The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer quietly departed Naval Base San Diego yesterday, setting course for the Middle East to plug into ongoing U.S. operations in the region. Sailors and embarked Marines lined the rails as the big-deck warship pulled away, with ship-spotter photos and video quickly circulating online to mark the sendoff.
According to FOX 5 San Diego, the move bolsters the U.S. amphibious presence in the area and was widely documented by local outlets and ship-tracking feeds. The station reported that Boxer is headed to link up with ongoing missions in the Middle East and aired footage of the ship easing out of the bay.
What sailed from Naval Base San Diego
Boxer is leading an amphibious ready group that also includes the dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD-45) and the amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD-27), both homeported in San Diego, according to U.S. Pacific Fleet. Together, the ARG can embark Marines, MV-22 Ospreys, amphibious combat vehicles and other sea-based forces, giving commanders a movable toolkit for operations ashore.
Why the movement matters
The departure lands at a time when the Pentagon has been shifting naval assets to keep options open amid climbing tensions across the Middle East. Amphibious groups like Boxer’s provide a sea-based way to rapidly stage and move troops and equipment without relying on host-nation bases. USNI News and other trackers have noted recent carrier and amphibious group movements toward the region, while AP has flagged an expanded U.S. carrier footprint there.
Boxer’s recent readiness record
Boxer’s road to deployment has not been smooth. The ship has wrestled with maintenance problems in recent years, including rudder and engineering issues that forced a return to San Diego and stretched out its deployment schedule before it could get fully back to sea. Outlets such as KPBS and Times of San Diego have chronicled the repair work and the ship’s subsequent workups to get back on deployment footing.
By press time, the Navy had not released a detailed operational timeline for the Boxer ARG or specified when the group is expected to cross into the U.S. Central Command area of operations. Officials also did not immediately expand on mission details. FOX 5 San Diego provided the first local look at the departure and video from the waterfront, and this story will be updated as official notices or additional ship movements are announced.
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