Spanish military, law enforcement officials visit USS Fort McHenry

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam Austin | Spanish military officials and U.S. embassy visitors observe a demonstration by Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit on the flight deck of the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) Dec. 31, 2014. Fort McHenry, part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group/24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam Austin/Released)  

VALENCIA, SPAIN

12.31.2014

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet

VALENCIA, Spain – The Whidbey Island- class amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) hosted local Spanish law enforcement officials, Spanish military, and Navy league members Dec. 31, 2014.

The visit was conducted to build relations between U.S. and Spanish military as well as local law enforcement officials.

“This was our chance to show who we are,” said Cmdr. Thomas Poulter, the assistant naval attaché. “The visitors here today are primarily foreign military and local law enforcement who have made the ship’s visit to Valencia possible. This is one our ways of continuing to build those relations.”

Visitors were given a full rundown of the ship’s operational capabilities. From the mast down to the well deck, they were able to catch a glimpse of life aboard Fort McHenry, as well as what life could be like in a combat situation.

Some of the items of interest included combat scenario demonstrations by Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, familiarization with the various small arms used on board, and explanations of the different surface-to-air and surface-to-surface weapons systems.

“One of the aspects of the culture here is that they don’t miss opportunities like this,” said Poulter. “They’ll likely be talking about this for years to come.”

For Spanish air force 2nd Lt. Maria Jose Aerts Paruitte, it was unlike anything she had experienced before.

“I’ve been on ships where they served a nice lunch and welcomed us aboard, but they never really showed us anything,” she said. “This was extremely well organized. Everyone was very friendly and they really invited us in to participate – to learn and see all the different parts of the ship.”

Fort McHenry is conducting a scheduled port visit in Valencia, Spain as an opportunity to experience the local culture and enjoy the New Year’s holiday.

The ship is deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) to conduct maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. Along with McHenry, the Iwo ARG is comprised of embarked Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21).

The U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts a full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with joint, allies and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

For more information on the USS Fort McHenry, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ussfortmchenry43

• Date Taken: 12.31.2014
• Date Posted: 12.31.2014 14:57
• Story ID: 151285
• Location: VALENCIA, ES