USS Comstock returns to homeport following operations in U.S. 7th Fleet

by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet

06 June 2025
SAN DIEGO

Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) returned to Naval Base San Diego following a three-month mission to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, June 5, 2025.

While in U.S. 7th Fleet, the Comstock participated in exercises Tiger Triumph in India and Balikatan 25 in the Philippines, demonstrating U.S. commitment to Allies and partners and a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

"Our ship's successful completion of Tiger Triumph and Balikatan 2025 is a testament to the dedication, resilience, and skill of our crew,” said Cmdr. Byron Stocks, the commanding officer of the Comstock. “Together, we strengthened partnerships, honed our readiness, and proudly represented our nation on the world stage."

Additionally, 115 U.S. Marines and Sailors from Alpha Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division embarked Comstock during the deployment.

During Tiger Triumph, the Comstock, with embarked U.S. Marines, worked alongside Indian counterparts for two weeks, enhancing interoperability and combined capacity to respond to crises. Featuring approximately 3000 personnel, two warships, and seven aircraft, Tiger Triumph gave participating forces the opportunity to refine humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, conduct amphibious beach landings and build relationships and camaraderie through cultural exchanges.

"The tireless work ethic of the U.S. and Indian Armed Forces at all levels directly contributed to the successful execution of the amphibious landing,” said U.S. Marine Capt. Erik Ayala, commander of troops for Alpha Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. “This success highlights the cohesion we currently have with our Indian Partners and will enable us to build on the complexity in the future."

Following Tiger Triumph, the Comstock participated in exercise Balikatan 25 April 25 to 29, the 40th iteration of the largest annual bilateral exercise conducted between the Philippines and U.S. In addition to humanitarian projects and logistics operations, the exercise featured a Full Battle Test, incorporating real-world forces and events in an exercise scenario. The Full Battle Test combined all domains – air, land, sea, space and cyber – and gave the U.S. and Philippines forces the opportunity to practice and test tactical actions and techniques. The Comstock participated in a multilateral maritime exercise alongside the Philippine Navy and the Japan Maritime Defense Force. This group sail tested maritime maneuvers and validated interoperability of doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures at sea.

The Comstock is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship homeported in San Diego.

For more information on the Comstock, please visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/lsd45/