NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The USS Fort Lauderdale returned to Naval Station Norfolk Thursday after an 11-month deployment to the U.S. Fourth Fleet area of operations.


WAVY’s Navy Ship Salute: USS Fort Lauderdale

The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship’s return comes after it left the base with USS Iwo Jima and USS San Antonio on Aug. 14, 2025.

A lot can happen in 11 months. Seasons change, holidays come and go and children grow — many of those sailors missing those moments.

“For him to bond with them again and bond with his oldest son again, it’ll be really exciting just to watch that,” said Valerie Hepburn, a mother of one of the sailors returning home.

“My boy, he’s home,” Hepburn said.

During the ship’s deployment, it supported U.S. Southern Command missions, Department of Defense-related operations and disrupting drug trafficking.

Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Fort Lauderdale operated with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and Littoral Combat Force-24. The ship conducted 3,194 sorties, logged 792 flight hours and traveled more than 51,093 nautical miles.

“The crew dug in deep, got every ounce of training opportunity they could, and they were ready to go. And I couldn’t be more impressed or inspired,” said Capt. Jiwan Mack, commanding officer of the USS Fort Lauderdale.

The ship also delivered relief supplies after Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and served as a primary coordination hub for U.S. government relief efforts after the 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Venezuela.

“To be in a position where we could set sail, pull in and provide assistance, that meant everything to the crew,” Mack said.

The experiences out at sea have made an everlasting impact on its crew.

“The difference in them today as opposed to 11 months ago, that’s something very tangible that I think everybody in the crew will take with them for a lifetime.” Mack said.

Sailors certainly felt that difference as they stepped off board.

“I really think I’ve learned how to overcome,” said Lauren Potesta, a navigator on the USS Fort Lauderdale. “I really saw people band together, be there for each other, push through every evolution, every new foreign port.”

But this stop at Naval Station Norfolk is its last, giving families like the Potesta’s a taste of home.

“First thing we’re about to do is go to Chick-Fil-A, because every time I come home from a deployment, Chick-Fil-A is what we do,” said Potesta with a large grin.

As for what’s next for the USS Fort Lauderdale, it will have a maintenance period in order to prepare for its next tasking.

For more information, you can visit Commander Carrier Strike Group 12’s website here.

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