Petty officer completes maritime security operations

MONROE-Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Christina E. Gallagher, daughter of Ruth M. Gallagher of Monroe, completed maritime security operations while on a scheduled deployment with the guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez, whose home port is Norfolk, Va. Gallagher joined the Navy in August 2000. Marines and sailors of the USS Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group are conducting operations in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean. The operation sets the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, and implements the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. The primary mission of Gallagher's ship is to provide offensive and defensive capabilities, operating independently or as part of a strike group, to support joint and allied forces afloat and ashore. For more information, visit the USS Gonzalez website at www.navy.mil.