The steady drizzle and grey skies did not dampen the spirits of hundreds of sailors and family members as the guided-missile cruiser Leyte Gulf found its way back to Naval Station Norfolk Jan. 4, after 283 days away from home. The ship left Norfolk with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group on March 27.
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.
After spending 238 days deployed, the guided-missile destroyer McFaul returned to Naval Station Norfolk today, tying up at Berth 1, Pier Four after operating in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility .