NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. – The Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Indianapolis returned to the Naval Station Mayport Tuesday after a seven-month deployment.
The USS Indianapolis was deployed in May 2024 and completed several high-threat strait transits in the Strait of Hormuz, which is bordered by Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Dyana Kelly’s husband was a doctor on the ship, she made several signs.
“I am still shaking. I am anxious, nervous, happy, everything,” Kelly said.
The pressure of making sure everyone gets home rests on the shoulders of the Commanding Officer of the USS Indianapolis Matthew Ardnt.
He was responsible for making sure the crew remained committed to maintaining free and open access to all international waters in a high-threat environment.
“The combat experience in the Red Sea, probably in 30 years of naval service, the hardest thing I’ve ever done but definitely one of the most impactful support proud of the crew,” Ardnt said.
Now that the families are home, there will be another crew that gives this crew a break to spend time with their families and loved ones. They are so happy to be home just in time for the holidays.