Approximately 300 sailors were greeted by family and friends at Naval Station Everett on Friday following the conclusion of a seven-month deployment for the USS Gridley. The guided missile destroyer, one of seven vessels homeported in Everett, recently completed a voyage that took it across waters near the Caribbean and South America. This assignment follows a nine-month sea deployment the ship undertook earlier in 2025.
Magdalena Keel, the commanding officer of the vessel, described the return as a highly rewarding moment for the crew in an interview conducted on Friday morning. She characterized the professionalism and determination of the sailors as inspiring throughout the mission.
During the seven-month period, the USS Gridley provided escort services to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as it traveled south and circumnavigated South America. Keel stated that the primary objectives included conducting bilateral military trainings and maintaining international relations. According to Marek Jestrab, the ship’s executive officer, the crew collaborated with 18 different nations during the deployment. A press release from the U.S. Navy in March outlined the goals of these exercises as building team capabilities, countering threats, and strengthening maritime partnerships.
Jestrab expressed satisfaction upon returning to port, noting the significant accomplishments achieved by the crew over the past several months. His immediate plans included reuniting with his wife, attending a University of Washington football game on Saturday, and watching the Seattle Seahawks play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. He noted that he had held season tickets for the Huskies that he had been unable to utilize while at sea.
Dejon Wetzstein, a sailor residing near Tacoma, planned to spend his first hours back home eating with his wife and two young children, who are three and five years old. Wetzstein described the reunion as overwhelming due to the frequency of recent deployments. He admitted to being moved by the time apart, noting that he had missed significant portions of his children’s development due to back-to-back assignments, but expressed relief at finally being home.