JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer has arrived in its new homeport of Naval Station Mayport.
The ship, which was commissioned in 1995, has been in Norfolk for almost 30 years. According to the Navy Times, the ship's lifespan is until at least 2035.
“The sailors and families of USS Ramage (DDG 61) are excited to call Naval Station Mayport home,” said the ship’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Tim Yuhas. “After nearly 30 years being stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, the entire Ramage team is excited to experience the hospitality and culture of maintenance excellence that defines the basin.”
The ship was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The USS Ramage served as an air defense unit for the strike group off the coast of Israel, and closely monitored Russian Federation Navy units for signs of aggression, according to the Navy.
Citing Navy figures, the crew of the Ramage accomplished 40 replenishments at sea, logged more than 400 helicopter landings, sailed more than 50,000 miles and prepared more than 190,000 meals across 214 days.
“I’m looking forward to Florida. It feels closer to home than any place I could be stationed,” Fire Controlman Third Class Tyler Allen Wade Dickey told Carrier Strike Group 12 Public Affairs in December. “This crew is the best team I’ve ever been a part of. There’s isn’t anything we can’t accomplish together.”
Between 1995 and 2019, the destroyer has received several Battle Effectiveness awards, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendations and Navy Unit Commendations.
