USS Iwo Jima returns home after 10-month deployment to Caribbean
The ship’s 4,500 sailors and Marines also carried out counterdrug operations, humanitarian aid in Jamaica and exercises with Caribbean partners.
- The USS Iwo Jima returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday, June 6, 2026, after a 10-month deployment serving as flagship for Operation Southern Spear, bringing home more than 4,500 sailors and embarked Marines.
- Operation Southern Spear targeted narco-terrorism across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, with the Wasp-class assault ship providing humanitarian assistance to Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa and conducting multinational exercises.
- Elements of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a nighttime operation on January 2, 2026; the couple were transported to the ship and later faced federal drug, weapons, and conspiracy charges in New York.
- Virginia Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine questioned the legality of the operation on Thursday, citing reports that strikes killed more than 200 people without requiring evidence of narcotics or arms aboard targeted vessels.
- With 23 days of downtime to recuperate, the crew will soon head to New York to participate in the nation's 250th birthday celebration, while Capt. Rick Haley confirmed the ship will open for public tours June 20 and 21.
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On the 6th, at the U.S. Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia, where the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima docked, the children of a crew member are holding up a sign that reads, "Dad, welcome home." The USS Iwo Jima returned on this day after completing a 10-month deployment mission to support operations of the U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for the Central and South America and Caribbean regions. The USS Iwo Jima was deploy…
USS Iwo Jima returns to Naval Station Norfolk after 10-month deployment, reuniting sailors and Marines with families
After a 10-month deployment supporting Operation Southern Spear, USS Iwo Jima sailors and Marines returned to Norfolk, reuniting with loved ones.
USS Iwo Jima returns to Naval Station Norfolk after extended deployment
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — After 296 days, sailors and marines of the USS Iwo Jima walked back onto Naval Station Norfolk Saturday morning. The IWO Amphibious Ready Group (IWO ARG) is comprised of USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale. The IWO ARG was the first group of "expeditionary" naval assets called [...]
Families reunite with USS Iwo Jima sailors at Naval Station Norfolk after historic 10-month deployment
The USS Iwo Jima returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday after a historic 10-month deployment fighting drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.The Wasp-class assault ship served as flagship for Operation Southern Spear, a military campaign targeting narco-terrorism. The ship's 4,500 sailors and embarked Marines also provided humanitarian assistance to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa and conducted multiple exercises with Carib…
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