Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew D. McLendon, a 2004 graduate of Robertsdale High School, Robertsdale, Ala., along with fellow Sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99), departed for a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and build on maritime partnerships.

They are deploying to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility

as part of an ongoing rotation of U.S. forces supporting

maritime security operations in international waters around the globe.

The Carrier Strike Group’s flagship USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

(CVN 69), with the seven squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 7 embarked, departed Naval Station Norfolk, along with the guided missile destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109).

Carrier Strike Group Eight has spent the last few months successfully completing a series of complex training events and certifications to prepare for the deployment. McLendon joined the Navy in April 2008.