‘Mommy’s ship’: Family says goodbye to USS St. Louis as it deploys to fight drug trafficking

Four-year-old Ricky stands at Naval Station Mayport, his eyes fixed on the USS St. Louis. The 378-foot Freedom-variant littoral combat ship rests against the dock. It is the biggest vessel Ricky says he has ever seen. He calls it “Mommy’s ship.” His mom, Victoria Cavazos, serves as weapons officer aboard the St. Louis. On Monday, she embarked on a deployment to the Caribbean, leaving her husband, Ryan Donlon and young son behind.