Seaman Chris M. Mitchell

Navy Seaman Chris M. Mitchell, son of Annmarie K. Larue of Pahrump, and Frank X. Mitchell of Bensalem, Pa., departed on a scheduled deployment as part of the Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) while assigned to the guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George out of San Diego, Calif.

Prior to deploying, Mitchell and more than 5,500 Sailors and Marines of the Peleliu ESG successfully completed a Composite Training Unit Exercise and a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX).

The JTFEX is the final step in preparing the strike group for deployment, and is designed to test its ability to operate in a complex, hostile environment with other U.S. and coalition forces.

USS Cape St. George is an Aegis-equipped cruiser able to engage in offensive actions against the enemy through employment of long-range anti-shipping missiles and naval gunfire.

Mitchell is a 2006 graduate of Pahrump Valley High School and joined the Navy in December 2006.

For more information on the deployment and high resolution photographs, visit USS Cape St. George Web site at http://www.navy.mil.