April 12 (UPI) -- Ships of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group arrived at Duqm, Oman, for a weekend scheduled port visit, the U.S. Navy announced on Monday.
The aircraft carrier and the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher arrived at the port for a sustainment and logistics visit on Friday, according to a press release.
Crew members were afforded a designated liberty area on the pier, with efforts made to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus, and were addressed by Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of the Navy's 5th Fleet.
"It is wonderful to see the IKE crew out here in the 5th Fleet, still leading the way after having undergone some of the most demanding conditions from her previous deployment," Paparo said.
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In June 2020, the aircraft carrier completed 192 days at sea without a port call, a Navy record, and later completed separate training exercises in the Mediterranean Sea with the navies and air forces of Greece, Turkey and Morocco.
The strike group, which includes the Eisenhower, the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey and guided-missile destroyers Mitscher and USS Thomas Hudner, entered the 5th Fleet's area of responsibility in a southbound Suez Canal transit into the Red Sea on April 2.
It was the first transit of U.S. military vessels to pass through the canal after it was reopened on March 29.
The strike group is "operating and training alongside regional and coalition partners, and providing naval aviation support to Operation Inherent Resolve," against Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, while with the 5th Fleet, the Navy statement said.
