4,500 sailors and Marines return to San Diego after seven-month Indo-Pacific deployment

More than 4,500 sailors and Marines returned to San Diego aboard three warships on Thursday, concluding a seven-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific, the site of rising tensions with China.

The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group conducted joint exercises with partners and allies, including large-scale training in Indonesia.

The group consisted of the amphibious assault ship Makin Island and the amphibious transport docks John P. Murtha and Anchorage. The ships were carrying troops from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton.

“Our goal was to achieve interoperability with our allies and partners and to promote a free and open Indochina,” Capt. Andria Slough, Makin Island commander, said in a statement.

“We have accomplished this mission and brought every Sailor and Marine home safely.”

The political and military climate in the Indo-Pacific has been tense in recent months as China has continued to threaten to invade Taiwan. The Chinese have also built bases in the South China Sea that could be used to interfere with international trade in that part of the world, defense analysts say.