The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) completed a three-day port visit to Berenice, Egypt, on February 7. Crewmembers visited Egypt’s newest naval base on the Red Sea, reflecting U.S. 5th Fleet’s strong relationship with the Egyptian Navy. While ashore, Sailors reconnected with friends and family members back home through video chat while preparing to participate in training at sea for International Maritime Exercise/Cutlass Express 2022. The Egyptian Navy leads one of four geographical combined task forces during the exercise.
“Making a port call at one of the Egyptian Navy’s newest facilities provided a fantastic opportunity for the crew of USS Jason Dunham to meet face-to-face with their Egyptian counterparts as we work to promote maritime security in the Red Sea. The Egyptian Navy displays incredible precision and professionalism in all they do. We are looking forward to the at-sea phase of the exercise where we will continue to develop our ability to work together and promote regional maritime security,” said Cmdr. Michael Kiser, Jason Dunham’s commanding officer.
USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named after U.S. Marine Corps corporal Jason Dunham, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for service in the Iraq War. Jason Dunham is the 59th destroyer in her class and was built by the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. She was christened by Corporal Dunham’s mother, Debra Dunham, and launched on 1 August 2009. Jason Dunham was commissioned on 13 November 2010 with Commander M. Scott Sciretta in command.
The ship departed Mayport, Florida in December with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and entered the Middle East region in January where it is currently operating independently in support of the U.S. 5th Fleet. The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 21 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.
