The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) returned to Naval Station Mayport Florida, Aug. 9, following a scheduled six-month deployment.

New York deployed Feb. 7 as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), supporting maritime and theater security operation in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

“For the past six months, we have been on station, supporting the mission by providing a full range of capabilities from our Navy and Marine Corps team,” said Capt. Brent DeVore, New York’s commanding officer. “We completed numerous missions in the Mediterranean Sea and also provided support to the Department of State.

New York traveled more than 26,000 nautical miles, visited four ports, took on two million gallons of fuel, received over 800 pallets of cargo and logged more than 1,000 flight hours.

“We completed 62 well deck evolutions; both day and night, to ensure maximum readiness,” said Lt. Stephen O’Dell, New York’s assistant operations officer. “New York’s flight deck was just as busy, routinely conducting flight operations in support of the embarked air combat element, allowing the ship to maintain the highest proficiency and tactical readiness throughout all warfare areas.”

While deployed, Sailors and Marines were also given the opportunity to sightsee in Greece, Italy and Spain. They enjoyed the landscapes of foreign ports and visited historical landmarks such as the Parthenon and Rome’s Colosseum.

For many Sailors, this deployment marked a time of personal, as well as professional success. While underway, 128 Sailors earned their Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist pins, 78 Sailors received their Enlisted Information Warfare Specialist pins and 73 crew members completed college level courses as a part of the Navy College Program for Afloat Education.

"Our deployment in direct support of U.S. national interests in Africa and Europe has been nothing short of amazing," said Capt. Pete Kennedy, New York’s executive officer. "This Navy-Marine Corps team has set the standard for the future deployers by supporting important operations with efficiency, effectiveness and tactical innovation. I could not be prouder of them and their achievements."

New York supports a variety of amphibious and humanitarian missions. Its warfighting capabilities include a state-of-the-art command and control suite, substantially increased vehicle lift capacity, a large flight deck and advanced ship survivability features that enhance its ability to operate in the littoral environment.

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For more news from USS New York (LPD 21), visit www.navy.mil/.