Commissioned in 1968, Gloria serves as the flagship of the Colombian Navy. The ship has a crew of more than 150 Sailors, the majority of whom are cadets learning astronomical navigation, coastal navigation, and seamanship prior to entering the Colombian Navy.
"We are honored to have ARC Gloria visit Mayport after 55 days at sea," said Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. "This visit celebrates our strong partnership with the Colombian Navy. A special thanks to all who made this visit happen, despite the ongoing challenges.”
While in port, the crew of Gloria will conduct ship tours, engage with military and local leadership, and cadets will have the opportunity to enjoy liberty in the area.
“The crew is looking to strengthen the cooperation between the navies of the United States and Colombia and conduct exchanges of knowledge and culture to strengthen the training of cadets and the crew by being able to visit units of the United States Navy,” said Capt. Jesus Herney Gonzalez Bohorquez, commanding officer of ARC Gloria.
The visit to Mayport is part of a series of port calls for Gloria’s 2021 cruise, with the training ship scheduled to visit ports in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia.
Among the crew, there are also five foreign official guests from Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
In its 53 years, the ARC Gloria has navigated a total of 885,429 nautical miles during 9,550 days at sea, which is equivalent to 41 laps around the world. It has served the Colombian Embassy in 199 ports in 69 countries. The ship has visited the United States on 60 occasions and has visited Mayport two times, the last time being in 2012.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.
Learn more about USNAVSO/4th Fleet at: https://www.facbook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT and @NAVSOUS4THFLT