View source for USS Mount Whitney

{{Short description|Blue Ridge-class amphibious command ship}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
 |image= US Navy 050827-N-9197B-234 The USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), is underway with Sailors and Marines from the newly combined staff for commander Naval Forces Europe and commander 6th Fleet (CNE-C6f).jpg
 |image_caption=USS ''Mount Whitney'' in 2005
 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career
 |hide_header=
 |country=United States
 |flag={{USN flag|2008}}
 |name=USS ''Mount Whitney''
 |namesake=[[Mount Whitney]]
 |ordered=10 August 1966
 |builder=[[Northrop Grumman Newport News|Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company]]
 |laid_down=8 January 1969
 |launched=8 January 1970
 |acquired=
 |commissioned=16 January 1971
 |decommissioned=
 |in_service=
 |out_of_service=
 |struck=
 |reinstated=
 |homeport=[[Gaeta]], Italy
 |identification=*{{MMSI Number|111853581}}
                 *[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: NOGB
 |motto= ''The Voice of The Sea''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2019/07/30/video-uss-mount-whitney-brings-6th-fleet-autonomy-flexibility-of-command-at-sea|title=Video: USS Mount Whitney Brings 6th Fleet Autonomy, Flexibility of Command at Sea|publisher=usni.org|date=30 July 2019|access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref>
 |honors=
 |fate=
 |status=In active service
 |notes=
 |badge= [[File:USS Mount Whitney LCC-20 Crest.png|150px]]
 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
 |hide_header=
 |header_caption=
 |class={{sclass|Blue Ridge|command ship}}
 |displacement=18,400 tons full load
 |length={{convert|189|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 |beam={{convert|33|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 |draft={{convert|906.78|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} full load
 |propulsion=Two boilers, one geared turbine
 |speed= {{convert|23|kn|lk=in}}
 |range=
 |capacity= 930
 |complement=* 170 officers and enlisted
             * 155 Military Sealift Command civilian sailors
 |sensors=
 |EW=
 |armament=*2 × [[Phalanx CIWS]]
           *2 × 25 mm [[M242#Naval|Bushmaster]] cannons
           *4 × [[M2 Browning|{{convert|0.5|in|mm|abbr=on|1}}]] machine guns, [[Mark 36 SRBOC]] [[Chaff (countermeasure)|chaff]] rockets
 |armor=
 |aircraft=1 × helicopter, currently a [[Sikorsky SH-60 Sea Hawk|MH-60S Knight Hawk]]
 |aircraft_facilities=
 |notes=
 }}
}}
'''USS ''Mount Whitney'' (LCC/JCC 20)''' is one of two {{sclass|Blue Ridge|command ship|0}} [[amphibious command ship]]s of the [[United States Navy]] and is the [[flagship]] and [[command ship]] of the [[United States Sixth Fleet]]. USS ''Mount Whitney'' also serves as the Afloat Command Platform (ACP) of [[Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO]] (STRIKFORNATO). The ship had previously served for years as the COMSTRIKFLTLANT(NATO Designation) / [[United States Second Fleet|US Second Fleet's]] command ship. She is one of only a few [[United States Navy ships|commissioned]] ships to be assigned to [[Military Sealift Command]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msc.navy.mil/posters/MSC_USNavyShips.pdf |title=Ships of the Military Sealift Command |date=2017 |website=U.S. Navy |access-date=22 January 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928133256/http://www.msc.navy.mil/posters/MSC_USNavyShips.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2017}}</ref>

''Mount Whitney'' was classified as '''LCC-20''' on 1 January 1969, and her keel was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 8 January by [[Northrop Grumman Newport News|Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company]], [[Newport News, Virginia]].

At the time of her commissioning, ''Mount Whitney'' joined her sister ship ''Blue Ridge'' as having the distinction of carrying the world's most sophisticated electronics suites.<ref>[[:File:Welcome Aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) 1971 file 05 of 10.jpg|Welcome Aboard USS ''Blue Ridge'' (LCC-19) 1971 file 05 of 10]]</ref> It was said to be some thirty percent larger than that of the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|6}}, which had been the most complex. ''Mount Whitney'' was armed with a "main battery" of computers, communications gear, and other electronic facilities to fulfill her mission as a command ship. An extremely refined communications system was also an integral part of the ship's radical new design. Through an automated patch panel and computer-controlled switching matrix, her crew could use any combination of communication equipment desired. The clean topside area is the result of careful design intended to minimize the ship's interference with her own communications system. US Navy long-range communications were heavily reliant on [[High frequency|high-frequency]] radio systems in the 1970s and have evolved to predominantly satellite communications in the 2000s. This is illustrated by the long wire antennas and the directional HF [[Yagi-Uda antenna|yagi]] or [[log-periodic antenna]] initially installed on ''Mount Whitney'' and later removed and replaced with a number of satellite communications antennas.

== Ship's name ==
The ship is named for [[Mount Whitney]], a peak in the [[Sierra Nevada]] mountain range of [[California]]. Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of {{convert|14505|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=GT1811 |title=NGS data sheet: Mount Whitney (1994) |date=1 November 2015 |website=U.S. National Geodetic Survey |access-date=25 November 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102014715/http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=GT1811 |archive-date=2 November 2015}}</ref>

== Capability ==
''Mount Whitney'' is the most sophisticated [[C4ISTAR|Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence]] (C4I) ship ever [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.public.navy.mil/surflant/lcc20/Pages/History.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317094706/http://www.public.navy.mil/surflant/lcc20/Pages/History.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 March 2013 |title=USS ''Mount Whitney'': History |website=United States Navy |access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref> She incorporates various elements of the most advanced C4I equipment and gives the embarked Joint Task Force Commander the capability to effectively command all units under their command.

''Mount Whitney'' can transmit and receive large amounts of secure data to and from any point on earth through [[High frequency|HF]], [[Very high frequency|VHF]], [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]], and [[Super high frequency|SHF]] (satellite) communications channels. This electronic technology enables the Joint Intelligence Center and Joint Operations Center to provide the most timely intelligence and operational support available in the Navy.

== Ship history ==
===1970s and 1980s=== 
From 1971 to 2005, ''Mount Whitney'' served as the flagship for Commander Second Fleet/Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic.

===1990s===
In 1994, during the FleetEx 2/94 "George Washington" war game exercise, the [[Argentine Navy]], acting as the enemy and using the diesel submarine {{ship|ARA|San Juan|S-42|6}}, went undetected, penetrated the [[destroyer]] defense and "sank" ''Mount Whitney'', which was acting as the command ship during the exercise.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/2084583-el-dia-que-el-ara-san-juan-sorprendio-a-la-armada-de-estados-unidos |title=El día que el ARA ''San Juan'' sorprendió a la Armada de Estados Unidos |trans-title=The day that the ARA ''San Juan'' surprised the United States Navy |date=22 November 2017 |newspaper=[[La Nación]] |language=es |access-date=22 November 2017 |archive-date=23 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123004733/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/2084583-el-dia-que-el-ara-san-juan-sorprendio-a-la-armada-de-estados-unidos |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elsnorkel.com/2014/08/ejercicio-fleetex-294-george-washington.html |title=Ejercicio Fleetex 2/94 "George Washington" |date=12 August 2014 |website=Comunidad Submarinista Latinoamericana |language=es |access-date=22 November 2017}}</ref>

''Mount Whitney'' deployed in 1994 to [[Haiti]] with [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Hugh Shelton]], the commander of the [[XVIII Airborne Corps (United States)|XVIII Airborne Corps]], in command of the [[Joint Task Force]] that conducted [[Operation Uphold Democracy]].

===2000s===
[[File:US Navy 040616-N-3725R-009 Joint Operations Center watch standers review the latest battle assessment.jpg|thumb|Joint Operations Center watch standers aboard the command ship ''Mount Whitney'' in 2005]]
On 12 November 2002, ''Mount Whitney'' deployed to the [[United States Central Command|Central Command]] area of responsibility in support of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]]. She was acting as the initial command post for [[Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa]]. During the deployment, the ship embarked elements of the [[2nd Marine Division (United States)|2nd Marine Division]] and [[II Marine Expeditionary Force]] (II MEF), based at [[Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune|Camp Lejeune]], North Carolina, under the command of Major General [[John F. Sattler]] and Captain Morton W. Kenyon.

In 2004, [[Military Sealift Command]] civilian sailors were integrated into her crew. She remains a commissioned warship in the United States Navy, but the size of her crew was reduced from about 600 sailors to about 170 Navy officers and enlisted personnel and 155 civilians.

In February 2005, ''Mount Whitney'' left Norfolk for [[Gaeta, Italy]] where she was redesignated '''(LCC/JCC 20)''' and assumed duties as the 6th Fleet flagship, officially relieving {{USS|La Salle|AGF-3|6}}. She also assumed duties as the command ship for the Commander, Joint Command Lisbon and the Commander, Striking Force NATO.

In August 2008, ''Mount Whitney'' was deployed to the [[Black Sea]] in support of [[Operation Assured Delivery]] to deliver [[humanitarian aid]] to those affected by the [[Russo-Georgian War]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eucom.mil/english/FullStory.asp?art=1810 |title=Second U.S. ship delivers aid to Georgia |date=27 August 2008 |website=U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs |access-date=25 November 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830123606/http://www.eucom.mil/english/FullStory.asp?art=1810 |archive-date=30 August 2008}}</ref> and became the first [[NATO]] ship to deliver aid to port of [[Poti]], Georgia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7599919.stm |title=US delivers aid to Georgian port |date=5 September 2008 |publisher=BBC News|access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref>

On 6 November 2008, ''Mount Whitney'' was unable to enter the port at [[Sevastopol]]. City authorities and representatives of the [[Ukrainian Navy]] refused to comment on the event. Individuals working for the city administration reported that the failure was due to issues with ''Mount Whitney''{{'}}s border crossing documents, while others suggested anti-NATO protests were the cause.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://photo.ukrinform.ua/eng/current/photo.php?id=236279 |title=USS ''Mount Whitney'' fails to enter Sevastopol Port |last=Arvidas |first=Shemetas |date=6 November 2008 |website=Ukrinform |access-date=9 September 2013 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224090036/http://photo.ukrinform.ua/eng/current/photo.php?id=236279 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2010s===
[[File:USS Mount Whitney Conference Room.jpg|thumb|Officers from coalition countries meet aboard ''Mount Whitney'' while off the coast of [[Libya]] during [[Operation Odyssey Dawn]]]]
From 19 March 2011, ''Mount Whitney'' served in the Mediterranean as the main command vessel for the enforcement of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973]] against Libya.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-19 |title=Libya Live Blog |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=25 November 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320235930/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-19 |archive-date=20 March 2011 }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2019}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-01 |title=Shaping C5ISR for the Fleet: The Case of USS Mount Whitney - Second Line of Defense |url=https://sldinfo.com/2012/07/shaping-c5isr-for-the-fleet-the-case-of-uss-mount-whitney/ |access-date=2023-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501183501/https://sldinfo.com/2012/07/shaping-c5isr-for-the-fleet-the-case-of-uss-mount-whitney/ |archive-date=1 May 2023 }}</ref> She was the flagship for [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Samuel J. Locklear]], who had tactical command of the [[Operation Odyssey Dawn]] joint task force.<ref name=G01>{{cite news |last1=MacAskill |first1=Ewen |first2=Nick |last2=Hopkins |name-list-style=amp |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/21/libyan-operation-hampered-confusion-dispute |title=Libyan operation hampered by confusion and dispute: Lack of resolution over who will take control of military operation tests patience of US |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=21 March 2011 |access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/19/libya.civil.war/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1 |title=Gunfire, explosions heard in Tripoli |website=CNN|date=19 March 2011 |access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref> The vessel was serving as a command-and-control vessel for the United States' involvement in the coalition campaign aimed to enforce a [[Coalition intervention in Libya|Libya no-fly zone]] and prevent [[Muammar Gaddafi]]'s forces from attacking the rebel stronghold of [[Benghazi]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_us_libya |title=White House hails Arab League no-fly zone request |date=12 March 2011 |website=Yahoo! News |access-date=20 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314231931/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_us_libya |archive-date=14 March 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:NATO ships take part in BALTOPS 20 MOD 45167294.jpg|thumb|British Merlin helicopter overhead during [[BALTOPS]] 20]]
In February 2013, ''Mount Whitney'' transferred to the San Giorgio del Porto Shipyard in [[Genoa]], Italy for a major 60-day overhaul and repair project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sangiorgiodelporto.it/san-giorgio-del-porto-welcomes-to-genoa-uss-mount-whitney/ |title=San Giorgio del Porto welcomes to Genoa USS ''Mount Whitney'' |website=San Giorgio del Porto |access-date=22 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318005126/http://www.sangiorgiodelporto.it/san-giorgio-del-porto-welcomes-to-genoa-uss-mount-whitney/ |archive-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> The ship returned to active duty in April 2013 at the end of the maintenance window.

On 31 January 2014, ''Mount Whitney'' left her homeport of Gaeta, Italy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/01/first-us-navy-warship-heads-to-black-sea-as-potential-backup-for-sochi/ |title=First US Navy Warship Heads to Black Sea as Potential Backup for Sochi |first=Luis |last=Martinez |date=31 January 2014 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=2 February 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202080757/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/01/first-us-navy-warship-heads-to-black-sea-as-potential-backup-for-sochi/ |archive-date=2 February 2014 }}</ref> ''Mount Whitney'', along with {{USS|Taylor|FFG-50|6}}, were the first two US Navy ships to operate in the Black Sea during the [[Sochi Olympics]].

On 31 July 2015, a fire broke out aboard ''Mount Whitney'' while she was in [[Viktor Lenac Shipyard]], [[Rijeka]], Croatia. There were no reported injuries, and the fire was extinguished within 45 minutes by ship's crew and shipyard fire brigade personnel. ''Mount Whitney'' had been in Viktor Lenac Shipyard since January 2015 undergoing a scheduled maintenance overhaul designed to extend the service life of the ship to 2039.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=90432 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914223254/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=90432 |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 September 2015 |title=Fire Aboard USS ''Mount Whitney''; No Injuries |publisher=United States Navy |author=6th Fleet Public Affairs |number=NNS150801-02 |date=1 August 2015 |access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref>

On 30 June 2016, ''Mount Whitney'' visited [[Klaipėda]], Lithuania, and in October 2016, she visited [[Souda Bay]], Greece.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kam.lt/lt/naujienos_874/aktualijos_875/klaipedoje_lankosi_jav_karinis_laivas_uss_mount_whitney.html |title=Klaipėdoje lankosi JAV karinis laivas USS ''Mount Whitney'' |trans-title=USS ''Mount Whitney'', a US military ship, is visiting Klaipėda |language=lt |website=Ministry of National Defense of Lithuania |date=30 June 2016 |access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref>

From early 2017 through to October 2017, ''Mount Whitney'' was at the Viktor Lenac Shipyard; Rijeka, Croatia, for further upgrades to its information technology infrastructure, and various engineering refurbishments.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.total-croatia-news.com/business/17816-croatian-shipyard-overhauls-uss-mount-whitney |title=Croatian Shipyard Overhauls USS ''Mount Whitney'' |website=Total Croatia News |last=Pavlic |first=Vedran |date=30 March 2017 |access-date=25 November 2017 |archive-date=9 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209061717/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/business/17816-croatian-shipyard-overhauls-uss-mount-whitney |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In September 2018, ''Mount Whitney'' visited [[Thessaloniki]], Greece, for the [[Thessaloniki International Fair|83rd Thessaloniki International Fair]], where the US was the country of honor.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.onalert.gr/stories/h-amerikaniki-nauarxida-ussmountwhitney-sth-thessaloniki/70344 |title=Η Αμερικανική Ναυαρχίδα USS ''Mount Whitney'' στη Θεσσαλονίκη |trans-title=American flagship USS ''Mount Whitney'' in Thessaloniki |date=10 September 2018 |website=OnAlert.gr |language=el |access-date=10 September 2018}}</ref> From 25 October to 7 November 2018, she served as the command vessel for the NATO exercise [[Exercise Trident Juncture 2018|Trident Juncture]].<ref>{{cite web |title=STRIKFORNATO will exercise the integration of Carrier Strike Group Eight during Trident Juncture |url=https://sfn.nato.int/trje18-8.aspx |website=STRIKFORNATO – Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO |access-date=4 November 2018}}</ref>

===2020s===
[[File:The Egyptian navy frigate ENS Alexandria (F911) and the U.S. Navy amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) operate in the Red Sea in support of the newly established Combined Task Force 153.jpg|thumb|''Mount Whitney'' escorted by the Egyptian Navy frigate ''[[USS Copeland|Alexandria]]'', April 2022.]]
In April 2022, the [[Combined Maritime Forces]] command, a 34-nation organization based in Bahrain, has added a new task force led by ''Mount Whitney''. There are three task forces that handle piracy and security issues both inside and outside of the Persian Gulf. The new task force of two to eight ships at a time would target those smuggling coal, drugs, weapons, and people in the waterway.{{cn|date=April 2022}} In late May 2022, ''Mount Whitney'' was operating in the [[Baltic Sea]], ahead of naval exercise [[BALTOPS]] 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2022/05/31/u-s-warships-now-in-the-baltic-ahead-of-baltops-as-sweden-finland-move-through-nato-membership-process|title=U.S. Warships Now in the Baltic Ahead of BALTOPS as Sweden, Finland Move Through NATO Membership Process|publisher=usni.org|date=31 May 2022|access-date=2 June 2022}}</ref>
The ship is currently stationed in Gaeta, Italy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Correll |first=Diana |date=2023-10-18 |title=USS Mount Whitney heading to Eastern Mediterranean |url=https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/10/18/uss-mount-whitney-heading-to-eastern-mediterranean/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Navy Times |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:231103-N-JC256-1346 Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups Support Operations in the Mediterranean Sea.jpg|thumb|''Mount Whitney'' (center) flanked by the {{USS|Dwight D. Eisenhower}} and {{USS|Gerald R. Ford|3=6}} [[Carrier strike group|carrier strike groups]] in the Mediterranean Sea, November 2023.]]
On 18 October 2023, ''Mount Whitney'' deployed from Gaeta with the [[Commander 6th fleet]], Vice Adm. [[Thomas Ishee]], and his staff, onboard "in support of U.S. operations" in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in waters off the [[Gaza war]]. This added to new deployments by the {{USS|Dwight D. Eisenhower}} [[carrier strike group|aircraft carrier strike group]] and {{USS|Bataan|LHD-5|6}}, {{USS|Mesa Verde}} and {{USS|Carter Hall|LSD-50|6}} carrying the [[26th Marine Expeditionary Unit]], joining the {{USS|Gerald R. Ford}} strike group.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Toropin |first=Konstantin |date=2023-10-18 |title=Navy Presence Off Israel Grows as USS Mount Whitney Deploys to Region with Senior Admiral Aboard |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/10/18/uss-mount-whitney-and-three-star-admiral-headed-mediterranean-aid-support-of-israel-amid-military.html |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Military.com }}</ref><ref name="2023-10-18_M">[https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/10/18/uss-mount-whitney-and-three-star-admiral-headed-mediterranean-aid-support-of-israel-amid-military.html USS Mount Whitney and Three-Star Admiral Headed to Mediterranean to Aid Support of Israel Amid Military Buildup], Konstantin Toropin, [[Military.com]], 2023-10-18</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="180" class="center" caption="USS ''Mount Whitney'' career">
File:USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) launches a RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile, in 1976.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' launches a [[RIM-7 Sea Sparrow]] missile in 1976.
File:Navo-vlootbezoek in Amsterdam aankomst amfibisch-commandoschip USS Mout Whitney, Bestanddeelnr 928-8068.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' visits Amsterdam, 28 September 1976.
File:US Navy 010815-N-2743B-005 USS Mount Whitney underway.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' underway, 15 August 2001.
File:US Navy 051007-N-0057D-210 The U.S. Sixth Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) leads a NATO Response Force off the Italian coast of Sardinia during exercise Destined Glory.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' leads the ships Greek frigate {{Ship|Greek frigate|Limnos|4=2}} and [[USS Capodanno#Turkish service|TCG ''Muavenet'']] during exercise Destined Glory, 6 October 2005.
File:US Navy 070918-N-0780F-001 The 6th Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrives in Souda harbor for a brief port visit on Greece's largest island.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' arrives in [[Souda Bay|Souda harbor]], 18 September 2007.
File:080901-N-0780F-001.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' departs Souda harbor, 1 September 2008.
File:US Navy 090608-N-0793R-003 The amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-JCC 20) leads Danish Navy ships on the first day of the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' leads {{HDMS|Peter Tordenskiold|F356|6}}, {{HDMS|Glenten}}, and {{HDMS|Esbern Snare|F342|6}} on the first day of [[BALTOPS#BALTOPS 2009 (37th)|BALTOPS 2009]].
File:Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - USS Mount Whitney arrives at Marathi NATO Pier facility for a routine port visit. (1).jpg|''Mount Whitney'' arrives at [[NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre|Marathi NATO Pier facility]], 28 February 2012.
File:USS Mount Whitney Battle of Midway ceremony 130605-N-PE825-010.jpg|[[Battle of Midway]] ceremony aboard ''Mount Whitney'' on 5 June 2013.
File:The amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) is underway in the Baltic Sea June 16, 2013, during Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2013 130616-N-ZL691-013.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' underway in [[Baltic Sea]] on 16 June 2013.
File:151101-N-VY489-005 (22082045524).jpg|On the [[Bridge (nautical)|ship's bridge]] of ''Mount Whitney'', 25 June 2013.
File:USS Mount Whitney operations 131023-N-AX559-013.jpg|Aboard the [[flight deck]] of ''Mount Whitney'', 23 October 2013.
File:USS Mount Whitney in Batumi, Georgia. 2013 04.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' with the [[Coast Guard of Georgia|Georgian Coast Guard]] ship ''Sokhumi'' near [[Batumi, Georgia]], in 13 November 2013.
File:USS Mount Whitney begins the dry dock process and reconstruction in Rijeka, Croatia. (16325331191).jpg|January 2015, ''Mount Whitney'' in floating drydock in [[Rijeka|Rijeka, Croatia]].
File:USS Mount Whitney is escorted by tug boats as it pulls into the Viktor Lenac dry dock. (31747153686).jpg|''Mount Whitney'' escorted by tugboats into drydock, 19 December 2016.
File:180801-N-XT273-024 (43066472794).jpg|''Mount Whitney'' returns to Gaeta, Italy, 1 August 2018.
File:4498365 USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) in Kiel Germany 2018.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' in [[Kiel|Kiel, Germany]] in 15 June 2018.
File:USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) departs Kiel, Germany, on 9 June 2019 (190609-M-OX257-0144).JPG|''Mount Whitney'' departs Kiel, Germany with {{HMS|Westminster|F237|6}} visible in the background, 9 June 2019.
File:-USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) COVID-19 test in Gaeta, Italy, May 6, 2020- 200506-N-RG482-0099 (49870147618).jpg|''Mount Whitney'' testing for COVID-19 in [[Gaeta|Gaeta, Italy]], 6 May 2020.
File:Ships from nations participating in exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2020 sail in formation while in the Baltic Sea, 8 June 2020 (200608-N-RG482-1417).JPG|''Blue Ridge'' leads the ships {{USS|Donald Cook|3=2}}, {{USNS|Supply}}, {{HNoMS|Otto Sverdrup|F312|6}}, {{HMCS|Fredericton|FFH 337|6}}, German frigate {{Ship|German frigate|Lübeck|F214|2}}, and the German replenishment oiler {{Ship|German tanker|Rhön|4=2}}, during [[BALTOPS#BALTOPS 2020 (49th)|BALTOPS 2020]] 8 June 2020.
File:USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) (6599857).jpg|''Mount Whitney'' moored in Gaeta, Italy, 13 April 2021.
File:USS Mount-Whitney departs Rostock BALTOPS 2025.jpg|''Mount Whitney'' departs Rostock for BALTOPS, 5 June 2025.
File:USS Mount Whitney Departs Bar, Montenegro & Arrives in Durres, Albania (9314431).jpg|Mount Whitney arrives at [[Durrës|Durres, Albania]], 9 September 2025.
</gallery>

== Awards ==

* [[Navy Unit Commendation]] with 2 awards
* [[Meritorious Unit Commendation|Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation]] with 2 awards
* [[Battle Effectiveness Award|Naval Battle "E" Ribbon]] with 11 awards
* [[National Defense Service Medal]] with 2 awards
* [[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]]
* [[Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal]]
* [[Kosovo Campaign Medal|Kosovo Service Medal]] with 2 awards
* [[United Nations Medal]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{official website|https://www.surflant.usff.navy.mil/lcc20/}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=128 |title=USS ''Mount Whitney'' |website=Military Sealift Command |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327023351/http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=128 |archive-date=27 March 2018}}
* {{navsource|10/01/0120}}
* USS ''Mount Whitney'' (LCC-20) command histories – [[Naval History & Heritage Command]]

{{Blue Ridge class command ship}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mount Whitney (Lcc-20)}}
[[Category:Blue Ridge-class command ships]]
[[Category:1970 ships]]