The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) departed the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations May 19, 2017. Utilizing experiences from their training cycle, Vella Gulf participated in a bilateral exercise with Morocco, conducted a port visit, and performed operational tasking under CTF 65.

After crossing the Atlantic, Vella Gulf conducted Exercise Colibri Corsair with the Royal Moroccan Navy off the coast of Casablanca. Colibri Corsair facilitated bilateral cooperation between the United States and Morocco.

Both participants were able to benefit from the event by exercising their skills in maritime interdiction operations and other basic seamanship skills. Gas Turbine Technician 2nd Class Jesse Lamb stated that he felt he was serving his country working alongside his team during the bilateral exercise. At the conclusion of the bilateral exercise, Vella Gulf conducted a routine port visit to Rota, Spain.

Vella Gulf remains vigilant, through scheduled training and shipwide events. The ship is kept materially ready through daily maintenance as well as weekly freshwater washdown evolutions. "I feel like since the day we left and until now that we are not a team because we work together, we are a team because we respect, trust, and care for each other." said Chief Operations Specialist Nichole White.

Vella Gulf is deployed as an independent unit in support of maritime security and ballistic missile defense operations in international waters across the globe.

The ship was commissioned Sept. 18, 1993, and is named after the decisive victory against the Japanese at Vella Gulf during the Solomon Islands Campaign of WWII.

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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