NORFOLK, Va. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced over the weekend that he'd directed "several steps to strengthen Department of Defense posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts."
Those steps include sending the Norfolk-based USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea following the Hamas attack on Israel. The attack left more than 1,000 dead on both sides, and Americans were reported to be among those killed and missing.
Part of the group? The Naval Air Station Oceana-based Carrier Air Wing 8.
Additionally, the group includes the Norfolk-based Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy, and the Norfolk-based Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ramage.
Retired Navy Captain Joe Bouchard, a former destroyer commanding officer, said it's a smart move, giving decision-makers options.
"The primary mission is Naval diplomacy, establishing a presence in the Eastern Mediterranean to show continued U.S. support for Israel. Presence can prevent the necessity of use of force," Bouchard said.
Virginia's two U.S. senators weighed in on the Hamas attack.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) said, "Leaders around the world must come together to urge for an immediate end to this bloodshed."
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) said, "The United States must stand firmly beside our friend and partner Israel as it defends its security and its citizens."
Preliminary reports indicated that at least four American citizens were killed in the attacks and an additional seven were missing and unaccounted for, according to a U.S. official.
The Ford group deployed from Norfolk back on May 2.