USS Boxer Sailing Back to San Diego

The sailors and Marines of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group are due back in San Diego on Friday following an eight-month deployment, the Navy announced today.

The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans and amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry left San Diego on Aug. 23, along with personnel from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the "Black Jacks" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21, Detachment 3. Detachments from Assault Craft Unit 1 and 5 were also deployed.

They undertook numerous maritime security operations, seven major theater security cooperation efforts and other support duties, according to the Navy.

"This team of well-trained professionals served the country honorably throughout the deployment," said Capt. Malcolm Potts, commander of Amphibious Squadron 1. "It has been an absolute pleasure leading these outstanding sailors and Marines as they carried out numerous expeditionary operations in support of our nation."

The deployment marked the first West Coast amphibious ready group to bring a complement of MV-22 Ospreys, operating together for the first time with the UH-1 Iroquois command/control helicopter and the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, according to the Navy.