The Arleigh Burke–class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107) of the U.S. Navy returned on December 13, 2025, to Naval Station Norfolk after completing four months of operational deployment in the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico) and the Caribbean Sea, supporting missions assigned by U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).
The ship’s return follows an intense schedule of operations linked to regional maritime security, which included cooperation tasks with other U.S. Navy units and the execution of missions related to the defense of the maritime domain of the Western Hemisphere.
Operations under USSOUTHCOM and USNORTHCOM
During the year, USS Gravely was deployed in different phases. Between March and June, it operated in the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico) and the Caribbean in support of missions under U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). Subsequently, between August and December, it remained active in the region under the operational control of USSOUTHCOM, reinforcing the U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean.
During this period, the destroyer worked jointly with the USS Iwo Jima Rapid Deployment Group and with the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, integrating into combined maritime security operations.
Referring to the conclusion of the deployment, the ship’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Greg Piorun, highlighted the performance of the crew: “The Gravely team takes pride in our continued service to homeland maritime defense,” he stated. “This team has worked hard in the precise execution of various missions aimed at strengthening the security and economic prosperity of the United States in the Western Hemisphere. This upcoming return home is well deserved and brings with it some much-needed rest!”
Sustained presence in the Caribbean since the start of the deployment
Since the beginning of its deployment in the Caribbean, USS Gravely maintained an active presence in the region as part of U.S.-led maritime security operations. In August, the U.S. Navy confirmed the deployment of several Arleigh Burke–class destroyers off the coast of Venezuela, together with a nuclear-powered submarine, with the aim of reinforcing counter-narcotics efforts.
In that context, USS Gravely (DDG-107) was deployed alongside USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) and USS Sampson (DDG-102), all equipped with the AEGIS combat management system. Gravely and Jason Dunham sailed from Mayport, while Sampson was transiting toward the Panama Canal. Complementarily, USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS-21) was operating near Curaçao.
Capabilities of USS Gravely
USS Gravely is a multi-mission destroyer capable of conducting anti-air warfare (AW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), precision strikes (STRIKE), information warfare (IW), electronic warfare (EW), naval surface fire support (NSFS), and surface warfare (SUW). The ship has a crew of approximately 300 sailors.
The vessel was named in honor of Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely Jr. and was commissioned on November 20, 2010, in Wilmington, North Carolina.
*Images obtained from the U.S. 2nd Fleet.
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