MAYPORT, Fla. - USS Vicksburg (CG 69) returns to its Mayport, Florida, home port Saturday, following a seven-month deployment during which the crew exercised and served with 61 ships and aircraft from 18 nations on three continents and logged 30,000 nautical miles.
Led by Capt. Lyle Hall, the guided-missile cruiser spent the majority of its deployment assigned as the flagship for Rear Adm. Brad Williamson and Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2), with his embarked, multinational, NATO staff. The group operated in the Mediterranean, Black, North and Baltic Seas.
From December to June, the ship and the task group provided the alliance’s primary maritime presence throughout the European operational theater. Vicksburg participated in 10 passing exercises and three major exercises with NATO allied and partner nations, including Operation Active Endeavor, which helped develop the prowess of Vicksburg Sailors and their interoperability with crews from multiple ships, commands, and nations.
In addition, Vicksburg Sailors volunteered for 18 community relations projects logging nearly 700 hours in 11 countries refurbishing parks, schools, and community centers.
Vicksburg’s mission included highly visible operations in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea operating with NATO Allies in these regions. In addition, the crew was actively involved in exercises Joint Warrior 15-1 off the northern coast of Scotland, Dynamic Mongoose 15 in the North Sea, and culminated its highly successful deployment by participating in Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2015. Having concluded its NATO mission, Vicksburg seamlessly turned over flagship duties to the German navy ship FGS Hamburg, which will continue the SNMG-2 mission.