The U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Gaeta, Italy, July 30, after completing BALTOPS 2016 with NATO counterparts.

Quote:

"Mount Whitney has completed another successful patrol enhancing the security environment in the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet area of operations, including exemplary conduct in exercise BALTOPS 2016 and support of Operation Atlantic Resolve through forward presence in international waters. The crew's actions have strengthened U.S. relations with every EU (European Union) nation on the Baltic Sea, including official engagement, training opportunities, and port calls in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden, as well as recent official engagements with Portugal and France. We are very proud of the crew's performance and dedication to furthering U.S. Navy actions to support allies and partners working together on common challenges, with all contributions large and small valued, toward a shared vision of prosperity, peace and stability. USS Mount Whitney continues to [be] forward, engaged and ready."
- Capt. Carlos A. Sardiello, commanding officer, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20)

Quick Facts:

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.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint 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 http://www.navy.mil/.