NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Following a seven-month deployment, the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group returned to Naval Station Norfolk Friday.
Families gathered outside, despite freezing temperatures, to reunite with their loved ones, WAVY-TV 10 was able to capture these heartfelt moments.
According to the press release, “throughout the deployment, the ARG-MEU team operated extensively in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility under the authority of Task Force 61/2, participating in high-profile exercises such as Baltic Operations 2024 in the Baltic Sea and Neptune Strike 24.2 in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.”
The USS Wasp, USS New York and USS Oak Hill are warships that make up the ready group. The USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group made news after two Marines were assaulted by protesters in Turkey.
Luckily, the Marines are safe and the situation was quickly resolved. Two months later, the USS Wasp left Naval Station Rota Spain Nov. 21. Now, they are heading home.
The Marines assigned to the ship have already returned to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. While deployed, the Wasp Arg and the 25th Marine Expeditionary Unit supported exercises across the North Atlantic, Eastern Mediterranean and Baltic Region.