News

May 16, 2025

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

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.

May 13, 2025

Continuing Promise 2025 Set to Begin

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.

May 12, 2025

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Scores Another Bust

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.

April 28, 2025

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

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.

April 17, 2025

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Makes Multiple Drug Busts

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.

April 11, 2025

UNITAS 2025 Mid Planning Conference Concludes

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.

April 11, 2025

USS Chosin supports Central American Security Conference 2025

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.

April 11, 2025

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

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.

March 28, 2025

USS Normandy and GDFS Shahoud conduct Maritime Exercise

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.

March 13, 2025

Sailors and Marines Team Up for Integrated Advance 2025

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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