec. 6.The WSP ARG flagship, first-in-class amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) and San...
26 November 2024 Longest in the Fight - USS Indianapolis returns from deployment The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) returned to Naval Station Mayport, Fla. following a deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet, 6th Fleet, and 2nd Fleet areas of operations, Nov. 26.Indianapolis deployed in March 2024 as a dual-crewed command, conducting two exchanges of...
25 November 2024 Commissioning Forward to Freedom USS Beloit (LCS 29) The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Beloit (LCS 29) November 23, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “I take great pride in representing Wisconsin’s manufacturing economy and the workers who power it,” said the Honorable Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Senator, State of...
20 November 2024 Building Readiness Together: SURFLANT Holds Joint Captain’s and Spouse Summit Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT) hosted a Captain’s Summit alongside the inaugural SAIL LOFT Spouse Summit at Naval Station Norfolk, VA, Nov. 19-20, 2024.The bi-annual Captain’s Summit focuses on building cohesion across Naval Surface Force Atlantic’s 70 warship Captains. This...