NORFOLK, Va. – Thousands of Sailors with the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike group after back under way after what the Navy described was a “working port visit” in their homeport of Naval Station Norfolk.
Nearly 6,500 Sailors in the strike group left Norfolk Tuesday.
The group initially deployed on April 11th but returned to port on July 21st for what the Navy described as an extended port visit as part of a shift in the National Defense Strategy to inject more unpredictability into naval deployments.
Shortly after the July return, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Bill Moran talked to News 3 anchor Todd Corillo about the shift.
“A 7-month window for deployment, so that deployment period is going to stay. What we do within that deployment though is not going to be as predictable in the past,” Admiral Moran told Corillo.
“It just so happened for Truman we chose to bring her back for a working port visit back in Norfolk, get some things done, and they are going to pop back out on deployment,” he said. “We are not going to dictate this so that everyone understand we are in this new normal and we are always going to set this pattern.”
The Navy says during their time in port, the group conducted routine maintenance on ships, aircraft, and equipment, while also doing training and certifications.
“Since April when we began our deployment, our strike group has demonstrated our inherent maneuverability and flexibility as we took part in maritime security operations and evolutions with several key allies and partners,” Rear Admiral Gene Black, commander of the strike group, said in a prepared statement from the Navy.
“Now, as we continue our deployment, we remain 100% mission-capable and ready to accomplish whatever mission we are assigned, at any time, anywhere. This exemplifies the Navy’s Dynamic Force Employment concept: we remain flexible and ready on short notice to deploy whenever and wherever the nation needs, ready to fight.”
The Navy says the Truman Strike Group will continue deployment by “conducting sustainment operations and carrier qualifications in the Atlantic and participating in dual-carrier operations with the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).”
