U.S. Navy Missile Destroyer Docks in Limassol

The U.S. Navy's guided-missile destroyer, USS The Sullivans, has arrived in Limassol — the first visit by an American military vessel to Cyprus since February.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, the ship is making a “well-deserved liberty port visit,” a term the U.S. Navy uses for shore stops that allow sailors to rest and enjoy time off. Dan Mangan, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires currently heading the embassy in the absence of Ambassador Julie Davis Fisher (who is temporarily stationed in Ukraine), welcomed the crew and encouraged them to enjoy Cyprus’s beautiful coastline, rich history, and warm hospitality.

The destroyer is named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers — George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert — who were all killed in action when their ship was sunk in the Pacific during World War II. Their loss stands as the single greatest combat-related sacrifice made by one American family during the war.

The last U.S. warship to visit Cyprus was the USS Oscar Austin, which docked in Larnaca in February.