Sailors from USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) met with children at the Villa Elise orphanage to teach them about the various job opportunities in the Navy during a community relations (COMREL) project in Lovran, Croatia, March 30, 2017.

The Sailors gave a presentation to the children that provided insight into a number of different career fields the military offers. Sailors then had time to playwith the children..

Quotes:
"These kinds of visits mean a lot to the kids because they can learn about all of the different jobs and it shows them what kind of opportunities are available when they are old enough. "
-Anamarija Simonei, a caretaker and psychologist at Villa Elise

"We showed the children and staff at Villa Elise what it was like to be a Sailor. We told them about our jobs, about the crew and ship's missions, what the living arrangements were like and what a great opportunity it was."
-Cryptologic Technician Technical 2nd Class Justin Clemons

Quick Facts:
* The COMREL was a chance for Mount Whitney Sailors to interact with children in the local community.

* The Villa Elise orphanage is home to approximately 20 children.

* Mount Whitney is active in various COMRELs in the Rijeka, Croatia area while the ship is in dry-dock.

* Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners. The civil service mariners perform navigation, deck, engineering and supply service operations, while military personnel support communications, weapons systems and security. It is one of only two seaborne Joint Command Platforms in the U.S. Navy, both of which are forward deployed.

* Mount Whitney entered dry-dock in Rijeka, Croatia Dec. 19, 2016 for its 2017 shipyard period. During this time, vital systems and a hospitality upgrade will be installed during the shipyard period.

* U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests, and security and stability in Europe and Africa.


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For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/.