The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64), along with Ukrainian border guards conducted damage control training and drills, July 12, while in port Odessa, Ukraine, during exercise Sea Breeze 2017.

The damage control drills consisted of patching ruptured bulkheads and piping. All personnel assigned to naval ships are expected to be proficient in basic damage control efforts, in the event a casualty should occur. Exercises such as the ones conducted during Sea Breeze allow for the refinement of techniques and the ability to cross-train between our own forces and our regional partners.

"Today was a great opportunity to train with our forward-deployed forces as well as our Ukrainian partners here in the Black Sea," said Lt. Justin Chapman, damage control assistant aboard Hue City. "Damage control is such an important aspect of shipboard life and having the ability to dress out in the gear and conduct hands-on training was invaluable."

These damage control exercises were conducted as a part of exercise Sea Breeze. Sea Breeze is an annual recurring exercise that will focus on a variety of warfare areas to include maritime interdiction operations, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, damage control tactics, search and rescue, and amphibious warfare.

Following exercise Sea Breeze, Hue City will continue to conduct maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations as part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG).

GHWBCSG is comprised of the staff of Carrier Strike Group 2, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the nine squadrons and staff of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, Destroyer Squadron 22 staff, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Laboon (DDG 58) and USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and Hue City.

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For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/.