USS Mount Whitney Charts New Territory in Maritime Partnerships
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS070924-13
Release Date: 9/24/2007 4:45:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jennifer L. Clifton, COMUSNAVEUR/COMSIXTHFLT Public Affairs
USS MOUNT WHITNEY, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20), the 6th Fleet command ship, charted new territory Sept. 21 when it made its inaugural run through the heavy traffic of the Turkish Straits into the Black Sea.
The flagship is scheduled to begin the region’s first Maritime Partnership Program (MPP) multi-lateral event with the Black Sea Partnership Cruise, a five-day underway event starting in Constanta, Romania Sept. 24.
“This is a great opportunity for our Sailors,” said Mount Whitney Commanding Officer, Capt. Joseph W. Kuzmick. “Visiting ports and hosting nearly 70 ship-riders from five different nations on our ship gives them the chance to see the world and learn about local cultures.”
In Constanta, junior officers and senior enlisted from Azerbaijan, the Republic of Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria will board the ship for a series of training workshops to improve maritime security and safety.
“Our deployment to this region to host a multi-lateral training event shows our commitment to cooperative partnerships,” said Kuzmick. “We are committed to bringing the right tools to the right places so we can all benefit from training together.”
The 6th Fleet Command ship will provide the training platform for four primary workshops including helicopter control operations, noncommissioned officer development, interoperability discussions and an oil spill table top discussion. Other workshops will cover shipboard medical procedures/CPR, exercise analysis and force protection.
Shipriders from each of the partner nation’s navies will attend the workshops.
“These workshops give us a face to face opportunity to strengthen relationships and get involved in tangible cooperative activities,” said Kuzmick.
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