The guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane returned home Sunday to Naval Base San Diego, completing an eight-month deployment.
The O’Kane deployed in June, serving as the ballistic missile defense commander for Carrier Strike Group 1, whose flagship is the USS Carl Vinson.
The ship’s crew took part in several operations, partnered with other nations and helped intercept a vessel filled with automatic weapons and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition.
“The sailors aboard USS O’Kane lead the way in demonstrating resiliency and dedication to support the mission and each other,” said Cmdr. Michelle Fontenot, O’Kane’s commanding officer. “As an independent deployer serving in both the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleets, O’Kane met each mission with success.”
The destroyer escorted multiple units through 30 straits, including the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal, Navy officials said. O’Kane participated in operations in support of the International Maritime Security Coalition, collaborating with seven other nations for security and the free flow of commerce.
The O’Kane also participated in Indigo Defender, a bilateral maritime exercise between Royal Saudi Naval Forces and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
The ship conducted board, search, and seizure operations, at times partnering with international navies, including the Egyptian Naval Force and the Indian Navy.
As the on-scene commander, the O’Kane escorted two mine countermeasures ships through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, marking the first time in seven years that such vessels ,operated from Bahrain, transited to the Red Sea and back.
The destroyer also participated in a seizure of illicit cargo from a stateless fishing vessel in the North Arabian Sea on Dec. 20. The O’Kane crew seized 1,400 AK-47s and 226,000 rounds of ammunition, the Navy said.
– City News Service
