SAN DIEGO -- The amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans was scheduled to return to San Diego Thursday evening from a three-month deployment.

Throughout the deployment, the crew of the New Orleans conducted exercises and provided humanitarian services in Mexico, Peru and Colombia.

"This has been an outstanding deployment and mission," New Orleans commanding officer Cmdr. Jeff Oakey said in a prepared statement. "The interaction we've had with Mexico, Central and South America, has really helped us to understand and appreciate one another."