MAYPORT, Fla. – More than 300 sailors aboard the USS Carney returned to Naval Station Mayport on Sunday morning after a dangerous and historic seven-month deployment in the Middle East.
The ship left Mayport on Sept. 27, 2023. Ten days later, Hamas attacked Israel, putting the Middle East at war.
Anthony Rios, FCA-2, said this was his first deployment.
“I just had a special crew to be a part of. I could not do anything without these guys. I am so grateful and thankful that I got to spend the past seven or eight months with these guys. We were just doing our job out there,” Rios said.
But now, he is happy to be back home, with his loved ones.
“These guys are everything to me. I do everything that I can to make them proud every day,” Rios said.
GALLERY: USS Carney heroes return to Mayport after historic 7-month deployment
This was also DC-3 Jernigan’s first deployment.
“Resiliency has been a very huge thing that I believe we all built together as a family,” Jernigan said. “I left as a different person. A completely different person. I came back as a stronger person. I think I’ll be able to live with that for the rest of my life.”
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who attended the homecoming, said the USS Carney saw the most combat during its deployment than any Navy ship since World War II and commended the crew for serving “above and beyond the call of duty.”
“Through their bold, courageous actions, the Carney team promoted regional stability, they protected vital global commerce, defended key allies and partners, deterred aggression, enforced partnerships, founded on trust and unity of effort against violations of international law,” Del Toro said.
The USS Carney can be seen on video launching missiles when Iranian-backed Houthis fired a ballistic missile at a Bermuda-owned M.V. Marline Luanda.
The Carney had more than 51 engagements, as it destroyed Houthi-launched weapons, including land attack cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles.
USS Carney Commanding Officer Jeremy Robertson said while they were never in danger, they were in a dangerous situation.
“We were in the right place at the right time, with the right team and the right training,” Robertson said.
Rios’s father, Antonio “Tony” Rios, was among the more than 500 people who went to welcome their loved ones Sunday morning.
He said knowing that his son was out there was “nerve-racking.”
“But you have to trust that they know and they have the right training for the mission and they know what they are doing and that they also trust God,” Tony said. “We are beyond proud of him going out and doing what he did for our country and for the citizens.”
Welcome home, sailors!