The guided-missile frigate USS Kauffman (FFG 59) returned home to Norfolk, July 12, following a six-month deployment in support of Operation Martillo.
In collaboration with three U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) law enforcement detachments (LEDET) and “The Immortals,” from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light Squadron (HSL) 60, Kauffman intercepted 8,499 kg of narcotics and interdicted 13 smuggling vessels during its deployment.
Kauffman’s crew also spent time volunteering during community relations projects in liberty ports such as Cartagena, Colombia; Orangestaad, Aruba; and Panama City, Panama.
Kauffman’s departure from U.S. 4th Fleet and its return to homeport is historic, as it represents the final deployment for Kauffman, and is the final deployment for any Oliver Hazard-Perry class frigate based in Norfolk. Kauffman is scheduled to be decommissioned in September.
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Image: US Navy