Over 300 Troops And Deployed To Face The Houthis: A Look At The USS Gravely, The Destroyer Deployed To The Mexico Border

The USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer previously involved in combat operations in the Middle East, has been deployed to the U.S. Northern Command Area of Responsibility (USNORTHCOM AOR) to support border security efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border.

While the U.S. military, including National Guard units, has previously been deployed to support border operations, the involvement of a Navy destroyer is unusual. The region's terrain and border—largely land-based—are typically under the purview of the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard, which patrols nearby waters.

The USS Gravely has a history of active combat deployments. The mentioned stint in the Middle East lasted a total of nine months. Then, the ship escorted aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and intercepted missiles launched by Houthi militants in the Red Sea. That deployment, which was extended twice, was described by the Navy as "unprecedented" due to its intensity and duration, as The Washington Post reports. The ship was launched in 2009 and can hold 312 officers. It can fire from eight guns, has one missile-launcher as well as two torpedoes and carries two helicopters. Its motto is "First to Conquer."

While officials have not specified whether the deployment addresses a shortfall in Coast Guard assets or is intended to deter drug cartels, it aligns with broader administration objectives to demonstrate military presence in the region.

The deployment could involve patrols in the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean Sea, and possibly serve as a signal of strength amid broader security initiatives, including the president's stated interest in increasing influence over the Panama Canal region, though no related changes have been formally announced

Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander of U.S. Northern Command, announced the deployment through an official statement by USNORTHCOM:

"USS Gravely's deployment will contribute to the U.S. Northern Command southern border mission as part of the DOD's coordinated effort in response to the Presidential Executive Order. Gravely's sea-going capacity improves our ability to protect the United States' territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security"

The statement goes on to explain that the ship will support interagency collaboration and reinforce maritime efforts to combat "maritime related terrorism, weapons proliferation, transnational crime, piracy, environmental destruction, and illegal seaborne immigration."

The deployment also aims to address what the command described as "critical capabilities gaps in support" of the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. USNORTHCOM also communicated the deployment through its Facebook page: