The U.S. 6th Fleet (C6F) command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) made a scheduled port visit in Palermo, Italy, Aug. 19, 2019, during a designated staff embarkation.
During the visit, Sailors will get a chance to go on Morale, Welfare, and Recreation tours and enjoy liberty in Palermo.
“Mount Whitney Sailors and [civilian] mariners are excited to visit such a beautiful city, rich in culture and history,” said Capt. Cassidy Norman, commanding officer of Mount Whitney. “It has been over ten years since the ship visited Palermo.”
The C6F commander, Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and deputy commander, Rear Adm. William Houston, will join the crew of Mount Whitney and embarked staff members for the port visit, and Houston will embark the ship for the remainder of the underway period.
“We're grateful to spend a few of our summer days in this friendly port and to strengthen our friendships and alliances in a different region of Italy," said Norman.
Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners in the C6F area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.
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.