The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) and embarked detachment Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 72, transited the Suez Canal Dec. 13, entering the 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

"My crew is well prepared and flexible to adapt their skills to any situation that presents itself," says Cmdr. Alysa Ambrose, Gravely's commanding officer. "Our engagements with partner nations, as a forward deployed coalition force, will demonstrate our commitment to maritime security in the region."

The Suez Canal is a 120-mile waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

Gravely departed Norfolk, Virginia, Nov. 16 as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG), to support maritime security operations and theater cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

Guided-missile destroyers are a vital asset of the carrier strike group, complimenting the capabilities of the aircraft carrier, allowing a flexible, tailor-made force that can respond in a dynamic environment.

For more news from the USS Gravely (DDG 107), visit www.public.navy.mil/surflant/ddg107/pages/default.aspx.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet, visit www.cusnc.navy.mil/.