SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The USS Cincinnati has returned home after an eight-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific, bringing back 100 sailors following a mission focused on regional partnerships and maritime readiness.
The crew visited Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines during the deployment, working alongside regional partners.
The littoral combat ship was not involved in any combat operations. Its mission was to foster peace through deterrence and strengthen relationships with allies and partners.
The homecoming carries added emotional weight for many families, given the current situation in the Middle East with the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Tina Blas, who was waiting for her husband, said, "We are very grateful and definitely keeping all of those families whose loved ones are over there in our prayers."
Sheila Comia, the wife of a Senior Chief Officer aboard the Cincinnati, also waited with her daughter and parents and spoke about her husband's return.
"It's been a struggle, but with the support of the family, we can still communicate with them through email and via other communications. It's been a little bit easier than the past," Comia said. "We're just all so excited for him to be home."
Throughout the deployment, sailors participated in a wide range of training exercises, including communications exercises, live-fire drills, tactical maneuvers, flight operations, and small-boat missions.
Ricardo Lopez was one sailor who returned home on Wednesday. Lopez, who's an EN2 Surface Warfare, said the moment he disembarked from the ship and saw his family, will be something he'll always remember.
"That was amazing. That was definitely one of the highlights of my life, I'll always remember that moment," Lopez said.
The Cincinnati also partnered with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, participating in "Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training" — known as CARAT — a major exercise aimed at improving regional security and maritime operations.
While in the U.S. Marshall Islands, the crew hosted ship tours, giving local communities a firsthand look at life aboard a U.S. Navy vessel.
After months overseas, the USS Cincinnati returns home as a symbol of success in building stronger alliances across the Pacific.
