Kaine CODEL Visits Naval Station Rota, Meets With Virginia Servicemembers

ROTA, SPAIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, visited Naval Station Rota in Rota, Spain. This week, Kaine is leading a Congressional delegation to North Africa and Spain, including Representatives Loretta Sanchez (CA), Congressmen Adam Schiff (CA), Albio Sires (NJ), Juan Vargas (CA) and Pedro Pierluisi (PR).

During the visit, the delegation observed a joint U.S.-Spanish military exercise, discussed embassy security with U.S. Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force for Crisis Response (SPMAGTF) based at Morón Air Base, and toured the destroyer USS Donald Cook, previously homeported in Norfolk and an example of U.S. commitment to European security.

The delegation also met with servicemembers from Virginia and delegation states, and toured an MV-22 Osprey. Kaine engaged with local political leaders in Rota and Spanish business leaders to discuss the benefit of the U.S. presence in Rota.

Throughout his visit to Rota, Kaine was impressed with the deep level of U.S.-Spanish cooperation, not only with the military-military relationship, but political and economic cooperation as well.