NORFOLK, Va. — Several crew members from the Norfolk-based USS Gerald R. Ford strike group are getting big honors for their actions in the Middle East.
The commanding officer and four sailors from the USS Carney received combat awards. The medals are for "exceptional performance" when their destroyer shot down 14 Houthi air drones in the Red Sea on Dec. 31.
The entire Carney crew was also awarded the Combat Action Ribbon.
The U.S. Central Command said the rebels were attacking a cargo ship when U.S. forces opened fire.
This announcement comes as thousands of sailors are making their way home after responding to the tensions in the Middle East. The Ford group is being "re-deployed" back to the U.S. after spending 8 months at sea.