AUGUSTA BAY, Sicily –
USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship, arrived in Augusta Bay, Sicily, on Oct. 22, 2017, to on-load ammunition and supplies.
Mount Whitney is conducting a routine on-load as it transits from Rijeka, Croatia to her homeport of Gaeta, Italy following a 10-month yard period.
“Our main mission during this port visit is to on-load our self defense ammunition, get fuel and pick up our cargo and provisions left in storage there on our way to Croatia last December,” said Lt. Cmdr. Heather Dent, operations officer aboard USS Mount Whitney.
Following the scheduled visit, Mount Whitney will be returning to her forward-deployed homeport of Gaeta so crew can spend time with family and friends before departing for scheduled operations in the Mediterranean.
“It is amazing how much work has been conducted safely and effectively between our crew of Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners during our transit from Rijeka to Augusta Bay,” said Cmdr. Albert Benoit, Executive Officer of USS Mount Whitney.
Mount Whitney, forward-deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners.