USS Thomas Hudner returns to Mayport after 8-month deployment involving Venezuela blockade and Iran war strikes

Published Aug 10, 02:00 PM UTC

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Thomas Hudner returned to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, after an eight-month deployment. The ship and its 300 crew members first participated in the blockade of Venezuela, seizing oil tankers ahead of the January 2026 attack on Caracas. In February, it was redeployed to the Middle East, joining the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group. The destroyer fired Tomahawk land attack missiles in the opening strikes of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. war with Iran. It later operated in the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean before returning home. This was the ship's second combat engagement with Iran in a year, following its role in intercepting missiles aimed at Israel during the 12-Day War in summer 2025. Commander David Cook praised the crew as 'true American Patriots.' The U.S. maintains a large naval presence in the region with carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush.