Norfolk, Va. - The USS Gravely, the USS Mahan, the USS Barry and the USS Ramage, all Norfolk-based destroyers, are now sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and they are ready for action in Syria if their nation calls.
The USS Mahan left Naval Station Norfolk last December to deploy to the 6th Fleet area of responsibility.
Fast forward eight months, and Mahan families were expecting to have the ship home in the next week.
Now, they will have to wait longer, all thanks to rising tensions after Syria reportedly used chemical weapons on civilians.
The Ramage left Naval Station Norfolk two weeks ago to relieve the Mahan.
Both have cruise missiles and with a strike as one of the military options available to President Obama, the Navy told the Mahan to stay put indefinitely for extra firepower.
The USS Barry left for the Mediterranean in February. That ship was only supposed to deploy for six months, but families back then were prepared for a possible extension.
Little did they know that Syria would be the culprit.
As for the USS Gravely, it’s the ships maiden deployment and the first trip overseas for many of its sailors.
Gravely families were also preparing for a homecoming soon, but no one knows yet how the involvement in Syria will impact its return to Norfolk.
