About 4,500 sailors and Marines of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned to San Diego Wednesday after a seven-month war deployment to the Middle East and the Pacific, where ARG pilots participated in some of the first strikes on Islamic militants overrunning Iraq.
The ARGgroup had a jam-packed deployment that included strikes on the Islamic State in Iraq, as well as working with Kuwaiti, Saudi and British forces, according to a release from Amphibious Squadron 5Five.
"We've had a very intense deployment that required us to execute multiple mission sets simultaneously for long periods of time." said Capt. Steve McKone, head of PHIBRON 5. "I know these Sailors and Marines are excited to be home."
The group includes the amphibious assault ship Makin Island, the dock landing ship Comstock, and the amphibious transport dock San Diego, which is returning from its maiden deployment.
The attached Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Detachment 2, returned to its home base on Naval Air Station North Island, California, Tuesday.
During the deployment, the ARG transited nearly 35,000 nautical miles, flew approximately 3,100 sorties, and logged nearly 5,020 flight hours, the release said.
Amphibious assault ship Makin Island returned to San Diego Wednesday after a seven-month war deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Photo Credit: Lt. Rick Chernitzer/Navy
