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From left, retired Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, Mr. Bob Kapcio, Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, and retired Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson celebrate Kapcio’s more than 40 years of naval service during a retirement luncheon in his honor. Kapcio completed his 33 years of military service serving as 4th Fleet’s first Maritime Operations Center (MOC) Director in 2011, prior to serving for 14 years in a civilian role, most recently as the Commander’s Action Group (CAG) Director. Retired Rear Adms. Gabrielson (2019-2021) and Aiken (2021-2024) served as 4th Fleet commanders prior to Rear Adm. Sardiello. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the maritime component of U.S. Southern Command and the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central and South America maritime forces leading to improved unity, security, and stability.

May 16, 2025

End of an Era U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet CAG Retires After 47 Years of Service

MAYPORT, Florida — NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Florida – (Apr. 25, 2025) – Current and former flag officers, staffers and friends gathered at the Naval Station Mayport Chief Petty Officer’s Club Apr. 25, 2025, to honor the career and legacy of Mr. Bob Kapcio, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/ U.S. 4th Fleet’s Commander’s Action Group Director, who has retired after 47 years of service to the United States.

The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) sit at anchor during Continuing Promise 2015. Continuing Promise is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet-conducted deployment to conduct civil-military operations including humanitarian-civil assistance, subject matter expert exchanges, medical, dental, veterinary and engineering support and disaster response to partner nations and to show U.S. support and commitment to Central and South America and the Caribbean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Gary Johnson/Released)

May 13, 2025

Continuing Promise 2025 Set to Begin

MAYPORT, Florida — The U.S. Navy Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will deploy this June-August to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2025 mission. After several months of detailed planning, USNS Comfort is scheduled to visit Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic during the nearly three month-long mission.

The littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) interdicted a suspected drug smuggling vessel May 1 while supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South. This is the ship's third successful interdiction during its maiden deployment. In mid-April, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul interdicted two vessels, confiscating 580 kilograms (1,279 pounds) of cocaine valued at $9,463,860 and 1,125 kilograms (2,480 pounds) of marijuana valued at $2,807,360. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul is assigned to Commander, Task Force 45, the 4th Fleet surface task force responsible for combined naval operations, building partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean, and supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South's counter-drug trafficking operations. LEDETs are deployable specialized Coast Guard forces that enforce U.S. laws and treaties at sea. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command by employing maritime forces in cooperative security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build partnerships to promote regional security and stability in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

May 12, 2025

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Scores Another Bust

CARIBBEAN SEA — The littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) interdicted a suspected drug smuggling vessel May 1 while supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South. This is the ship's third successful interdiction during its maiden deployment. In mid-April, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul interdicted two vessels, confiscating 580 kilograms (1,279 pounds) of cocaine valued at $9,463,860 and 1,125 kilograms (2,480 pounds) of marijuana valued at $2,807,360.

221021-N-MY642-1179 ATLANTIC OCEAN (October 21, 2022) The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) steams through the ocean as part of the transit south from Nofolk, Va. Comfort is deployed to U.S. 4th Fleet in support of Continuing Promise 2022, a humanitarian assistance and goodwill mission conducting direct medical care, expeditionary veterinary care, and subject matter expert exchanges with five partner nations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Donald R. White Jr.)

April 28, 2025

Continuing Promise 2025 Completes Planning USNS Comfort to Deploy to SOUTHCOM Region

NORFOLK, Virginia — Military and civilian planners from the United States and six partner nations met this week in Norfolk, Va., to make final plans for the upcoming Continuing Promise 2025 deployment. U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will deploy in support of Continuing Promise 2025, with the ship scheduled to conduct mission stops in Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. U.S. Navy Capt. Ryan Kendall, Deputy Commander, Destroyer Squadron 40 (COMDESRON 40) will serve as mission commander for Continuing Promise 2025.

The Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) departs Naval Station Mayport for her maiden deployment, Mar. 26, 2025. LCS 21 is deploying to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations is support of counter-illicit drug trafficking operations.

April 17, 2025

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Makes Multiple Drug Busts

CARIBBEAN SEA — The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis Saint-Paul (LCS 21), in coordination with joint partners, stopped two alleged drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean Sea within a 72-hour span.

Led by Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, more than 100 Sailors, Marines, and civilians gathered onboard Naval Station Mayport in support of the UNITAS 2025 Mid-Planning Conference. This year’s UNITAS, scheduled for September, is the longest-running, multinational maritime exercise in the world. UNITAS 2025 will combine the efforts of Allies and Partners from across the globe and serve as the warfighting introduction to Navy 250 – the U.S. Navy’s year-long birthday celebration. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Southern Command and the trusted maritime partner for Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the maritime component of U.S. Caribbean, Central and South America maritime forces leading to improved unity, security, and stability.

April 11, 2025

UNITAS 2025 Mid Planning Conference Concludes

Mayport, Fla. — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet completed the UNITAS 2025 mid planning conference on board Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Apr. 7-11. Held virtually and in-person, the conference brought together commands from the U.S. and partner nations to plan for UNITAS 2025, the 66th iteration of the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise.

U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, commander of U.S. Southern Command, boards the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Chosin (CG 65) for a reception night, Panama, April 7, 2025. U.S. Southern Command and the Panamanian security forces collaborate to ensure and maintain regional stability during natural disasters, medical catastrophes or regional conflicts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Van Hoang)

April 11, 2025

USS Chosin supports Central American Security Conference 2025

AMADOR, Panama — U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, commander, U.S. Southern Command, and John M. Barrett, Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, co-hosted a reception for Panamanian government officials and foreign dignitaries aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65) during a port visit to Panama Apr. 7, opening the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC 2025). CENTSEC is a week of international joint operations and training, to promote and facilitate dialogue and cooperation among regional security partners focused on common challenges and objectives.

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April 11, 2025

USNS Comfort to visit SOUTHCOM Region; Ship to support Continuing Promise 2025 Mission

PANAMA CITY, Panama — PANAMA CITY, Panama – (Apr. 10, 2025) – Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced April 9 that a U.S. Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), will deploy in support of Continuing Promise 2025 later this year.

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) conducts a passing exercise with Guyana Defense Force Defiant-class patrol ship GDSF Shahoud in the Caribbean Sea, March 27, 2025. Normandy is scheduled to protect U.S. interests in the region and strengthen maritime partnerships through bilateral and multinational maritime operations and Theater Security Cooperation port visits. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the maritime component of U.S. Southern Command and the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central, and South American maritime forces, leading to improved unity, security, and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dylan M. Kinee/Released)

March 28, 2025

USS Normandy and GDFS Shahoud conduct Maritime Exercise

CARIBBEAN SEA — U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Guyana Defence Force Defiant-class patrol vessel GDFS Shahoud (1039) on Mar. 27. The two ships conducted formation-maneuvering events supported by Normandy’s embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50; the aircrew conducted a photo exercise as the final event of the maneuvers.

Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, welcomes Brig. Gen. Omar Randall, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South deputy commander to U.S. 4th Fleet Headquarters onboard Naval Station Mayport. The two leaders discussed exercise Integrated Advance 2025, where Sailors and Marines are serving together for the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC), working through a contingency scenario in the USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR) to validate warfighting functions and clarify phase transitions at the operational level of war. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central and South America maritime forces leading to improved unity, security and stability.

March 13, 2025

Sailors and Marines Team Up for Integrated Advance 2025

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. — Sailors from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSOUTH/FOURTHFLT) and Marines from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH) are serving together on the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) staff during Exercise Integrated Advance 2025.

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