Image Credits: Wikipedia The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii after a 10-month deployment on Sept. 28. During the deployment, the ship operated in the South China Sea and the Middle East and took part in missions around the Strait of Hormuz. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. It provided ballistic missile defence during Operation Epic Fury and also supported blockade and mine-detection operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Frank E. Petersen Jr. left Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Dec. 1, 2025. It first joined the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the U.S. 7th Fleet area. The group carried out presence operations in the South China Sea. The Navy said those operations were aimed at deterring aggression, strengthening alliances and partnerships, and advancing peace through strength. The carrier strike group moved to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in late January. It was sent there to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. The group included the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the destroyers USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. It also included staffs from Carrier Strike Group 3, Destroyer Squadron 21 and Carrier Air Wing 9. More than 70 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft were part of the group. Frank E. Petersen Jr. supported U.S. Navy operations in the Middle East during Operation Epic Fury. The destroyer served as the Integrated Air and Missile Defense commander for the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. It provided ballistic missile defence during the operation. The ship also supported what the Navy described as the largest naval blockade in decades. In April, Frank E. Petersen Jr. transited the Strait of Hormuz as part of blockade operations and mine-detection efforts. The Navy said the work helped keep the waterway open to maritime traffic. The destroyer also supported effort