Geoffrey Pyatt, the US Ambassador to Athens, stated that the newest naval base of the US navy is getting ready to arrive to Greece from Naples.
The US is preparing for a critical military support to Athens. The newest naval base of the American navy is preparing to arrive to Greece. According to the statement of the US Ambassador to Athens Geoffrey Pyatt, the floating base will leave Italy and reach the Greek coast soon.
The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) arrived in port Naples, Italy, for a routine logistics stop, Aug. 13, 2020.
The ship, which is the second of a new class of sea-basing ships, departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on July 27, for its inaugural deployment following its commissioning in March. Its crew consists of a mix of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civilian mariners.
At 784 feet long (230 meters), the ship features a 52,000 square-feet (4,830 square-meter) four-spot flight deck. Further features include a hangar, mission deck, and work and living spaces for hundreds of embarked personnel. Additionally, for the U.S. Navy crew, there is a Blue Crew and a Gold Crew, which will turn over periodically to allow for continuity while the ship remains forward deployed.
U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conduct 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.
