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Carrier of the Month: USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

Posted at 4:46 AM, Dec 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-07 11:49:26-05

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va -- News 3 is honored to name the crew of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as the December Carrier of the Month!

Instead of the usual Squadron of the Month, the U.S. Navy wanted to honor the crew aboard a ship named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States and five-star U.S. Army general during World War II, honoring the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The "Mighty Ike" (as the crew calls it) is an 1,100-foot-long nuclear powered aircraft carrier; one of 11 active in the U.S. Navy fleet. The ship was christened in 1975 and commissioned in 1977.

The Ike has been deployed a number of times in 40-plus years of history; most recently in 2016 spending seven months overseas protecting trade routes while launching counterattacks against ISIS.

During deployment, the USS Eisenhower has around 5,500 sailors aboard covering numerous jobs. The ship contains a barber shop, coffee house and medical wing with an Intensive Care Unit and a Physical Therapy room.

Currently, around 3,500 sailors report to the ship each day as the crew prepares for their next deployment. Last month, the ship returned to Naval Station Norfolk after spending time at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard undergoing maintenance.

News 3 is proud to name the men and women aboard the USS Eisenhower as our December 2018 Carrier of the Month.