Overview
- The USS McFaul returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, concluding an 11-month, roughly 332-day deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas.
- During the deployment the destroyer used its Aegis Combat System to provide anti-air, surface and naval gunfire support for Operation Epic Fury while integrating with the Abraham Lincoln, George H.W. Bush and George Washington carrier strike groups.
- Tracking reports show McFaul transited the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, spent most of its time supporting a naval buildup in the North Arabian Sea, and returned by circumnavigating Africa rather than using the Red Sea route.
- Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao and U.S. Fleet Forces commander Adm. Karl Thomas attended the homecoming and Cmdr. Adam Samson publicly praised the crew’s performance during the combat deployment.
- The ship’s long tour highlights a broader Navy trend of extended destroyer deployments that officials say are stressing maintenance cycles and could lead to longer deployments for sailors and more pressure on ship readiness.