JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A retired admiral said the dangerous mission of the USS Carney highlights Naval Station Mayport’s overall significance to America’s defense.
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USS Carney Commanding Officer Jeremy Robinson said the crew of the guided missile destroyer executed their mission flawlessly as they fought against terrorist forces in the Red Sea.
“Carney just happened to be at the right place at the right time and had the right training with the right team,” USS Carney skipper Captain Jeremy Robertson said.
Their deployment and safe return brings the importance of Mayport into focus.
“The fact that so many missiles and UAVs were fired at our ships and essentially, none of them here was a combination of great skill, great preparation by our crews, great technology on the part of our ships, and a little bit of luck,” Retired Admiral Robert Natter said.
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Natter also said successful missions like the USS Carney’s are critical for recruiting and shines a light on Mayport’s significance. He called Mayport a strategic imperative to the U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet.
“If you take a look at where the surface ships are, if there were ever a problem up in Norfolk, Virginia, it would be absolutely essential for those ships to be able to come into port to replenish, rearm, restore and go out to the operating areas where they have to serve. Without Mayport, without Jacksonville, essentially we don’t have that important requirement,” Natter said.
Mayport’s main homeported vessels include Littoral Combat Ships and destroyers like the USS Carney that defended commercial shipping lanes for the United States and its allies.
Natter hopes the conversation about a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier coming to Mayport will materialize.
“The Navy has done a lot of work in this, but with the support of Congress funding it for dredging in Mayport, so it can accommodate a nuclear carrier with the airwing embarked,” Natter said. “That’s been done. There is additional investment should we homeport one down here, but the reality is this is still an opportunity for a carrier and ships of size to come in here for rearming and repairs if necessary.”
There are 20 ships at Mayport, and the Navy plans to add two new destroyers in the next couple of years.