U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) is scheduled to visit Juneau, Alaska, after the biennial exercise Northern Edge concludes.
O’Kane will arrive in Juneau on May 13 and the crew will have opportunities to participate in community service projects and sporting events.
USS Juneau (LPD 10) was the last ship to visit Juneau in June 2008. During Exercise Northern Edge 2015, approximately $13 million was brought into the state of Alaska due to the additional military personnel, support contracts and port visit, the U.S. Navy said.
Northern Edge is a biennial training exercise conducted in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, which includes the area within the Gulf of Alaska, as well as land and airspace within the state.
Northern Edge includes participation from several commands, including Alaskan Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Marine Corps Forces Pacific, U.S. Army Pacific, and others. The exercise involves approximately 200 aircraft at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, along with O’Kane, USS Hopper (DDG 70), and USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200).