NORFOLK, Va. — Smiles, hugs and homecoming joy filled Naval Station Norfolk on June 9 as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) returned from a three-month deployment supporting maritime homeland defense.

Operating under U.S. Northern Command’s authority, Gravely worked alongside a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment to conduct interdiction missions focused on stopping illegal drug trafficking, unauthorized migration and other unlawful activity at sea. The deployment was part of a broader effort between the U.S. Navy and Department of Homeland Security to bolster security along the southern border.

Family members waited pier-side, holding welcome signs and waving flags, as Sailors stepped back onto home soil — the end of another chapter in the ship’s commitment to protecting the homeland.

Source: DVIDS / U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anderson W. Branch