SAN DIEGO -- The guided-missile frigate USS Thach returns to San Diego Thursday following a five-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and ports around the world, according to officials.

During the deployment, the crew of the Thach was responsible for defending Iraqi infrastructure in the northern Persian Gulf and protecting the sovereignty of Iraq's waters, according to the U.S. Navy's Third Fleet. They were also responsible for training Iraqi forces in maritime security operations.

The Thach, which is named after a World War II naval aviator, returned to San Diego after and around-the-world transit, which included stops in Saipan, Thailand, Bahrain, Jordan and the Azores, according to the Navy.