NORFOLK, Va. — The USS James E. Williams returned home to Naval Station Norfolk from a seven-month NATO deployment on Friday.
The guided-missile destroyer was the flagship for Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, commanded by Rear Admiral Scott Sciretta.
The ship first deployed in December 2022 and led a maritime group in joint operations with other countries through the Mediterranean Sea.
During their deployment, the crew visited 12 different cities in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Spain, and Turkey.
“As our deployment ends, I could not be more proud of the hard work, true dedication, pride and professionalism that our Sailors have demonstrated on this deployment,” Cmdr. Robert Ireland, commanding officer of James E. Williams, wrote in a news release.
“James E. Williams got real, got better, and provided Commander, NATO Allied Maritime Command and U.S. 6th Fleet with a tactically proficient, operationally ready, and strategically focused asset to project NATO’s united resolve to deter and defeat our nation’s and Alliance’s adversaries.”