CNO Visits Bataan During Relief Efforts

By Journalist Seaman Joanne De Vera, USS Bataan Public Affairs

ABOARD USS BATAAN, Gulf of Mexico (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen visited USS Bataan (LHD 5) Sept. 10 while the ship was at anchor off the coast of Gulfport, Miss., supporting Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. It was one of numerous stops for the CNO during his daylong visit to the Katrina joint operations area (JOA).

The CNO was on board to visit the crew of the first Navy warship on scene for Hurricane Katrina relief operations and to say “thank you” at an all-hands call in the ship’s hangar bay.

The Navy’s top officer told Bataan Sailors that everyone’s job on the ship plays a role in the relief efforts.

“This is a team deal,” said Mullen. “It takes everybody to make it happen, and it has been a spectacular operation. If I had to associate one name with the immediate assistance that was available, it would be Bataan. It’s really great to see the response from the Navy come so quickly in this tragedy. It was a very positive message for our nation.”

Mullen also told the crew that their hard work has not gone unnoticed. “You’ve made a huge difference, and you make me proud to be in the Navy,” Mullen said. “Bataan means a lot - not just to the families and not just to the Norfolk area, but to our Navy, to our nation and to our world.”

During his short stay on board, he also visited Sailors in one of Bataan’s engineering plants.