NORFOLK, Va. – The USS Cole is leaving Virginia on a six-month deployment.
The guided-missile destroyer is scheduled to leave Naval Station Norfolk on Friday.
The Navy says the ship will be operating in the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding waters. The Navy says the Cole will conduct maritime operations and strengthen partner nations' maritime capabilities.
Its last deployment occurred in 2012. It was originally scheduled to last six months, but that was extended to nine months. The ship returned to Virginia in 2013.
The Cole is named in honor of Marine Sgt. Darrell S. Cole, who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II.
