The guided missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) departs Souda Bay after a brief port visit. Monterey is part of the USS George Washington (CVN 73) Battle Group. Modern U.S. Navy guided missile cruisers perform primarily in a Battle Force role. These ships are multi-mission surface combatants capable of supporting carrier battle groups, amphibious forces, or operate independently and as flagships of surface action groups. Due to their extensive combat capability, these ships have been designated as Battle Force Capable (BFC) units. The cruisers are equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles giving them additional long-range strike mission capability. U.S. Navy photo by Paul Farley.