Q: What did USS Gridley do in the Atlantic in late April 2026?
A: USS Gridley (DDG 101), homeported at Naval Station Everett, participated in a bilateral maritime engagement with six Argentine Navy vessels in the South Atlantic from April 28 to May 1, 2026, as part of Southern Seas 2026. Argentine President Javier Milei also boarded USS Nimitz during the engagement for a high-level diplomatic visit.

USS Gridley and USS Nimitz Host Argentine President Milei During Atlantic Bilateral Exercises

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group — including Naval Station Everett’s own USS Gridley (DDG 101) — wrapped up a significant partner-nation engagement in the South Atlantic this week, one that put Everett’s destroyer in the middle of a head-of-state diplomatic moment and a complex multi-ship bilateral exercise with the Argentine Navy.

According to a U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) release dated May 1, 2026, the Argentine and U.S. navies conducted a bilateral maritime engagement in the Atlantic Ocean from April 28 to May 1, completing the South American arc of Southern Seas 2026. The engagement directly followed USS Gridley and USS Nimitz’s historic transit of the Strait of Magellan on April 26, the first such carrier transit in recent memory.

Six Argentine Ships, One Everett Destroyer

The bilateral exercise brought together a substantial formation of Argentine naval vessels alongside the American strike group. On the Argentine side: Almirante Brown-class destroyers ARA La Argentina (DD 11) and ARA Sarandi (D 13), Espora-class corvettes ARA Rosales (P 42) and ARA Robinson (P 45), and Gowind-class offshore patrol vessels ARA Piedrabuena (P 52) and ARA Bartolome Cordero (P 54). On the American side: USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

That’s eight ships — six Argentine, two American — operating together in open ocean to sharpen the kind of interoperability that alliance relationships are built on. For the families and community members back in Everett watching the Southern Seas 2026 deployment unfold, this engagement represents the most complex multi-nation formation USS Gridley has operated in during the entire deployment.

Rear Adm. Cassidy Norman, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, framed the significance plainly in the DVIDS release: “Training with allies like Argentina builds the trust required to operate together in complex environments. Working through realistic scenarios with our Armada de Argentina counterparts deepened our understanding of each other’s systems, sharpened our interoperability, and strengthened our ability to accomplish our many shared maritime objectives.”

Argentine President Milei Boards USS Nimitz

The bilateral exercise also carried significant diplomatic weight. Argentine President Javier Milei, along with Minister of Defense Gen. Carlos Alberto Presti, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, and Chief of Defense Vice Adm. Marcelo Alejandro Dalle Nogare, boarded USS Nimitz during the engagement. The delegation was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, Peter Lamelas.

According to the DVIDS release, the Argentine delegation met with Rear Adm. Norman and Capt. Joseph Furco, the commanding officer of Nimitz. They discussed the Southern Seas 2026 mission and the role of maritime cooperation in the alliance between Argentina and the United States. The visitors also observed flight operations and an air power demonstration from Nimitz’s flight deck.

The Navy described the visit as “one of many planned opportunities for distinguished visitors to observe carrier operations aboard Nimitz during Southern Seas 2026” — a signal that the diplomatic dimension of this deployment has been as deliberate as the operational one.

What This Means in the Arc of Southern Seas 2026

To understand why this engagement matters to Naval Station Everett and the families waiting at home, it helps to step back and see the full arc of the deployment. USS Gridley left Everett earlier this year as part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG), which consists of Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing 17, Destroyer Squadron 9, and Gridley. The mission: Southern Seas 2026, the 11th iteration of an exercise launched in 2007 designed to foster goodwill and build maritime partnerships throughout South America.

The deployment has moved through distinct phases, each covered as it happened. Gridley participated in the Ecuador port call, the Chilean port visit in Valparaiso (April 17–21), the PASSEX with Argentine units off Trelew (April 26–30), and now this larger bilateral engagement in the open Atlantic — a progression from coastal partner visits to open-ocean multi-ship operations. The Strait of Magellan transit on April 26 was the physical dividing line between the Pacific arc and the Atlantic arc.

With the Atlantic bilateral now complete, the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group — and USS Gridley — is tracking toward Norfolk, Virginia, where USS Nimitz will eventually conclude its final overseas deployment before the carrier’s planned decommissioning in early 2027. That homecoming at Norfolk marks the end of the Nimitz’s sea-going chapter, not a return to Everett. USS Gridley’s own homecoming to Naval Station Everett will come separately, as the strike group dissolves and ships return to their individual homeports.

Southern Seas 2026: The Bigger Picture for NAVSTA Everett

For the Naval Station Everett community — the families, the civilian workforce, the businesses along Everett’s waterfront that serve the military community — this deployment has been more than a standard operations story. USS Nimitz is completing its last overseas cruise. USS Gridley has been the Everett ship at the tip of the spear for the entire circumnavigation.

Southern Seas 2026 marks the 11th iteration of an exercise that began in 2007. The program has consistently demonstrated American commitment to maritime partnerships in the Western Hemisphere, and Argentina has been a recurring partner. The scale of this year’s engagement — a head-of-state visit, an air power demonstration, and a six-ship bilateral formation — reflects how much the relationship has deepened.

Back in Everett, the question that looms alongside the deployment coverage is the longer-term homeport picture. With USS Nimitz heading toward decommissioning and the FF(X) frigate program now under contract to HII Ingalls with a 2028 delivery target, Naval Station Everett’s future force composition is still being written. The Snohomish County Military Affairs Committee continues its engagement on the homeport question. But in the meantime, USS Gridley is in the Atlantic, representing Everett in one of the more diplomatically visible moments the station has had in recent years.

What Families Should Know

If you have a sailor aboard USS Gridley or USS Nimitz, the publicly released information indicates the strike group has completed its South American operations and is in the Atlantic phase of the deployment. The Navy has not publicly announced a homecoming date for USS Gridley at Naval Station Everett. The Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) at NAVSTA Everett remains the primary resource for deployment support — they can be reached at 425-304-3735, and their hours and services are posted at everett.navylifepnw.com.

For families new to Everett or new to deployments, the FFSC offers counseling, financial assistance, employment help for spouses, and the COMPASS peer mentoring program. These services are available whether a sailor is deployed or shore-based.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ships from Naval Station Everett are currently deployed with Southern Seas 2026?

USS Gridley (DDG 101) is the NAVSTA Everett ship deployed with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group on Southern Seas 2026. The strike group also includes USS Nimitz (CVN 68), Carrier Air Wing 17, and Destroyer Squadron 9.

Who is the commanding officer of Carrier Strike Group 11?

Rear Adm. Cassidy Norman commands Carrier Strike Group 11. Capt. Joseph Furco is the commanding officer of USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Both were named in the official DVIDS public affairs release dated May 1, 2026.

Did Argentine President Milei actually board a U.S. Navy ship?

Yes. According to the DVIDS release from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, Argentine President Javier Milei, along with his Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, and Chief of Defense, boarded USS Nimitz during the April 28–May 1 Atlantic bilateral engagement and observed flight operations from the flight deck.

What is Southern Seas 2026?

Southern Seas 2026 is the 11th iteration of a U.S. 4th Fleet exercise designed to enhance maritime capability, improve interoperability, and strengthen partnerships with South American nations. It involves passing exercises, port visits, and bilateral engagements as the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group circumnavigates South America.

When will USS Gridley return to Naval Station Everett?

The U.S. Navy has not publicly announced a homecoming date for USS Gridley’s return to Naval Station Everett. Families seeking information should contact the Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735 or visit everett.navylifepnw.com.

How does this engagement connect to the FF(X) frigate homeport question?

They are separate issues. The bilateral exercise is an operational matter. The FF(X) homeport decision — whether Everett will receive the new frigates — is a policy and appropriations matter being tracked by the Snohomish County Military Affairs Committee and Rep. Rick Larsen’s office. The Navy awarded a $282.9M pre-construction contract to HII Ingalls in April 2026, with a 2028 delivery target for the lead ship.

What resources are available for Navy families at NAVSTA Everett during this deployment?

The Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) at Naval Station Everett offers counseling, financial assistance, spouse employment programs (MyCAA, MSEP), and the COMPASS peer mentoring program. Reach them at 425-304-3735 or visit everett.navylifepnw.com. The Smokey Point satellite office also serves families in the Marysville/Arlington area.

How is USS Nimitz’s final deployment going?

USS Nimitz is conducting what is publicly described as its final overseas deployment before decommissioning in early 2027. The carrier has been the centerpiece of Southern Seas 2026, completing a Strait of Magellan transit and hosting distinguished visitors including Argentine President Milei. USS John F. Kennedy is expected to be commissioned to replace her.