Ross Returns from Deployment
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS061107-19
Release Date: 11/7/2006 3:42:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Scott C. Rancilio, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Sailors from the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) returned to Naval Station Norfolk Nov. 6 after a six month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2)in support of Operation Active Endeavour (OAE).
“My crew is spectacular,” said Cmdr. Dan Shaffer, commanding officer of Ross.
“This deployment was a culmination of about 14 months of training for what the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)calls the ‘thousand ship Navy,’” added Shaffer, referring to the CNO message during the Surface Navy Association symposium in January, about the 1,000-ship Navy, “about a world fleet of like-minded navies and coast guards teaming up in a sort of global neighborhood watch.”
While deployed, Ross hosted midshipman from France, Israel and Greece. The ship also worked with more than 60 NATO and non-NATO ships from Israel and Russia, and submarines and aircraft from England, Greece, Italy, Turkey and the United States.
According to Shaffer, this deployment was designed to be flexible and provided presence and strike power to support joint and allied forces afloat and ashore.
“My crew had the opportunity to engage with those folks, learn about their navy, and learn a little about how they forward deploy," said Shaffer.
SNMG2 successfully helped deter the flow of terrorism, the terrorist themselves and potentially the flow of weapons, as well.
“Our guys had the opportunity to be ambassadors not only ashore, but also each and every day when they dealt with our NATO allies. That allowed us to reinforce the bond that has kept this alliance together for 50 years,” said Shaffer. “My crew did extraordinarily well and we’re just happy to be back.”
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