• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

San Antonio Visits Egypt to Celebrate Great White Fleet 100th Anniversary

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090305-06
Release Date: 3/5/2009 3:39:00 PM

From Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group Public Affairs

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Great White Fleet while in port Alexandria, Egypt, Feb. 23-24.

San Antonio's Sailors and Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26 MEU) held a reception aboard the ship for Egyptian dignitaries and participated in an officer exchange with Egyptian naval officers to commemorate the event.

"As we remember our past, we look to the future," said Rear Adm. Scott Sanders, vice commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). "We look forward to working with Egypt as friends and allies while preserving regional security for years to come."

The vast majority of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet set sail from Norfolk, Va., Dec. 16, 1907 for an historic U.S. goodwill voyage and arrived in Egypt Jan. 3, 1909 for a port call.

Safaa Kamel, vice governor of Alexandria, attended the reception commemorating the original event.

"I am happy to welcome these Sailors and Marines to our country," he said. "The city of Alexandria wants to make a good impression so that the men and women aboard this ship will not forget the great time that they will have."

During the reception, Sanders and Kamel participated in a cake-cutting ceremony, and San Antonio Sailors provided ship tours.

The anniversary celebration continued Feb. 24 when Navy and Marine Corps officers from San Antonio and the 26 MEU participated in a foreign officer exchange with Egyptian naval officers. Egyptians visited San Antonio, and San Antonio Sailors and Marines visited two Egyptian navy ships: ENS Dumay (FFG 961) and ENY Mahroussa, considered by some as the world's oldest yacht.

That same day, a team of San Antonio Sailors and 26 MEU Marines competed in a soccer match against the Egyptian naval officers at Alexandria Naval Base.

"We had a great time with the Egyptian officers," said Ensign Rebekah Niesborella. "Conducting these events epitomizes our great rapport with Egypt's Navy."

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Great White Fleet deployment highlights the Navy's commitment to global cooperation, strengthening partnerships and bringing security and stability to the region.

San Antonio is deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group supporting maritime security operations (MSO) in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet Area of Operations. MSO help develop security in the maritime environment. From security arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists' use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

For more news from Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, visit www.navy.mil/local/iwoesg/.