Three U.S. Navy ships are headed to the waters off Israel, according to the Stars and Stripes. The USS Iwo Jima, the USS New York, and the USS Gunston Hall are all based in Norfolk, Virginia.
Cmdr. Marc Boyd, spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa, told the Stars and Stripes:
“This is being done as a precautionary measure to allow the Marine team to respond to any crisis or contingency, whatever is out there. It is a prudent measure.”
The three warships were slated to return to Norfolk next week after completing an eight-month deployment before the Navy redirected them towards Israel. Aboard the ships are 2,300 Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune.
