Story by
Ensign Aimee Lindner
USS Lake Erie (CG 70) Public Affairs

Guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand on March 1 for a scheduled port visit. The ship is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

During the port visit, Lake Erie's Sailors are looking forward to experiencing the culture and interacting with the people of Thailand. Many Sailors have signed up to participate in riding elephants, visiting a tiger zoo, touring Bangkok, observing the flight of the gibbons, scuba diving, and participating in a Habitat for Humanity community relations event.

"I am really looking forward to coming back to Thailand. I have been here many times and every time, the people are warm and welcoming," said Master-at-Arms 1st Class (SW) Justin Alderson.

The port visit also serves to further the engagement mission of U.S. 7th Fleet ships. Regular port visits around the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility affirm the U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the region.

Operating in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, the U.S. 7th Fleet is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, covering 52 million square miles, with approximately 50 ships, 120 aircraft and 20,000 Sailors and Marines assigned at any given time.