USS Normandy Returns to Norfolk
14 July 2024
Naval Station Norfolk --
NORFOLK, Va. (July 13, 2024) - USS Normandy (CG 60) returned to its homeport this morning following two and a half months of operational tasking that saw them in Fleet Week Miami, Cherbourg, France, and Baltic Operations 2024 (BALTOPS 2024).
As part of the first-ever Fleet Week Miami, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser joined USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), and Coast Guard cutter USCGS Seneca (WMEC 906) at Port Miami to host public tours, share capabilities of our sea services, present maritime history, and exhibit Navy and Marine Corps technologies.
Then, it was off across the Atlantic. The mighty Normandy returned to its namesake province in France on June 3rd. Three days later, the ship hosted a reception commemorating the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord. This Allied invasion sparked a turnaround in the Second World War towards driving the Nazis out of France.
The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, 78th Secretary of the Navy, Adm. Stuart B. Munsch, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), and Adm. Nicolas Vaujour, 63rd Chief of Staff of the French Navy, attended the commemoration and spoke to the legacy that D-Day carries even eight decades later.
“On that fateful day, members of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ from our Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Coastguardsmen to the French Resistance fighters who fought to set the conditions for victory behind enemy lines, demonstrated a level of devotion to duty, gallantry, and heroism that was unparalleled in the history of mankind,” said Secretary Del Toro. “They accepted nothing less than full victory. Their bravery and sacrifice are forever etched in the histories of our nations and will continue to serve as inspiration for future generations.”
After France, Normandy turned north. She cruised into the 53rd iteration of BALTOPS 2024, NATO’s premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region. The exercise gathered more than 50 ships, 85 aircraft, and approximately 9,000 personnel to demonstrate NATO’s commitment to a peaceful, stable, and conflict-free Atlantic region.
As part of the exercise, Normandy had the chance to sail alongside USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) in the Norwegian Sea.
“The past two and a half months on Normandy's summer deployment has been nothing short of a spectacular show of what hard-working and dedicated Sailors can do," said Captain Errol Robinson, commanding officer of USS Normandy. "From displaying our naval power at Fleet Week Miami 2024 to attending the 80th year dedication of D-Day in Normandy, France, and working with the Norwegian Navy and our own USS Tennessee (SSBN 734), there is truly nothing USS Normandy cannot do.”
On the way home, the crew had the chance to stretch their legs in Rota, Spain, before getting underway for the home stretch.
Now, the ship and crew return home with stories, memories, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and missions accomplished; a distinguished notch in Normandy’s 35-year-old belt.