EVERETT — Hugs, kisses, tears, joy and happiness to be home as the crew and command staff of the USS Gridley sailed into Port Gardner Bay, docking at Naval Station Everett, ending more than 200-days at sea after they completed a previous 9-month deployment that ended last December.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer helped escort the USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier from its previous homeport in Bremerton to its new homeport in Norfolk, Virginia among other operations and training during the 7-month deployment.
Marek Jestrab, Commander and Executive Officer for the Gridley, told the EverettPost.com, “This deployment was unique and something I’ve never done before where we were doing the homeport shift to help Nimitz go from Bremerton to Norfolk and travelling all the way down south around South America. Operation Southern Seas was also happening at the same time and part of the point was to work with partner nations along the way.”
The U.S. Navy’s Southern Seas 2026 deployment was the 11th iteration of the multinational maritime exercise conducted by the U.S. Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet.
The core vessels and units in the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) deployed for the U.S. 4th Fleet’s Southern Seas 2026 deployment include the USS Gridley (DDG 101), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 comprising six squadrons (including F/A-18 Super Hornets and MH-60 Sea Hawks), Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9: Providing surface-action group and destroyer command and USNS Patuxent (TAO 201) providing fleet replenishment oiler supporting operations at sea.
Jestrab, a 17 year Naval veteran with a Master’s Degree from the University of Washington described the international cooperation with foreign navies during the deployment, saying, “We were received very well. 18 countries came forward and wanted to work with us as we were doing Southern Seas with the Nimitz and we were very well received and we were able to strengthen and deepen those partnerships with those 18 countries along the way.”
Now the 300 Sailor crew of the Gridley will begin “well deserved leave”, Jestrab said. “We’ll give half the crew some leave right now and then we’ll come back and go ahead and swap it around,” he advised. The entire crew can’t leave at once, he said, because “we always have to make sure the ship is safe even while we’re getting people,” downtown after a lengthy deployment.
During the deployment, Gridley participated in bilateral engagements with regional partners to strengthen maritime relations, enhance proficiency, and improve interoperability.
Gridley’s Commander, Magdalena Keel, said Sailors demonstrated professionalism, resilience, and teamwork throughout sustained operations at sea. The homecoming will recognize their accomplishments and reunite the crew with families and loved ones.
The Gridley ushered the Nimitz to Florida where it will be serviced before reaching its new homeport in Norfolk. The Strike Group navigated through the Magellan Straits south of South America before returning along the continent’s Atlantic Coast. The Gridley parted ways with the Nimitz and returned through the Panama Canal, stopped in San Diego earlier this week and arrived in Everett just before noon today.
