BALTIC SEA –
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) departed Tallinn, Estonia, after a three-day scheduled port visit Sept. 7, 2021.
While inport Tallinn, Arleigh Burke’s crew received Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and other distinguished visitors for tours of the ship and hosted a media availability with members of Estonian press. Sailors also had a chance to participate in a community relations event at the National Library of Estonia.
Volunteers including Lt. Carl Scroggs, chaplain aboard Arleigh Burke, helped staff move and organize books in preparation for their temporary relocation while the library is remodeled.
"It was a pleasure to serve by volunteering at the National Library of Estonia,” said Scroggs. “The beauty of the building and grounds was surpassed by the kindness and gratefulness of the staff.”
Scroggs said that all those who assisted in the event were happy to have the opportunity to support a local project.
“To be of some small assistance as they prepare for the renovation of their wonderful library was truly a blessing to all our volunteers,” said Scroggs. “We only wish we had more time to do even more to help."
The ship’s presence in the Baltic Sea demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s continued commitment to collective defense of the European region and reinforces the strong bond between the United States and Estonia.
“USS Arleigh Burke’s visit to Tallinn reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the Baltic region, enhanced our maritime warfighting capability, and strengthened our friendship with the great nation of Estonia,” said Cmdr. Patrick Chapman, Arleigh Burke’s commanding officer. “Our crew was thrilled to visit this beautiful and historic port city.”
Arleigh Burke is on her first Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) patrol in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of responsibility. She began her current patrol in early August and has sailed throughout the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea prior to the port visit in Estonia.
The ship is named for Admiral Arleigh A. Burke and was commissioned on July 4, 1991. It is the lead ship of the Arleigh Burke class of guided-missile destroyers.
Four U.S. Navy destroyers are based in Rota, Spain and are assigned to Commander, Task Force 65 in support of NATO’s Integrated Air Missile Defense architecture. These FDNF-E ships have the flexibility to operate throughout the waters of Europe and Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic Circle, demonstrating their mastery of the maritime domain.
U.S. Sixth 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.