Norfolk, Va. The trio of guided-missile destroyers Mason, Nitze and Bainbridge, entered Chesapeake Bay and the Hampton Roads this morning just as rain and fog were clearing out.
The return marked the end of a seven-month and four day cruise that saw the ships operating in the 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation.
The ships, which are elements of Destroyer Squadron 2, deployed April 1 as part of a quintet of ships under the command of Carrier Strike Group Those two ships remain deployed , their cruises extended indefinitely. Both are still currently operating in 5th Fleet, officials say. Lincoln left Norfolk on April 1, along with the destroyers. The extension is necessary, officials say, because the aircraft carrier Harry S.
Navy officials say work to fix Truman is on going and expect the ship and air wing to deploy soon. The ship left a couple days ahead of the rest of the Abraham Lincoln strike group, which departed April 1.
Lincoln is in the middle of an around-the-world homeport change. The cruiser Leyte Gulf, meanwhile, will return to her homeport of Norfolk. They can return home knowing that they made a positive impact for maritime security in some of the most consequential waterways in the world. Arriving in the Mediterranean in early April, the trio operated for most of the month in the 6th Fleet, all three ships were part of the dual-carrier operations and training conducted jointly by the Abraham Lincoln and John C.
