SAN DIEGO – The USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived at her new homeport at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, California after an eight and a half-month deployment to the U.S. 5th, 6th, and 7th fleet Area of Operations.
The ship’s arrival in San Diego is part of the three-carrier swap involving the USS Ronald Reagan and USS George Washington.
“It has been a long and unique deployment as the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group has deployed around the world,” said Rear Adm. Roy Kelley, Commander, Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group. “The team has flawlessly executed combat missions on ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria, and provided maritime security from the Arabian Sea, to the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea and on into the Pacific. With pride and perfection they have answered the call of their nation. operating where it matters, when it matters.”
The ship was on the deployment with Carrier Air Wing 1 and Carrier Strike Group 12 — which, in addition to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, consisted of the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and the guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 2, USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81).
Carrier Air Wing 1 consists of Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 11 “Red Rippers,” VFA-136 “Knighthawks” and VFA-211 “Checkmates,” Marine Corps Strike Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 251 “Thunderbolts,” Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 “Rooks,” Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 “Tigertails,” Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 “Rawhides,” Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46 “Grandmasters” and Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS) 11 “Dragonslayers.”
During the course of Theodore Roosevelt’s deployment, CVW 1 successfully executed 1,812 combat sorties encompassing 10,618 combat flight hours over Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). OIR is a comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.
In addition, aircrew successfully employed 1,085 precision guided munitions, destroying enemy targets and fighting positions in direct defense of friendly forces and enabling reclamation of key territory from ISIL.
The “Tigertails” of VAW-125 accomplished the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye operational deployment, including 439 combat sorties and over 1,900 hours in direct support of OIR. The completed combat sorties were highly successful in directing battle management area operations, facilitating air-to-air refueling, battlespace detection and deconfliction across high-density airspace control zones.
The “Dragonslayers” of HS-11 are returning from the last active duty operational deployment of the HH-60H and the SH-60F Seahawk. The squadron will transition to helicopter sea combat squadron HSC-11 and will fly the MH-60S Seahawk. During their deployment, the “Dragonslayers” flew more 31,000 hours in support of flight operations and defense of the carrier. To note, they conducted 13 medical evacuations, seven strait transits and conducted three search and rescue missions including rescuing two pilots after a plane crash and a Sailor that had fallen overboard.
Theodore Roosevelt sailed more than 26,840 nautical miles and conducted port visits in England, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore.
Normandy continues her transit through the 3rd and 4th Fleet AOO and will return to her homeport of Naval Station Norfolk in December 2015.
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