The USS St. Louis returned to its home port of Mayport, Florida, on November 10 following a surge deployment in support of the United States Coast Guard’s maritime interdiction mission. The U.S. Navy Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, which carried a Navy helicopter and embedded U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET), patrolled U.S. waters near the southern border with Mexico, under the direction of the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).
“The crew of St. Louis is grateful for the opportunity to support and defend the homeland,” stated Cmdr. Lee Shewmake, the USS St. Louis’s commanding officer. “We are always ready to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to international cooperation and supporting regional security and prosperity. Our Officers and Sailors onboard welcome every opportunity to collaborate with our partners, strengthening our interoperability and shared goals in the area.”
Traveling aboard ship were the “Valkyries” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50 Detachment 5 and the embarked U.S. Coast Guard LEDET 408. The Naval and Coast Guard assets sailed under USNORTHCOM’s maritime homeland defense authority with the mission to restore territorial integrity at the southern border, according to a USNORTHCOM news release. USNORTHCOM is working alongside the Department of Homeland Security and USCBP in that effort. “The ship’s deployment highlights the Department of War and (the) Navy’s dedication to national security priorities, contributing to a coordinated and robust response to combating maritime-related terrorism, weapons proliferation, transnational crime, piracy, environmental destruction, and illegal seaborne immigration,” the release stated.
As family members welcomed the Sailors and Guardsmen home, the ship’s squadron commander praised their professionalism. “The U.S. Navy commends the crew of the St. Louis for their deployment in support of U.S. Northern Command’s mission,” stated Capt. Wade Smith, who commands Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2. “St. Louis reinforced our nation’s commitment to border security and interoperability with our partners and Allies.”
Reflecting the growing collaboration in the U.S.-Mexico defense partnership, the St. Louis’ deployment included its first-ever port call to Progreso, Yucatán, Mexico, followed by a naval passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Mexican Navy ship ARM Tabasco. Bilateral naval activities like the port call and PASSEX strengthen regional maritime security, increase operational compatibility between Mexico and the U.S and reinforce shared commitments in accordance with international agreements.
The USS St. Louis, a versatile, agile Navy vessel capable of operating close to shore, can work alone or in tandem with larger forces, according to the release. The ship belongs to the U.S. 2nd Fleet, which was re-created in 2018 to deploy maritime forces across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic to protect and defend those regions. The USS St. Louis entered into service in 2020, the seventh such naval vessel to bear the name since the Civil War.