The USS Iwo Jima will leave Naval Station Mayport on Friday for a new homeport in Norfolk, Virginia.
Iwo Jima has been stationed at Naval Station Mayport for seven years and completed three deployments during that time.
The amphibious assault ship deployed this year for seven months of exercises and operations and returned in October.
“On behalf of Iwo Jima’s crew, I would like to personally thank Naval Station Mayport and the Jacksonville community for the support they have provided the ship and her crew,” Capt. J.A. Krier said in a news release. “Though we have enjoyed our time at Naval Station Mayport, the crew is excited for the transition to Norfolk and is ready to make a positive impact on the community here."
The Iwo Jima was commissioned June 30, 2001, in Pensacola with a initial homeport in Norfolk. It moved to Naval Station Mayport in August 2014.
