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Naval Station Mayport witnessed its first deployment of the year as the USS Delbert D. Black set sail, marking a significant moment on Saturday morning. Families gathered at the station in Jacksonville, Florida, to bid heartfelt farewells to their loved ones aboard the ship, which departs during a time of rising global tensions. This deployment follows recent U.S. airstrikes in Venezuela, which have heightened the alert status of American forces in various regions.
Cmdr. Ezra Hatch expressed high praise for the vessel, stating, “I’ve served on many ships, and I can confidently say this is the finest. The crew’s resilience and dedication ensure the ship is always mission-ready.” The USS Delbert D. Black, a state-of-the-art guided-missile destroyer, carries approximately 300 sailors and is equipped to engage in operations across air, surface, and subsurface domains.
Hatch emphasized the comprehensive training undertaken by the crew, highlighting the ship’s multifaceted mission capabilities. “Our training encompasses all warfare areas,” he explained. “Whether it’s surface warfare, submarine warfare, or even cyber operations, we prepare for every possible mission scenario to maintain our readiness.”
The guided-missile destroyer carries about 300 sailors and is designed to operate in the air, on the surface, and below the sea. Hatch said the crew trains for a variety of missions to ensure readiness.
“Gone to the fact that it’s a multiple mission warship, we train for every warfare area that could be anything from service, war subservice, warfare service, fire support even into the cyber room, so just being prepared for every different type of mission,” said Hatch.
Chandler Stiles, born and raised in Jacksonville, is heading out on his first-ever deployment.
“We’re really hard-working,” Stiles told First Coast News. “We want to go out there and do our jobs. We want to do it well. It’s a great crew and I’m very happy to be a part of this crew.”
Stiles said his father, Gylenn, who served 24 years in the Navy, was a major inspiration.
“This is extremely proud you know, cause again, I look at the age of the crew, they’re young and they’re the best trained in the world and I think they’re gonna do great,” said Gylenn Stiles.
Chandler Stiles’ wife, Hannah, who married him in July 2025, shared her thoughts on the deployment and her husband’s character.
“I know I always had so much honor and integrity ever since the first night I met him,” she said. “I say this a lot, but he truly is the best man I’ve ever met. I’m pretty sad, definitely. I’m really proud of him, proud of the crew and all the hard work they put in.”
Navy officials confirmed the ship is ready for a range of missions, but cannot discuss specific destinations due to operational security measures. Family members, like Hannah, said they are proud of the crew.
