NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) \u2014 The USS Fort Lauderdale will return to Naval Station Norfolk Thursday after an 11-month deployment to the U.S. Fourth Fleet area of operations, according to a press release.<\/p>\n
\u00a0WAVY’s Navy Ship Salute: USS Fort Lauderdale\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n During the ship’s deployment, it supported U.S. Southern Command missions, Department of Defense-related operations and disrupting drug trafficking.<\/p>\n Sailors and marines aboard 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n For more information, you can visit Commander, Carrier Strike Group 12’s website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Download the WAVY News App<\/a> to keep up with the latest news, weather and sports from WAVY-TV 10. Available in both the Apple<\/a> and Google Play<\/a> stores.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n