Since the war broke out between Hamas and Israel Oct. 7, the U.S. has built up an enormous array of naval vessels in the region. Some have already come under fire.
Over the weekend, aircraft from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower shot an Iranian drone in the Persian Gulf. This was the second time a drone came close to the Norfolk-based carrier since it arrived in the Persian Gulf.
The USS Gerald R. Ford is currently on a port visit in Greece, after arriving in Souda Bay Saturday. The carrier has been positioned off the coast of Israel in the eastern Mediterranean since the conflict broke out. Originally scheduled to return home, its deployment has been extended twice.
Part of the Ford carrier group, the USS Ramage, returned to Norfolk over the weekend. The destroyer had been deployed for seven months. The ship is scheduled for maintenance and will eventually switch homeports to Mayport, Florida. While deployed with the Ford for 214 days, the ship logged over 400 helicopter landings and sailed over 50,000 miles, according to the Navy.
Marines from Camp Lejeune are on board amphibious assault ships USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall in the Red Sea. U.S. ships have shot down missiles fired by Houthi rebels in the region.
The Pentagon reports at least 73 attacks on U.S. forces in the region since the conflict began.
