Overview
- The Arleigh Burke‑class destroyer pulled into Joint Base Pearl Harbor‑Hickam on Monday after a roughly 10‑month, 301‑day deployment with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
- As the strike group’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense commander, the Petersen’s leadership said the ship defended allied vessels against more than 100 missile and drone attacks during Operation Epic Fury.
- The destroyer operated in both the U.S. 7th and CENTCOM areas, supported blockade and mine‑detection efforts, and — with USS Michael Murphy — was among the first to transit the Strait of Hormuz after major combat operations eased in April.
- Operational logs show sustained endurance: roughly 85,000 nautical miles sailed, 45 replenishments at sea, millions of gallons of fuel transferred, and about 1,094 flight‑hours, with port calls in Guam, Duqm, Diego Garcia and Sriracha.
- The deployment exposed strain across the strike group — Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao reported eight suicide attempts among personnel — while the Petersen’s crew reported no suicidal ideation and used shipboard resilience measures such as a commander‑led “meme wall.”