Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Rios. PROVIDED

By ALVIN PLEXICO

Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Rios, a native of Cape Coral, serves aboard USS Carney, currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

Rios serves as a fire controlman and was aboard the ship on Oct. 19, when the crew of Carney shot down multiple land attack cruise missiles and unmanned aerial drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen while the ship was operating in the northern Red Sea. The ship has since then engaged Houthi unmanned aerial drones on Nov. 29, Dec. 3 and Dec. 16.

“I was the final piece to the puzzle in the firing chain launching seven missiles as the missile system supervisor,” Rios said. “The seven missiles I shot engaged two cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.”

The engagement lasted several hours and made news worldwide. According to Cmdr. Jeremy Robertson, Carney’s commanding officer, crewmembers like Rios made all the difference.

“We could not have done this without all of the preparation and the support from our families back home,” Robertson said. “This is what we are meant to do, and on that day, the crew came together and executed the mission seamlessly.”

Carney’s deployment helps ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.

“Supporting the mission means everything to me because I can apply the knowledge I have learned from all the schooling I have been to,” Rios said. “Assisting in the protection of our allies and actually being able to launch the missiles after all of the training we went through means it was all worth it.”

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers such as Carney are outfitted with the world’s most sophisticated weaponry systems. They further strengthen the U.S. Navy’s contribution to national security by deterring potential adversaries and protecting vital assets.

The U.S. Navy is engaged, postured and ready with credible force to assure, deter, and defend in an increasingly complex security environment. Our primary goal is to contribute to a peaceful, stable, and conflict-free region through the combined naval power of our allies and partners.