Military & Defense
USS McFaul returns to Norfolk after 332 days: combat service in Operation Epic Fury alongside three carrier strike groups
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) is back at Naval Station Norfolk after 332 days, having served in Operation Epic Fury with the Lincoln, George H.W. Bush and George Washington carrier strike groups.
After 332 days away from home port, the US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) moored on Friday, October 23 at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The ship had sailed on November 25, 2025, and over almost eleven months operated in the areas of responsibility of the 5th and 6th Fleets, protecting the interests of the United States, its allies and partners in Europe and the Middle East.
During the deployment the ship took part in Operation Epic Fury, the US campaign against Iran (see our timeline of the war). Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT) reports that McFaul used the Aegis combat system both in the build-up and in the operation itself, in three roles: air defence, surface warfare and naval fire support. It operated with three carrier strike groups, those of USS Abraham Lincoln, USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington. The Abraham Lincoln had returned earlier this month after 321 days at sea.
The ship’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Adam Samson, praised the crew, which he said showed “resolve, technical excellence and endurance” in an unstable region. “The true strength of this warship is, and always will be, its people,” he added. On arrival the sailors manned the rails.
The ship
McFaul is a Flight II Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, designed for air defence, anti-submarine and surface warfare, with a vertical launching system and an advanced radar. She was commissioned on April 25, 1998 in Savannah, Georgia, the 24th destroyer of the class and the 11th built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
She is named for Navy SEAL Chief Engineman Donald L. McFaul, killed in 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama while trying to save a wounded member of his team. The ship’s motto is “Courage, Honor, Sacrifice”.
The name is also known in Greek shipping. In July 2023, on an earlier Middle East deployment, McFaul rushed to the aid of a Greek-owned tanker that was coming under Iranian fire. With her return, McFaul rejoins SURFLANT, which commands more than 66 warships and 34 shore commands.
