Cole Returns From Deployment
Navy Newsstand
Story Number: NNS040527-05
Release Date: 5/27/2004 2:42:00 PM
From Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- USS Cole (DDG 67) returned to its homeport of Norfolk, Va., May 27.
Cole departed along with USS Thorn (DD 988) and USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) Nov. 29.
During the deployment, Cole was part of NATO's Standing Naval Forces Mediterranean (SNFM), serving with nine ships from Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and Turkey. She conducted more than 1,000 vessel queries, served as SNFM Strait of Gibraltar escort commander, and carried out four maritime interdiction boardings in support of the global war on terror.
Cole took part in one of the largest NATO exercises in history, Mare Aperto 2004, and Dogfish 2004. Mare Aperto 2004 included 37 ships from six nations and encompassed every area of surface warfare. Exercise Dogfish, an anti-submarine warfare exercise, included NATO coalition warships and submarines from Germany, Italy, Turkey, Greece, United Kingdom and France.
Cole also visited Souda Bay, Crete; Aksaz, Turkey; Toulon, France; Rota and Valencia, Spain; and Augusta Bay, Cagliari; and Genoa, Italy. Cole Sailors also attended Christmas Eve midnight mass at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II.
Gonzalez and Thorn are scheduled to return to Norfolk May 28.
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