NORFOLK, VA — The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) – part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) – returned to homeport in Norfolk after an 8-month deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, Jan. 20, 2024.
Normandy steamed more 61,000 nautical miles while serving as the air defense commander for the strike group.
“From the North Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, this deployment has enhanced and reinforced regional stability, as we worked with our allies and partners to uphold our mutual commitment to maritime security,” said Capt. Errol A. Robinson, Normandy’s commanding officer. “Our Sailors expertly executed complex multi-ship maneuvers with our allies and tactically controlled aircraft and the airspace, while maintaining the material readiness of the ship. During my two tours aboard Normandy, as division officer and 23 years later as her commanding officer, I can say that my Sailors’ tireless and exacting performance was in keeping with Normandy’s 34 years of superb service.”
Over the course of 262 days, Normandy’s crew conducted over 40 replenishments-at-sea, and manned flight quarters 670 times. Normandy’s embarked air detachment, the “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70, flew 393 sorties, totaling 1,132 hours flown.
Normandy’s culinary team prepared and served over 388,500 meals, which included over 68,619 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables, 4,382 lbs. of steak, 10,520 hot dogs, 3,207 lbs. of bacon, 89,000 individual eggs and 800 lbs. of coffee.
After departing Naval Station Norfolk on May 2, 2023, the strike group spent a month steaming in the High North before transiting the Strait of Gibraltar on June 15, entering the Mediterranean Sea where the strike group would spend the rest of deployment working with allies and partners to provide maritime stability and security in the region.
Normandy participated in two named multinational naval exercises while in the Mediterranean: NATO vigilance activity Neptune Strike in July and Sage Wolverine in August. During Neptune Strike, command and control of all participating vessels was transferred to Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) to synchronize the U.S. and the NATO Alliance’s planning teams and to improve the Alliance’s ability to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defense. Sage Wolverine consisted of 10 days of high-end maritime training events and air defense exercises with NATO allies. In concert with U.S. allies over the eight months Normandy was underway, the ship completed 24 air defense exercises, 12 low slow flier exercises, and 7 simulated air defense exercises.
Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, Normandy and the strike group were ordered to the Eastern Mediterranean by the secretary of defense to provide a constant and stabilizing presence that would prevent regional escalation of the conflict.
“For almost 70% of Normandy’s crew, this was their first deployment,” said Command Master Chief William Palmer. “That did not deter them from seizing opportunities to excel and gain further expertise in their fields. Normandy’s Sailors are returning home more accomplished and more resilient, and their families should be proud of the work they have done.”
