Three USN destroyers return from deployment

Three US Navy Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyers have returned to Norfolk Naval Station after a seven-month deployment to the US 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operations, which saw the vessels navigate more than 45,000 nautical miles.

The ships - USS Mason (DDG 87), USS Nitze (DDG 94), and USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) - deployed in April as part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 that are supporting maritime stability and security.

‘Mason, Bainbridge and Nitze provided an adaptable and persistent force, adeptly accomplishing every mission we asked of them over multiple warfare areas,’ Capt Chris Follin, commodore of DESRON 2, said.

‘I’m incredibly proud of how our sailors performed during this rigorous deployment. They can return home knowing that they made a positive impact for maritime security in some of the most consequential waterways in the world.’

During their time in the 5th Fleet area of operations, the three destroyers took part in Operation Sentinel, ensuring the free flow of merchant vessels through the heavily-transited Strait of Hormuz. 

Mason and Bainbridge also assisted the tanker Kokuka Courageous in June after it was attacked in the Gulf of Oman.

While in the 6th Fleet areas of operations, the three destroyers participated in dual carrier operations in the Mediterranean with the Abraham Lincoln CSG, which conducted training with the John C. Stennis CSG.

Multilateral training with regional partners and allies was also carried out, along with several port visits to ‘enhance relationships with partner nations’, the US Navy said.