NORFOLK, Va. — Over 4,000 Sailors and Marines assigned to the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) will return to Hampton Roads this week after an 8.5-month deployment, according to a release.
The personnel were deployed to the U.S. 2nd, 5th, and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
“I'm proud of the Sailors and Marines of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group who will return home knowing that for eight and a half months, they were the nation's rapid response force,” said Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 8 Commodore Capt. Martin Robertson.
“These young men and women were called into action from the start to help stop the spread of wildfires in Southern Europe, to deter Iran from seizing U.S.-flagged merchant vessels in the Middle East, and they reacted swiftly at the onset of the crisis in the Bab-El Mandeb to ensure merchant shipping access to the Red Sea.”
The Bataan ARG and 26th MEU(SOC) team operated across the North Atlantic, Eastern Mediterranean, Baltic region, Red Sea, and Arabian Gulf alongside allies and partners.
the Bataan and Carter Hall traveled the Suez Canal and operated in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations for over four months, assisting in the free flow of navigation and regional stability.
Scripps News
USS Gerald Ford returning from deployment defending Israel
Both ships participated in Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Seam helping to deter escalation and protect open sea lanes after the outbreak of the Israel/Hamas conflict.
“It's been a challenging deployment, but we have accomplished a lot, and I am extremely proud of the hard work and resilience of every member of the Bataan team,” said Capt. Paul Burkhart, Bataan’s commanding officer.
The USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall will return to Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek respectively.
Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit departed the ships and returned to Camp Lejune, on March 16 through 18, the release said.
The USS Mesa Verde is expected to return to Naval Station Norfolk in the coming days.
