Navy Secretary John Phelan and Deputy Secretary Hung Cao met behind closed doors with military families Thursday evening.
They “recognize all that comes with deployment extensions and combat operations placed on families. They would like to take this opportunity to express their appreciation,” said Capt. Richlyn Ivey, spokesman for Fleet Forces.
The USS Ford Carrier Strike Group has been deployed for more than nine months. The Navy has said it will not return to Norfolk until May. After a fire in the laundry room that injured three sailors, the carrier USS Ford is headed to Suada Bay, Greece, for repairs. WHRO previously reported on problems with its sewage system.
The three ships and 2,220 Marines of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group have also been extended. After leaving Norfolk in August, the ships have remained in the Caribbean for 7 months as part of Operation Southern Sphere. The U.S. effort to oust the leader of Venezuela and to combat drug trafficking has so far led to the death of at least 160 people.
Sen. Tim Kaine said the long deployments are taking a toll on the sailors and Marines along with their families.
“I think there's sort of a short term decision making that's being made by the civilian leaders where they kind of feel like the military is just a bunch of pieces on a game board,” he said.
The Navy is preparing to send more ships to Iran, as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed after the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran. Several reports say two Marine Expeditionary Units based in Japan and San Diego are being routed to the Middle East, representing roughly 5,000 Marines.
Several Navy ships from Norfolk remain in the Middle East and Caribbean, as the pace of deployment increases. The aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is also expected to deploy in the coming weeks. In the next few days, the cruiser USS Gettysburg is expected to return to Norfolk after five months at sea. Before being sent to the Caribbean in September, the cruiser had returned to Norfolk in June after 8 months in the Red Sea.
