The US Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) arrived in Sepangar, Malaysia, for a port visit on August 14.
America pulled into Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state, for her second scheduled port visit on her maiden deployment.
Since departing her homeport of San Diego in early July, America has steamed more than 9,500 miles across the Pacific and made one scheduled port call in Singapore.
During the ship’s transit, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Air Combat Element and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 flew 168 sorties to accomplish nearly 500 flight hours in just over a month’s time.
After visiting Malaysia, America will continue training with allies and partners in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
“We have been working really hard to ensure we are a ready crisis response team for our nation, partners and allies,” said Col. Joseph Clearfield, the 15th MEU commanding officer. “Our time in Malaysia is exciting for us as it provides an opportunity for the Landing Force to conduct more training, time to rest, relax, and enjoy the rich history and culture of Malaysia.”