NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain —
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) departed Naval Station Rota, Spain, marking the beginning of its 10th Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) patrol, Aug. 29, 2020.
Ross Sailors accomplished necessary maintenance while in port, maintaining social distancing measures and adhering to minimal manning procedures during the global pandemic. After a three-week sequester to minimize the risk of COVID spread among crew members, Ross got underway.
The ship is scheduled to work alongside regional partners in various training exercises during Patrol 10.
“We are excited to begin another fast-paced, forward-deployed patrol with the support of our NATO Allies in defense of regional maritime security,” said Cmdr. John John, commanding officer of Ross. “Though the global community may be facing uncertainty in the form of a pandemic, Team Ross is focused on the task at hand and ready to accomplish the mission.”
Ross returned from its ninth patrol in March following participation in various multinational exercises with regional partners and allies in the Mediterranean and Black Seas to include French-led PEAN 19 with the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group, training evolutions with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, and dynamic at-sea interoperability training.
Ross, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, operates in support of U.S. national security interests in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
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.