The destroyer USS Spruance broke the record for the longest-deployed destroyer since World War II, after its deployment was extended by nearly double the intended tour due to the war with Iran.
The Spruance left Naval Base San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, as an escort for the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. What was supposed to be a routine seven-month deployment turned into the longest post-World War II voyage after the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, when the vessel helped form the vanguard of U.S. strikes against Iranian targets, then defended against retaliatory attacks. It even fired some of the first shots of the war against Iran, firing Tomahawk missiles as part of the opening salvo.
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