25 February: USS Gunston Hall ship tour and press conference
The Amphibious Task Force arrives in Harstad and we invite media to a press conference at the pier, followed by a tour aboard USS Gunston Hall.
Since the end of January 2024, the Steadfast Defender 24 exercise has and will continue to bring together more than 90,000 troops from all 31 NATO nations and Sweden, to demonstrate NATO’s ability to deploy forces rapidly from across the Alliance to reinforce the defence of Europe. Exercise Nordic Response 2024 is part of Steadfast Defender.
On 25 February at 10:45 CET at Margrethe Jørgensens vei 15b, 9406 Harstad, Norway media is invited to meet the senior leadership from Commander Task Force North (CTF-N), the Italian Landing Assault Helicopter Ship Giuseppe Garibaldi and the USS Gunston Hall to address the value of this large-scale exercise and the strength, cohesion, and readiness being tested and trained to across the NATO alliance during the exercise.
The USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) is forward deployed in support of the exercise and will be hosting a media opportunity during their port visit in Harstad, Norway. Operating under the maritime command element CTF-N, the Gunston Hall will serve as the amphibious operations launching point for French, Finnish, and Swedish forces.
Quick facts about the event
- Who:
- Royal Canadian Navy Rear Admiral David Patchell, vice commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, and Commander CTF North
- Italian Navy Rear Admiral Valentino Rinaldi, Commanding Officer Amphibious Task Force
- Italian Navy Captain Marco Guerriero, Commanding Officer Giuseppe Garibaldi
- U.S. Navy Commander Christopher W. Van Loenen, commanding officer, Gunston Hall
- What: Steadfast Defender/Nordic Response 2024 press availability with USS Gunston Hall
- Where: Margrethe Jørgensens vei 15b, 9406 Harstad, Norway
- When: 25 February 2024, from 10:45 to 12:30 local time (CET).
Additional information
The press conference will include opportunities to interveiw senior leaders, tour the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, USS Gunston Hall, and capture photos and video of U.S. sailors aboard the ship.
How to register
Media interested in participating in this pier side press conference and ship tour, please reply by 23 February to:
- oslopress@state.gov
and - Lt. Alex Fairbanks by e-mail at alexander.m.fairbanks.mil@us.navy.mil or by phone at +1-757-334-7515
