U.S. European Command (EUCOM)Fleet Master Chief Crispian Addington visited USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) to meet with Sailors and provide valuable information of the importance of the ship's mission to EUCOM operations at Viktor Lenac Shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia, April 6, 2017.

Addington held an all-hands call with both junior enlisted Mount Whitney Sailors as well as senior leadership, where he discussed the overall mission and answered questions.

Quote:

"It helps me talk to my boss. It helps me understand what the difficulties are around here as well as the good things are here, so I can relay that to the staff. I can then help better support [Mount Whitney] because I have the knowledge."

"By being able to meet with the crew, and communicate to the crew what the overall mission is, it is useful to get around to share General Scaparroti's mission. It allows everyone to understand how everyone is integrated around the area of operation. It makes it so everyone can move around as a team instead of as individuals."

- Fleet Master Chief Crispian Addington, Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. European Command


Quick Facts:

* Fleet Master Chief Addington discussed overall EUCOM mission and the Mount Whitney's part in that mission.

* Addington spent the day meeting with crew and viewing the progress of the dry-dock period.

* Addington is the senior most enlisted service member in the EUCOM area of operations.

* 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/.