NORFOLK, Va. — Four thousand sailors and Marines of the USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group are heading overseas.
The Kearsarge and USS Arlington left Naval Station Norfolk Wednesday to head to Camp Lejeune, N.C. to pick up members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Crew members had been planning for the day for more than a year, but events of the last three weeks in Eastern Europe have added layers of anxiety and uncertainty to the deployment, especially for military family members.
"And all that's going on over in Russia and Ukraine, it's very scary for me, but I am going to keep praying," said Leisa Payne, mother of a Kearsarge sailor.
"While we are aware of what's happening in Europe, it's not at the forefront of our minds," said Captain Guluzian, USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group Commander. "We're trained to respond globally to any number of situations. And while we are heading over in that direction, we are ready to respond to any tasking."
Also weighing in was Colonel Paul Merida, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Commander.
"We are ready to operate across the spectrum, so, whatever the operating environment throws at us, we are fully prepared," he said.
And, In a first, during the Kearsarge ARG's pre-deployment Composite Training Unit Exercise, they operated under the control of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO.
The Navy said USS Gunston Hall will deploy later this month. It wouldn't say exactly how long this deployment will be, other than to say it will be a "typical" one. A standard deployment lasts six to seven months.