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August 6, 2010

By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© August 6, 2010

NORFOLK

The guided missile destroyers Ramage and Barry are back in Norfolk today.

The Ramage, which spent seven months at sea, left Jan. 5 for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. The ship has a crew of about 275 sailors.

In late January, the Ramage crossed the Mediterranean at full speed, in 10 hours, to assist in search and rescue efforts after a passenger jet crashed into the sea off the coast of Lebanon. Ramage sailors helped track down the emergency transponder of an Ethiopian Airlines 737.

The ship also performed exercises and operations with the Greek, Turkish, Israeli, Italian and French militaries.

Cmdr. Erik J. Eslich is the destroyer’s commanding officer.

The Barry returned after a five-month cruise alongside a British aircraft carrier strike group.

The Barry spent the first two months off the coast of the United Kingdom taking part in a multi-national naval exercise.

Back in the western Atlantic, the crew of about 250 sailors joined multiple U.S. and U.K. exercises. In late June, and the ship participated in an international fleet review in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to celebrate the Canadian Navy’s centennial.

Cmdr. A. H. Ibarra is the skipper of the Barry.