Guided missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) headed west Oct. 31 to begin an independent deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans following participation in a 10-day Task Group Exercise (TGEX) off the coast of Southern California.
Officers and crew members of Milius said their goodbyes to friends and family Oct. 20 as the ship left its homeport of Naval Base San Diego prior to beginning the exercise.
In addition to Milius, the TGEX, led by U.S. 3rd Fleet, included aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), guided-missile cruisers USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) and USS Chosin (CG 65), guided-missile destroyers USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), USS Kidd (DDG 100), USS Pinckney (DDG 91) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), and littoral combat ships USS Independence (LCS 2) and USS Fort Worth (LCS 3).
Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigates HMCS Calgary (FFH 335) and HMCS Winnipeg (FFH 338), Kingston-class coastal defense vessels HMCS Brandon (MM 710) and HMCS Yellowknife (MM 706), and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JS) Teruzuki (DD 116) also participated in the exercise.
The exercise served to train the vessels’ crew in air defense, surface warfare, and anti-submarine operations, as well as facilitate cooperation within a multi-national strike group.
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Press release, Image: US Navy