NORFOLK, Va. — The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyers USS Mason, USS Nitze, and USS Bainbridge are back at their homeport of Norfolk Naval Station.
The ships and their crews finished their deployment in the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation, with hundreds of sailors returning home on Tuesday.
The ships deployed April 1 as part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 in support of maritime stability and security.
During their deployments, the ships participated in the international maritime security construct, Operation Sentinel, a maritime security framework that enables nations to provide escort to their flagged vessels while taking advantage of the cooperation of participating nations for coordination and enhanced maritime domain awareness and surveillance.
Additionally, the destroyers participated in dual-carrier operations in the Mediterranean as part of the Abraham Lincoln CSG and in multilateral training with regional partners and allies to increase joint capabilities. The ships also conducted various port visits to enhance relationships with partner nations.
The three ships each navigated over 45,000 nautical miles and completed multiple strait and choke point transits, to include the Strait of Gibraltar, the Turkish Straits, the Straits of Messina, the Strait of Tiran, the Suez Canal, the Bab-el Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz.