ON BOARD USS BATAAN (LHD 5) IN THE GULF OF MEXICO – In just one of many stops during a daylong tour of the military’s Hurricane Katrina joint operations area, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Mullen came to Gulfport, Miss., Saturday to visit the crew of the first Navy warship on the scene for hurricane relief efforts.
At an all-hands call in the ship’s hangar bay, Mullen thanked the Bataan Sailors for their role in Hurricane Katrina relief operations. The Navy’s top officer told the crew that everyone’s job on the ship plays a role in the relief efforts.
“This is a team deal,” Mullen said. “It takes everybody to make it happen and it has been a spectacular operation. If I had to associate one name with the immediate assistance that was available, it would be Bataan.
"It’s really great to see the response from the Navy come so quickly in this tragedy. It was a very positive message for our nation.”
Mullen also told the crew that their hard work has not gone unnoticed.
“You’ve made a huge difference and you make me proud to be in the Navy,” Mullen said. “Bataan means a lot – not just to the families and not just to the Norfolk area, but to our Navy, to our nation and to our world.”