Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., deputy commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), visited the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), June 1. "It was a pleasure having Lt. Gen. Brown aboard today," said Cmdr. Thomas Van Scoten, commanding officer of Churchill. "It was a great opportunity to show the capabilities of our ship and display exactly what team Churchill brings to the fight in regards to naval sea power." While aboard Churchill, Brown toured the ship's combat information center, engineering's central control station and main engine room, the Chiefs Mess, pilothouse and wardroom. "Based on discussions with Lt. Gen Brown, we were able to understand and appreciate our mission from a broader perspective," said Lt. Robert Fedele, planning and tactics officer aboard Churchill. "This experience allowed the Churchill crew to realize the full importance of our efforts while in the CENTCOM area of responsibility." Winston S. Churchill is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.