| History
of the USS Carl Vinson 1980: On March 15, Congressman Carl Vinson became the first person
in the history of the United States to witness a launching in his honor.
1982: USS Carl
Vinson is commissioned on March 13, 1982.
1983: After
extensive work up and sea trials, the ship with a crew of almost 6,000 Sailors departed
Norfolk, Va., on March 1, 1983, and embarked on an eight-month around the world cruise.
Carl Vinson steamed in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea,
South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, South China Sea, East Sea/Sea of Japan and the Pacific
Ocean en route to its new homeport of Naval Air Station Alameda, Calif. On Oct. 28, 1983,
Carl Vinson sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time as it entered San
Francisco Bay.
1984: Carl
Vinson received the highest marks ever awarded an aircraft carrier during an operational
readiness examination in February. In March, the ship and crew became "San
Francisco’s Own" in a formal adoption ceremony. In May, Carl Vinson participated
in RIMPAC ’84, a multi-national exercise involving ships from nations which "Rim
of the Pacific" including Canada, Japan, Australia, as well as the United Kingdom. On
Oct. 14, Carl Vinson began a seven-month Western Pacific deployment.
1985: From
early January to mid April, Carl Vinson was deployed in the Indian Ocean for 107
consecutive days at sea operations. The carrier received its first Meritorious Unit
Commendations for operations conducted from November 1984 to May 1985. In February, the
Chief of Naval Operations named Carl Vinson as the winner of the Admiral Flatley Memorial
Award for operational readiness and aviation safety for 1984.
1986: In May
and June, the ship was involved in a series of high-tempo operations that included RIMPAC
’86 exercise. On Aug. 12, Carl Vinson deployed on its second Western Pacific/Indian
Ocean cruise and it’s third deployment in all. During transit west, Carl Vinson
became the first aircraft carrier to operate in the Bering Sea.
1987: After
conducting extensive operations in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea, Carl Vinson
transited the Bering Sea once again in January. During the transit to NAS Alameda, Carl
Vinson received the highest grade ever given to an aircraft carrier during an Operational
Reactor Safeguard Examination.
1988: Carl
Vinson departed NAS Alameda for its fourth deployment on June 15, 1988, and making another
challenging and successful transit of the Bering Sea. The carrier completed 82 days on
station in the North Arabian Sea. While on station, the Gold Eagle supported the escorting
of American flagged tankers in the Arabian Gulf. Carl Vinson returned to NAS Alameda on
Dec.16. The carrier received its second Admiral Flatley Memorial Award for aviation
safety.
1989: The
carrier departed Alameda on Sept.18 to participate in PACEX ’89, the largest
peacetime naval exercise since World War II. Carl Vinson conducted operations in the icy
waters of the Bering Sea, including operations inside the Aleutian Islands. In the
following weeks, Carl Vinson, leading a battle force of three carrier battle groups,
conducted operations in the Western Pacific Ocean and East Sea/Sea of Japan, and were
joined by the navies of other nations.
1990: The ship
departed on its fifth deployment on Feb. 1 for the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The
carrier received its first COMNAVAIRPAC Battle "E" award for 1990. After
returning to Alameda on July 3, the carrier steamed to Bremerton, Wash. in September to
commence a complex overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard starting on Sept. 22, which
would conclude on April 6, 1993.
1994: The
carrier started its sixth deployment on Feb. 17 to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf in
support of Operation Southern Watch. The Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet Change of
Command was held on the carrier on Aug. 5 while at Pearl Harbor. Carl Vinson returned to
Alameda on Aug. 17; and received its third Admiral Flatley Award for aviation safety.
1995: From
Aug.26 to Sept. 3, Carl Vinson participated in Exercise Ke Koa and the commemoration of
the end of World War II in the Pacific. During the commemoration, President Bill Clinton
visited the ship in Hawaii and 12 historic warplanes from World War II were launched from
the flight deck. One month later, the ship returned to the San Francisco Bay area and
participated in Fleet Week, ’95, launching World War II aircraft, an F/A-18 Hornet
and F-14 Tomcat, and an unprecedented launch and recovery of an S-3 Viking in San
Francisco Bay. The carrier received its second Meritorious Unit Commendation for the 50th
Commemoration of VJ Day 1995.
1996: Carl
Vinson departed May 14 for its seventh deployment to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf.
The ship participated in Exercise Rugged Nautilus and Operations Desert Strike and
Southern Watch before returning to Alameda Nov. 14. The carrier received its second Battle
"E," its third Meritorious Unit Commendations and its fourth Admiral Flatley
Award.
1997: On Jan.
17, Carl Vinson arrived at its new homeport, Bremerton. In February, the ship added
another chapter in the history of naval aviation as the platform for the last carrier
launches and recoveries of the A6-E Intruder.
1998:
Following an intense work up period Carl Vinson participated in RIMPAC ’98. The
carrier steamed from Bremerton in early Nov. for its eighth deployment to the Western
Pacific and Persian Gulf. On Dec. 19, Carl Vinson launched air strikes in support of
Operation Desert Fox, and continued support for Operation Southern Watch in enforcing the
no-fly zone over southern Iraq. Vinson was
awarded the Navy Unit Commendation Medal and was once again was awarded the Battle
"E" for Efficiency.
1999: Carl
Vinson maintained pressure on Iraq by launching several air strikes against selected
targets located in the no-fly zone of southern Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch
from January to March. As a result Vinson was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. In July, the ship entered Puget Sound Naval
Shipyard for an 11-month Drydocked Planned Incremental Availability. The Navy spent more
than $230 million for equipment upgrades, a new local-area network, new berthings, and
several quality-of-life upgrades.
2000: Carl
Vinson finished the overhaul period in June 2000 and began the pre-deployment phase of
operations. The ship got underway for sea trials, TSTA, FEP, and COMPTUEX in the fall,
operating off the coast of Southern California with Carrier Air Wing Eleven and other
ships in the battle group.
2001: From
January to June, the carrier spent most of the time out to sea preparing for the ship's
twelfth deployment. Carl Vinson steamed out of
Bremerton, Wash., on July 23, and after stopping to on load Carrier Air Wing Eleven at
Naval Air Station, North Island, Calif., headed west. On Sept. 11, as our nation was
rocked by the terrorist attacks, USS Carl Vinson was rounding the tip of India en route
the Arabian Gulf to enforce the no-fly zone over Southern Iraq in support Operation
Southern Watch . At that moment, the Gold
Eagle changed course and headed to the North Arabian Sea, where our battle group would
stand ready to answer the call of freedom. That call came, and on Oct. 7, 2001, just 36
hours after we welcomed our new commanding officer, CAPT Richard Wren, the Carl Vinson and
her battle group launched the first strikes in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For 72
days, we remained on station and together with Carrier Air Wing Eleven conducted more than
4,200 combat sorties in the War on Terrorism. In mid-December, Carl Vinson stood down the
watch and headed home, visiting Singapore for Christmas.
2002: Carl Vinson returned from her historic deployment
on Jan. 23. For their support of the nation's war on terrorism, the crew received the
Battle "E" and also the Navy Unit Commendation medal. In April, the crew began a
Planned Incremental Availability.
During this
time several new operational systems were installed, and the ship’s flight deck and
catapults were completely renovated. Numerous other spaces and crew living areas were also
entirely restored, drastically improving working and living conditions for the crew.
Completing her maintenance / overhaul period in record-setting time, USS Carl Vinson and
crew set sail in September to conduct sea trials and once again announced to their chain
of command that they were ready for fleet operations. In mid-October, the aircraft carrier
headed to sea and again set a new standard by completing a transformational innovative
Inter Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC). By December, the Carl Vinson / Carrier Air Wing
Nine team was deployment ready and was named the Pacific Fleet “ready carrier.”
2003: The Carl
Vinson-Carrier Air Wing 9 team wasted no time in answering the call of America. On Jan. 13, the strike group responded to the
world’s need for a stabilizing presence in the Western Pacific by ensuring theater
security in cooperation with friends and allies in the region. While underway, the Navy’s deployment schedule
began shifting to implement a new Fleet Response Plan (FRP).
The shift required Carl Vinson to extend its deployment two and one half months. After nearly nine months at sea,
“America’s Favorite Aircraft Carrier” returned to Bremerton Sept. 19 to a
hero’s welcome. During the final three
months of 2003 the mighty “Gold Eagle” once again assumed the role of the West
Coast’s ready carrier.
2004: In
February, a meticulous inspection by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey found
the “Gold Eagle” fit to continue its third decade of service to the American
people. The crew of Carl Vinson now faced the
trifold challenge of preparing for their upcoming six-month deployment, readying their
families for a change of homeport from Bremerton to Norfolk, Va., and planning for
2005’s Refueling and Complex Overhaul at Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard. During RCOH, “America’s Favorite
Carrier” will be completely refitted, and the nuclear fuel that powers the
Nimitz-class carrier will be replenished.
2005: On Jan. 3, Carl Vinson began an historic
around-the-world deployment, leaving behind Bremerton, Wash., its homeport of eight years. After completing Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX),
Vinson began its journey west on Feb. 1.
2006: Carl Vinson continues to move forward with
Refueling and Complex Overhaul, operating out of Dry Dock at the Northrop Grumman Newport
News shipyard in Newport News, Va. In November, Carl Vinson’s crew and Northrop
Grumman Newport News Shipyard employees completed the installation of the ship’s
anchors and chain, adding more than 200 tons of weight to the ship. Simultaneously, its two 50-ton rudders were
installed preparing the ship for its departure from the dry-dock period of its overhaul
and move to a pier location within the shipyard.
2007: On Jan. 7, Carl Vinson’s project team
completed the installation of four new propellers and the ship made final preparations to
complete its dry-dock period. In May, near the mid-way point of RCOH, USS Carl Vinson
moved from dry-dock to a newly constructed and specially designed pier located at the
shipyard. During the pier portion of the overhaul, Team Carl Vinson continued installation
and testing of equipment and groomed shipboard spaces in preparation for the crew’s
move back aboard the ship, which will occur in 2008.
|
