GAETA, Italy –
The U.S. 6th Fleet Blue Ridge class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) departed Gaeta, Italy, Oct. 16, 2019, to participate in exercise Trident Jupiter 2019.
“We had a very productive time in port, including a successful maintenance period and, in a successful coordinated effort with Italian officials, the first helicopter flight in many years to the ship while at the pier in Gaeta. Now we all ready to get back underway,” said Capt. Cassidy Norman, commanding officer of the Mount Whitney.
As part of Trident Jupiter Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander, U.S. 6rth Fleet, Brig. Gen. Jason Bohm, chief of staff, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, Royal Navy Rear Adm. Guy Robinson, deputy commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, and Spanish Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Andres Gacio, chief of staff operations, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO embarked on the Mount Whitney to conduct the exercise.
“Mount Whitney is honored to have the opportunity to provide the command ship platform necessary for the NATO staff to conduct this important certification exercise,” said Norman.
Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.