USS Bainbridge deploys

NORFOLK,Va. - Thousands of sailors are gearing up to leave Hampton Roads. They'll be deploying with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.

While most of the ships leave Saturday -- one ship, the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge, set sail Friday morning.

Pierside, the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge and the 280 sailors on board got ready for deployment

"Once we go to sea we're prepared for any contingency operation," said one Sailor.

Navy wife Andrea is already counting down until the day her husband returns.

"We have a son at home and and he's going to take up a majority of my time. So just handle it one day at a time as it comes..cross off the days on the calendar and wait for them to get home."

As the sailors head across the Atlantic they will be joined by the rest of the strike group. Deploying from Norfolk, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the USNS Big Horn and the USNS Sacagawea. And from Mayport Florida the USS Gettysburg, the USS Vicksburg and the USS Halyburton.

Their mission: "We're going to be working with foreign Navies and countries. Doing maritime security operations, which is what the Navy's been doing for over 220 years," one Sailor told WAVY.com.

For the family members of the Sailors waiting at home, keeping in touch with them can be difficult.

"Emails, pictures, phone calls whenever he can, it's really the the only way to communicate with the ship unfortunately."

The deployment is expected to last seven months as the strike group patrols the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Persian Gulf.