MAYPORT, Fla. – Crewmembers aboard the USS Zephyr have returned home after four months at sea. The ship is the last of Mayport’s coastal patrol ships to return from a deployment.
The ship’s final homecoming drew an eager crowd. A 1-year-old dressed in a sailor suit was ready to show her Navy father what she’s learned to do while he was away.
“She’s walking and running now,” said Katrina Miller, the young girl’s mother. “When he left, she barely knew how to walk. So I know it’ll be exciting to see her run to her daddy for the first time.”
Lt. Commander Steven Terjesen says the USS Zephyr has served her country well, making numerous patrols throughout the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
“She’s had quite a service life. Started out on the West Coast, came back over to the East Coast," Terjesen said. “This was her last one.”
During the deployment, Zephyr, along with their embarked U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment, performed counter illicit drug operations.
“It’s kind of surreal that I’m the last one to drive this ship,” Terjesen said. “There’s a lot of great officers that came before me, and it’s truly an honor to be in this position.”
This was the first time the Zephyr, Shamal and Tornado coastal patrol ships were deployed at the same time. All three will be decommissioned Jan. 14.