• NB SAN DIEGO, Calif.
On Jan. 6, the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) exchange here supported the first homecoming of 2026 for the USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) after a seven-month deployment.
During this deployment, the destroyer reportedly conducted operations across the 3rd, 5th and 7th fleets in the Indo-Pacific, including participating in exercises with allies.
NEX San Diego provided “Welcome Home” posters for families and snack bags for the Sailors.
MALABAR 2025
One of the major exercises the destroyer participated in was MALABAR 2025.
According to the Navy website (https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/4338421/guam-hosts-australia-india-japan-and-us-forces-in-exercise-malabar-2025/), this exercise was hosted by Guam and includes participation by forces from Australia, Japan and India.
The cooperative exercise “united service members from four Indo-Pacific nations, enhancing their skills in advanced maneuvering scenarios, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, information sharing, maritime operations, and various subject matter expert exchanges to improve overall interoperability between the forces.”
Other exercises that the USS Fitzgerald participated in were those that ensured freedom of navigation.
Source: U.S. Navy website (navy.mil); NEXCOM via DVIDS
Edited by Larry Lapka
