Cushing Returns from Northern Arabian Gulf
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS040922-09
Release Date: 9/22/2004 2:50:00 PM
By Maria Lee, Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- USS Cushing (DD 985) returned to Yokosuka, Japan, Aug. 27 after being deployed for nearly five months in the Persian Gulf.
The Spruance-class destroyer participated in several missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during the deployment. Cushing teamed with navy units from several other countries, forming a coalition force to interdict potential terrorists, terrorist-related maritime activity, and to maintain warning and exclusion zones around Iraq oil terminals in the northern Persian Gulf.
The ship queried 465 vessels and boarded 47 during the deployment.
Quartermaster 3rd Class Joe Rayburn, a member of Cushing's visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team, said that homeland security was always at the forefront of his thoughts during this recent deployment.
"I'm out here stopping terrorist activities so that those back home can feel safer," he said.
"We're glad for this opportunity to do our part in countering global terrorism," added Senior Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) (SW) Timothy C. Brennan, who led Cushing's VBSS team.
Commanding Officer Cmdr. Steven Mucklow praised Cushing's Sailors for their teamwork.
"All boardings require a crew to come together as a team, and this crew had done so superbly," he said.
Mucklow added that not only did Cushing directly impact global terrorism, its crew also interacted with the region's maritime community on a daily basis, "gaining their trust that the efforts of the coalition are important to them, as well."
Despite the frenzied pace of this recent underway period, Cushing's crew also found time to execute various community relations efforts in Malaysia and Sri Lanka and qualify 62 new enlisted surface warfare specialists.
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