US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) including a detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 “Easyriders”, returned to their homeport of Pearl Harbor on May 31.
The return follows a deployment to the U.S. 7th, 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operations as part of the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
The CSG, consisting of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), Destroyer Squadron 21, USS Spruance (DDG 111) and USS Stockdale (DDG 106) departed their respective homeports in October and November 2018.
Chung-Hoon participated in numerous operations during its deployment, including operations with partner nations. Specifically, while participating in Operation Noble Torch in 5th Fleet, Chung-Hoon conducted three drug seizures , confiscating over $5 million worth of illegal drugs and 22,000 pounds of hashish being transported into Yemen. This was the first drug seizure by a U.S. Navy ship in 5th Fleet in over one and a half years.
While independently steaming, Chung-Hoon conducted 14 Bab el-Mandeb Strait transits, many of them escorting merchant or other U.S. military vessels, and four Strait of Hormuz transits, one of which Chung-Hoon was the officer in tactical command of three U.S. ships and an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy. Chung-Hoon covered 54,000 nautical miles over the course of the deployment.
U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides training necessary for an effective global navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet works constantly with U.S. 7th Fleet to complement one another and provide commanders capable, ready assets across the spectrum of military operations in the Pacific.