Maine Destroyer Deploys Overseas A Month After Its Commander Was Fired, May Be Headed To Middle East

The USS Mason, the command-challenged warship built at Bath Iron Works, is putting its captain’s firing in the rear-view mirror.

The guided-missile destroyer assigned to the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group left its Florida homeport in Florida to begin operations in support of an upcoming deployment, the Navy announced this week.

The departure comes after months of training, maintenance and certification events as part of the strike group, Pentagon officials said.

Mason is among the first destroyers to take on the responsibility of air and surface command, a role traditionally filled by cruisers.

With the Navy’s aging cruiser fleet nearing retirement, destroyers are bridging the gap, according to Stripes.com.

The Mason, a member of the Arleigh Burke destroyer class, was launched 25 years ago from Bath.

The vessel was among three Navy ships that two years ago fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Its captain, Chavius Lewis, was relieved of his command last month for undisclosed reasons.

Lewis, who had led the ship for just 15 months, was canned by Rear Adm. Alexis Walker for what the Navy calls “loss of confidence.”

Capt. Kevin Hoffman succeeded Lewis.