Marien Rincon Media of Chesapeake is a supply officer on board the USS Fort Lauderdale. She joined the Navy after coming to the United States from Venezuela 10 years ago.
She hadn’t been back to the country until the ship was directed to help with disaster relief, after a June 24 earthquake.
“I'm from Venezuela,” Rincon Media said. “I was very happy that God put me in the place to be able to come back after more than 10 years and be able to help my people too.”
Her wife, sister and mother waited on the dock, while the ship made its way into port.
“It's exciting for her to come back to Venezuela after a long time ago, but not for the situation because the situation is really sad,” said Estefany Pino, her wife.
USS Fort Lauderdale was part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, but it was the last of the three ships to arrive home after being deployed on Aug. 14, 2025.
This was USS Fort Lauderdale’s maiden voyage. The amphibious assault ship was originally scheduled to go to Europe when it was redirected to the Caribbean. Its deployment was also extended 125 days, before sailors were finally allowed to return to Norfolk Thursday.
Originally, the ship was part of the build up of U.S. ships around Venezuela, prior to the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January. Portions of the flotilla have lingered in the Caribbean since the operation ended.
The U.S. has targeted 60 small boats, which the Trump administration claimed, without providing evidence, were part of the drug trade. The strikes have killed more than 200 people. The most recent attack happened in mid -June, killing one person and leaving two survivors.
US Southern Command has provided limited details about the nature of the on-going operation. The last portion of the mission for the USS Fort Lauderdale and its 350 sailors and up to 800 Marines was to assist in disaster relief, said Capt. Jiwan A. Mack, without providing further details.
“We train to be prepared for anything,” he said.
The deployment was longer than that of the USS Gerald R. Ford, which set a post-Cold War record for an aircraft carrier.
Andrea Brewer waited on the dock for her son Thomas Jones, an electronics technician. This was his first deployment in his six years in the Navy, and the only one he is expected to have before he is scheduled to leave the Navy. She said she was relieved that he was finally home after nearly a year.
“You can't help when you're a mom to worry,” Brewer said. “I was worried where there'd be aftershocks or anything like that. But I truly did feel like he was in good hands, and they were going to keep him safe.”
