Sailors and Marines aboard amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) celebrated the New Year during a port visit in Muscat, Oman, Dec. 31, 2015.

The port visit comes during Arlington's maiden deployment and during the four-day port call, Sailors and Marines took advantage of the opportunities to learn about Oman and its culture.

"Oman is an important regional partner in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and our long-standing friendship with the Sultanate enables the United States Navy to take advantage of the wonderful liberty offered in Muscat," said Arlington's Commanding Officer, Capt. Sean Bailey, from Lansing, Kansas. "The Omani people are so warm and welcoming that it makes this the ideal port to relax and enjoy some down time before we continue with our missions in the Gulf of Oman."

To celebrate the incoming new year, many Sailors and Marines attended a New Year's Eve party held at the United States Embassy in Oman.

"It was such a great thing to be able to celebrate New Year's Eve while we were in port," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Kori Flores, from Hudson, New Hampshire. "The embassy treated us to an enjoyable evening to ring in the New Year!"

Sailors and Marines spent the next three days exploring the local areas through Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR)-sponsored tours of the local sites.

"The tours were a great opportunity to learn about the culture of a country," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Zoie Erickson, from Union Grove, Wisconsin. "I had a wonderful time seeing just how beautiful the country of Oman is and immersing myself in its culture. It has definitely been one of the highlights of deployment so far!"

Arlington is part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

For more news from USS Arlington (LPD 24), visit www.navy.mil/.