Mayport's newest ships ready for deployment

It’s been only four months since the USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort McHenry joined the USS New York at their new home Naval Station Mayport, but a quick turnaround has them heading back out to sea.

Collectively, the ships make up an Amphibious Ready Group which deploys together. The USS Iwo Jima and USS New York are leaving December 11^th for a seven month deployment. The USS Fort McHenry will join them later in the deployment.

Mayport says the ships will work "in support of maritime security operations, crisis response, theater security cooperation and to provide a forward naval presence." They will serve in the Navy's 5^th and 6^th Fleet areas of operation.

The ships brought about 1700 Sailors and their families to Jacksonville in the last year as they shifted homeport from Norfolk, VA. WOKV rode on the USS New York as she traveled down last December and the USS Iwo Jima as she traveled down in August with the USS Fort McHenry.

Since the ships moved to Mayport, they have been participating in a large-scale exercise. This past week the Executive Officer Captain Dana Gordon was promoted to Commanding Officer of the USS Iwo Jima, replacing Captain James McGovern.

The 24^th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Lejeune, NC joins the Sailors on the Group to bring the total number of servicemen on this deployment to more than 4,000.