- US Navy
guided-missile destroyer USS Stout returned to homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday, after spending a record 215 days at sea. - During its deployment, the Stout sailed across the Atlantic, around Europe, and through the Middle East,
The Arleigh-Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Sunday, marking the end of a nine-month deployment to US 2nd, 5th, and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
In mid-January Stout's crew departed Norfolk and operated under US 2nd Fleet, taking part in the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Carrier Strike Group's (CSG) Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), the final certification exercise prior to deployment. Upon successful completion and certification, Stout and the rest of the IKECSG immediately crossed the Atlantic to execute missions as assigned.
"Welcome home to USS Stout Sailors, and job well done," said Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander US 2nd Fleet. "Sailors are our Navy's asymmetric advantage. As our world has faced a global health crisis, Stout has been at sea ensuring the safety and stability of key chokepoints and waterways, and has remained vigilant."
While in US 5th Fleet, Stout operated under the Eisenhower and Nimitz carrier strike groups, Bataan amphibious readiness group and Coalition Task Force Sentinel.
Stout participated in the International Maritime Security Construct's operational arm, CTF Sentinel, ensuring safe passage in international waters throughout the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
As a Sentinel ship, Stout spent 139 days in direct or associated support of the task force to ensure the free flow of commerce.
Stout provided overwatch for more than 550 vessels as they transited critical chokepoints and delivered 1,500 maritime awareness calls to regional commercial shipping.
"I don't have the words to describe how immensely proud I am of this crew," said Rich Eytel, commanding officer, USS Stout. "This crew defined what it means to be self-sufficient and resilient. We've gone for significant lengths of time without new parts, stretched our food and fuel limits, and they continued to give 110% every day. They faced our challenges head on, which allowed us to continue to meet all operational tasking."
While in US 6th Fleet Stout conducted two port visits in Rota, Spain, bookending their record-breaking 215 days at sea. Both port visits in Spain enabled the ship to take on fuel and fulfill other logistical requirements before continuing their mission at sea.
As COVID-19 made frequent port visits unsafe, Stout competed the first modern Mid-Deployment Voyage Repair (MDVR) period at sea, spending a week executing scheduled maintenance and preservation to maintain mission readiness while deployed.
Throughout deployment, Stout's technicians executed depot level repairs on vital engineering and combat systems equipment.
During that period the ship conducted morale events, like swim calls and steel beach picnics. Stout conducted nearly 40 replenishments-at-sea enabling their continuous support to the mission. To allow the crew time to relax and reenergize, they had a "rest & reset" period at sea.
Stout navigated more than 60,000 nautical miles and completed multiple strait and choke-point transits, to include the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, the Bab-el Mandeb Strait and Strait of Hormuz. A member of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) Two Six, Stout is homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.
C2F exercises operational authorities over assigned ships, aircraft, and landing forces on the East Coast and the Atlantic.