Roughly 90 U.S. Navy sailors from USS Kearsage reportedly saw their cars towed from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., after they spent 10 days at sea.
The USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy. It is designed to transport and deploy elements of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) using landing craft, hovercraft (LCACs), and a variety of V/STOL jets and helicopters.
The vessel has been working up to a scheduled deployment and has been in and out of Norfolk, the world’s largest naval station, training with Marine units stationed in North Carolina.
Sources told WHRO the base towed the cars on Aug. 29 during a Teddy Swims and Miranda Lambert concert on base. The sailors noticed the cars were missing when they returned to the base in early September.
“We are aware that vehicles belonging to USS Kearsarge Sailors were towed from a designated parking area at Naval Station Norfolk for execution of the Operation MWR concert,” a Naval Station Norfolk spokesperson told Military.com.
Naval Station Norfolk Response
The concert was sponsored by Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and MWR towed the cards to an impound lot, WHRO reported.
The sailors waited for more than three hours to get their vehicles back at the impound lot, the outlet reported. They were told they did not have to pay to get them back.
“I got a frantic phone call from my husband saying, ‘Hey, I need you to go to the base and see if my car is still there.’ And I asked him what was going on, and he said, ‘Well, they’re saying that all our vehicles over there were towed,’” one spouse, whose identity was withheld, told WHRO.
Naval Station Norfolk, which supports 75 ships and 134 aircraft alongside 14 piers and 11 aircraft hangars, said they provided sailors with advanced warning that MWR needed specific parking areas.
“An advance notification identifying the affected parking areas and the dates the areas needed to remain clear was provided prior to USS Kearsarge’s departure,” the spokesperson added. “All other ships along the waterfront were provided the same notification and experienced no issues with clearing the affected parking areas.
“Naval Station Norfolk personnel also discussed the parking restrictions with USS Kearsarge security personnel and specifically identified the areas where vehicles could not be parked. Barriers were placed in the affected parking area in advance of the event in the restricted parking as well.”
They added that they “understand the frustration this situation has caused” and are continuing to work with USS Kearsarge leadership to address concerns and ensure affected sailors have the information they require.
The ship hosted Vice President JD Vance during the Independence Day weekend in New York City.
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