The U.S. Navy has announced on 23 July that guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, after completing a four-month patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

Carney departed Rota March 23, 2019, and began its sixth Forward-Deployed Naval Force (FDNF) patrol in support of regional allies and partners, and U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

“The men and women of the Carney crew performed admirably,” said Cmdr. Tyson Young, Carney’s commanding officer. “We are all very excited to get back home and enjoy some well deserved leave time.”

While on patrol, Carney conducted missions in support of regional allies and partners in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.

Carney and the crew also conducted several bilateral and multilateral exercises with multiple partner and allied navies in the Atlantic Ocean, the Black Sea, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. Each exercise had the goal of improving maritime capabilities and reassuring NATO allies and regional partners of U.S. 6th Fleet’s commitment to maritime security and stability in its area of operations.

The exercises included the U.K. led exercise Joint Warrior 19-1, the U.S. led exercise Formidable Shield 19, and the U.S. and Ukrainian joint-led exercise Sea Breeze 2019.

At the midpoint of the patrol, Carney returned to Rota for a three-week training and maintenance availability (TRAV). This availability allowed Carney to conduct maintenance and material management, and allowed the crew to prepare for the mobility damage control warfare certification (MOB-D).

Following TRAV, Carney returned to the Black Sea to participate in exercise Sea Breeze 2019, and upon completion, headed back towards their homeport and underwent the final stages of MOB-D and finished their certification.

In total, Carney and its crew covered approximately 20,000 nautical miles and visited five countries during the patrol.

With their family and friends waiting for them on the pier, the Sailors aboard Carney concluded their sixth patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

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.