The Navy's fleet commander in Europe and the command-and-control ship USS Mount Whitney are deploying to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea amid a U.S. military buildup in the region to support israel as it wages a bloody war against Hamas, the service announced Wednesday.
In a released statement, the Navy said the Mount Whitney — the 6th Fleet's flagship — departed its port at Gaeta, Italy, “in support of U.S. operations.” A Navy spokesman confirmed to Military.com that the commander of 6th fleet, Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee, and his staff were aboard.
The sailing of the Mount Whitney and Ishee's putting to sea comes just days after defense officials confirmed that the Navy would send a second aircraft carrier strike group into the region and move a pair of ships carrying a Marine Corps expeditionary unit there as well.
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Aside from an additional show of force and support, the command ship and three-star admiral could make any potential operation run more smoothly by offering a senior leader close by for two large formations that are commanded by relative peers.
At the moment, the Navy has the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group in the area off the Israeli coast. Those six ships are commanded by a one-star admiral — Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group — which is set to arrive in the region…
