The crew of the U.S. 6th Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), painted the ship's anchor gold March 19, after being awarded the Retention Excellence Award, for fiscal year 2014.

Throughout the year, Mount Whitney maintained an overall retention rate of 88.2 percent, and reenlisted a total of 15 Sailors throughout the year, which earned them the honor of receiving the Golden Anchor Award.

"As the command flagship it is very important that the Mount Whitney sets the example for the rest of 6th Fleet. I am very proud of the crew for taking their careers seriously, and I am happy to show that even a forward deployed command like ours can meet all the requirements." - Navy Counselor 1st Class Jerry Wagoner, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20)

The golden anchor is presented annually to commands that meet or exceed annual retention goals for each reenlistment zone, maintain an attrition rate for first term Sailors below 6.2 percent, and are named to two or more quarterly retention honor rolls during the fiscal year. Ships that receive the award are authorized to paint their anchors gold.

The Retention Excellence Award, was established by the United States Fleet Forces Command through the Fleet Retention Excellence Program, and is annually awarded to U.S. Navy commands that sustain superior levels of military retention during the previous fiscal year.

This is the second consecutive year that the ship and its crew have received the Golden Anchor Award.

Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, is currently in Rijeka, Croatia completing its scheduled yard period and renovation.

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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