Carrier Strike Group 3 (CSG-3 or CARSTRKGRU 3) is a

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore. The aircraft carrier is the group's current flagship. Other units assigned include

Carrier Air Wing Nine Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Air Wing is currently assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). The Tail Code of aircraft assigned to C ...

; the ; and the ships of

Destroyer Squadron 21 A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger an ...

.Destroyer Squadron 21 consists of the s , , , , , , , , and . Between 2005 and 2013, the group made five deployments to the

U.S. Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and headq ...

supporting U.S. ground forces in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

. On 18 December 2011, strike group aircraft flew the final carrier-based air mission over Iraq, effectively ending U.S. naval support for Operation New Dawn.

Historical background

Carrier Division Three

The aircraft carrier was assigned to Carrier Division Three from November 1940. In April 1941, a Central Atlantic Neutrality Patrol was established under Admiral A.B. Cook, based at Bermuda. It comprised Carrier Division Three, the cruisers and , and

Destroyer Squadron 11 A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger an ...

. On 7 December 1941, in the Atlantic Fleet, Carrier Division Three comprised ''Wasp'' and under Rear Admiral A.B. Cook. Commander Carrier Division Three served as Commander Task Force 77 during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

. In 1966, Carrier Division Three was built around , flying missions in the

Gulf of Tonkin The Gulf of Tonkin is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and South China. It has a total surface area of . It is defined in the west and northwest by the northern c ...

off Vietnam.

Carrier Group Three

On 30 June 1973, Carrier Division 3 was redesignated Carrier Group 3. U.S. Navy carrier battle groups have, since the mid-Cold War period, maintained a pattern of deployments to trouble spots, beginning with an overhaul, individual ship training, battle group training, group preparation exercise, and then the deployment. On returning home, the cycle begins once more. As part of these deployments, the ''Carl Vinson'' carrier battle group participated in Exercise RIMPAC '84, RIMPAC '86, RIMPAC '98, PACEX '89, Exercise Rugged Nautilus,

Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...

Operation Desert Strike The 1996 cruise missile strikes on Iraq, codenamed Operation Desert Strike, were joint United States Navy–United States Air Force strikes conducted on 3 September against air defense targets in southern Iraq, in response to an Iraqi offensiv ...

, Operation Desert Fox, and

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

. From 1989 to 1991, USS ''Carl Vinson'' served as the flagship for Carrier Group 3. During this period, Carrier Group 3 was one of three battle groups that took part in PACEX '89. In August 1990, Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet was deployed to Bahrain in order to serve as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (ComUSNAVCENT) following the

Iraqi invasion of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on 2 August 1990, whereby it invaded the neighboring State of Kuwait, consequently resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi military occupation of the country. The invasion and Ira ...

. Since ComUSNAVCENT operated from on board ship, he established NAVCENT-Riyadh as a staff organization to provide continuous Navy representation at

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...

headquarters. This mission was assigned initially to Commander, Carrier Group Three. During succeeding months, the NAVCENT-Riyadh staff was augmented substantially but remained small, relative to the

United States Army Central The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army which saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf W ...

and CENTAF staffs. In November, the NAVCENT-Riyadh command was transferred from COMCARGRU 3 to Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5. This change resulted in the Navy flag officer at NAVCENT Riyadh's remaining relatively junior to other Service representatives, particularly the Air Force. In the middle of 1992, the U.S. Navy made some organizational changes. Each of the Navy's twelve carrier battle groups was planned to consist of an aircraft carrier; an embarked carrier air wing; cruiser, destroyer, and frigate units; and two nuclear-powered attack submarines. The chart below shows the ships and aircraft of the group after the reorganization. ;Carrier Group Three, late 1992 From June 1993, Commander Carrier Group 3 had his flag aboard ''Abraham Lincoln''. In 1993, the battle group provided support to the multinational military forces assigned to

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...

, and the group subsequently made three Western Pacific/

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

deployments for

and

Operation Vigilant Sentinel Operation Vigilant Sentinel was a response to Saddam Hussein advance of its military forces on the border with Kuwait. The United States deployed the 74th Air Control Squadron to Kuwait on August 24, 1995. The specific battle management functi ...

. On 13 May 1997

Carrier Air Wing Eleven Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier .Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...

in 2001. At the time the group comprised , Destroyer Squadron 9 and

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

forces in

. Task Force 50 comprised over 59 ships from six nations including six aircraft carriers, stretching over 800 nautical miles. Rear Admiral Evan M. Chanik was the last commander of Carrier Group 3. During his tenure, Admiral Chanik led the group through a reorganized Inter-Deployment Training Cycle which greatly compressed the training required for overseas deployment. On 1 October 2004, Carrier Group Three was redesignated as Carrier Strike Group Three.

Command structure

The strike group commander is responsible for unit-level training, integrated training, and material readiness for the group's ships and aviation squadrons. When it is not deployed, the group reports to Commander, U.S. Third Fleet which directs the group's pre-deployment training and certifications including its

Composite Training Unit Exercise COMPTUEX, or Composite Training Unit Exercise, is a rehearsal each US Navy Carrier Strike Group performs before departing for deployment. Each ship and aircraft in the battle group trains in its specialty; COMPTUEX brings ships together to project ...

s. When deployed beyond U.S. coastal waters, the group comes under the command of the numbered fleet commander in the area in which it is operating – either Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh Fleets. When deployed in this fashion, the group utilizes a task force or task group designator, for example, Task Group 50.1 in the Fifth Fleet area. Group commanders since 2004 have included:

Operational history

2005 deployment

On 17 January 2005, ''Carl Vinson'' departed

Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremer ...

, with Carrier Air Wing Nine embarked for a six-month deployment, which included several months in the Persian Gulf supporting U.S. forces fighting the War in Iraq. On 30 January 2005, the group departed San Diego following the completion of its 22-day pre-deployment Joint Task Force Exercise. US Navy 050327-N-6694B-001 An F-A-18C Hornet rolls into a turn while flying a combat mission over Iraq

US Navy 050327-N-6694B-001 An F-A-18C Hornet rolls into a turn while flying a combat mission over Iraq

In total, the group launched more than 6,500 sorties, totaling more than 20,000 flight hours, in support of

Multi-National Force - Iraq Multinational may refer to: * Multinational corporation, a corporate organization operating in multiple countries * Multinational force, a military body from multiple countries * Multinational state, a sovereign state that comprises two or more na ...

troops and various maritime interdiction operations, including 2,600 flight hours logged by its four F/A-18 strike-fighter squadrons. Destroyer Squadron 31 conducted more than 80 boardings in conjunction with British, Italian, Australian, Canadian and regional forces. On 11 June 2005, rendered assistance in response to a distress call from the Iranian fishing dhow ''Henif''. A boat transported an ill Iranian fisherman to ''Mustin'', where he was subsequently transferred to ''Vinson'' by helicopter. Once aboard ''Vinson'', the fisherman was taken to the ship's infirmary where he underwent tests. The fisherman was apparently suffering from a severe allergic reaction. He was treated, and after a short recovery period, he was returned to the ''Henif'' via one of the carrier's boats. The group completed its 2005 deployment at

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hampt ...

on 31 July 2005. ''Vinson'' then began a scheduled 36-month

Refueling and Complex Overhaul In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul (ROH) refers to a lengthy refitting process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance f ...

, prior to becoming flagship for

Carrier Strike Group One Carrier Strike Group One (CSG-1 or CARSTRKGRU 1) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. is the strike group's current flagship, and other units currently assigned are the ship's Carrier Air Wing 2 and embarked Destroyer Squadron 1, deployed with ...

. The new group flagship, , changed its homeport to Bremerton in January 2005, and once there, underwent an 11-month overhaul. Reflecting the reduced responsibilities while the ships were undergoing overhauls, Rear Admiral Clingan was succeeded by Captain Scott A. Berg in September 2005 as carrier strike group commander. Rear Admiral Kevin M. Quinn subsequently relieved Captain Berg in November 2005. ;2005 deployment force composition

2007 deployment

''Stennis'' departed from its homeport in

, on 16 January 2007, spent one day in port on-loading

onto the carrier, and the strike group departed San Diego on 20 January 2006 for its 2007 deployment. During its 2007 deployment, Carrier Air Wing Nine flew more than 7,900 sorties providing more than 22,000 flight hours and dropping nearly 90,000 pounds of ordnance in support of the International Security Assistance Force operating on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq. The guided-missile destroyers and were primarily responsible for carrying out Maritime Security Operations,

Maritime Interdiction Operations Maritime Interception (or naval interdiction) operations (MIOs) are naval operations, that aim to delay, disrupt, or destroy enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area before they do any harm against friendly forces, similar to air interd ...

, and

Visit, Board, Search and Seizure Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggl ...

operations for the strike group during the deployment. On 23 May 2007, ''Stennis'', along with eight other warships including the aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship , passed through the

Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( fa, تنگه هرمز ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' ar, مَضيق هُرمُز ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the o ...

into the

''(pictured)''. US Navy officials said it was the largest such move of warships since 2003. The group subsequently participated in Expeditionary Strike Force (ESF) training while simultaneously providing close-air support to coalition ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ESF training brought together Carrier Strike Group 3,

Carrier Strike Group 11 Carrier Strike Group 11 (CSG-11 or CARSTRKGRU 11) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore. The aircraft carrier is the strike group's current flagship. O ...

led by ''Nimitz'', and ''Bonhomme Richard'' Expeditionary Strike Group to test their ability to plan and conduct multi-task force operations across a broad spectrum of naval disciplines. Thereafter, the group participated in Exercise Valiant Shield off the coast of Guam between 7–14 August 2007. The exercise brought together more than 30 ships, including carrier strike groups led by the and ; 280 aircraft; and more than 20,000 service members from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force,

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

, and U.S. Coast Guard. Valiant Shield 2007 tested the military's ability to rapidly bring together joint forces in response to any regional contingency. Valiant Shield was the last operational portion of the group's 2007 deployment. The group entered

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the ...

on 20 August 2007. The strike group returned to San Diego on 27 August 2007, and the carrier ''John C. Stennis'' returned to its homeport on 31 August 2007. ;2007 deployment force composition ;2007 deployment exercises and port visits

2009 deployment

''John C. Stennis'' departed Bremerton on 13 January 2009, and the group departed

Naval Air Station North Island Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado ...

on 17 January 2009 after embarking Carrier Air Wing Nine. Carrier Air Wing Nine flew more than 7250 sorties, consisting of approximately 12,747 flight hours with a sortie completion rate of 97 percent during its 2009 deployment. Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 (

HSM-71 Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven One (HSM-71) is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California. Nicknamed the "Raptors", they are attached to Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) and de ...

), a new component to Carrier Air Wing Nine, was the first squadron of its kind to embark on board a carrier as part of a carrier air wing ''(pictured)''. The squadron flew more than 4,690 hours with a 95 percent sortie completion rate and earned the right to fly the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Pennant. The highlight for the squadron occurred during the undersea warfare exercise when HSM-71 deployed multiple aircraft to practice engagements on U.S. and Japanese submarines. The squadron kept three helicopters aloft throughout the entire four-day exercise for a total of 222 flight hours and conducted 28 simulated attacks on two U.S. and two Japanese submarines. The strike group participated in Exercise Key Resolve/ Foal Eagle which began on 28 February 2009. Key Resolve/Foal Eagle was held in the aftermath of the sinking of the ROK corvette ''Cheonan'' and the shelling of

Yeonpyeong Island Yeonpyeong Island or Yeonpyeongdo ( ko, 연평도 ; referred to by North Korea as Yŏnphyŏng Islet) is a group of South Korean islands in the Yellow Sea, located about west of Incheon and south of the coast of Hwanghae Province, North Korea. ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

. During the exercise, the aircraft carrier ''Stennis'' was overflown by two Russian

Ilyushin Il-38 The Ilyushin Il-38 "Dolphin" ( NATO reporting name: May) is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport. Design and development ...

maritime patrol aircraft on 16 March and two

Tupolev Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the ...

long-range bombers on 17 March. Both time the Russian aircraft were intercepted and escorted by F/A-18 Hornets until the Russian aircraft left the exercise area. The strike group then split. Both ''Kidd'' and ''Preble'' returned to port on 16 June 2009. ''John C. Stennis'' and ''Antietam'' sailed north to the

Gulf of Alaska The Gulf of Alaska (Tlingit: ''Yéil T'ooch’'') is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east ...

to participate in Operation Northern Edge, held between 15–26 June 2009. ''Stennis'' returned to port on 10 July 2009. ;2009 deployment force composition ;2009 deployment exercises and port visits

2011–2012 deployment

120105-N-ZZ999-003 - USS Kidd rescue Iranian fishing dhow from pirates

On 25 July 2011, the aircraft carrier ''John C. Stennis'' departed from its homeport of

Naval Base Kitsap Naval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state, created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor. It is the home base for the Navy’s fleet throughout ...

. ''Stennis'' was subsequently joined by Carrier Air Wing Nine, Destroyer Squadron Twenty-one, and the guided-missile cruiser ''Mobile Bay''. On 29 July 2011, the strike group departed from

Naval Air Station San Diego Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

near

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, for its 2011–2012 deployment. The first port-of-call for the group was to have been

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, but that port-call was cancelled because of Typhoon Mina. On 13 October 2011, the guided-missile destroyer was directed to join

Carrier Strike Group 5 Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. CSG 5 is responsible for unit-level training ...

to provide disaster relief to flood-ravaged Thailand. During the deployment, the strike group and Carrier Air Wing Nine launched a combined total of 13,389 sorties in support of Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan. On 18 December 2011, the strike group's aircraft flew the final carrier-based air sortie over Iraq, effectively ending U.S. naval support for Operation New Dawn. The final command-and-control mission for U.S. forces over Iraq was flown by an E-2C Hawkeye (''pictured'') from Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112, catapulting off the carrier ''Stennis'' at 7:32 am and returning at 11:04 a.m, both local time. While operating with

Combined Task Force 151 Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to enga ...

, on 13 December 2011, the destroyer disrupted a group of suspected pirates south of Yemen near the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor. At approximately 8:40 am local time, the merchant vessel M/V ''Nordic Apollo'' reported to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, Dubai, of being fired upon by pirates in a skiff. At approximately 11:00 am, the M/V ''Heather'', operating 30 nautical miles from ''Nordic Apollo'', reported suspicious activity by a skiff. CTF-151 commander Rear Admiral Kaleem Shaukat, Pakistan Navy, ordered ''Pinckney'' to investigate. ''Pinckney'' got underway and launched its

MH-60R The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificat ...

helicopter which located a suspicious skiff. Once under observation, the helicopter reported that the skiff had nine suspected pirates aboard, as well as several ladders, weapons and fuel containers that the suspected pirates attempted to cover up or throw overboard. As ''Pinckney'' closed, the skiff stopped and the suspected pirates threw their weapons overboard, which were identified as five

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...

rifles, one

rocket propelled grenade A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads ar ...

(RPG) launcher. and three RPG rounds. ''Pinckney'' conduct a boarding using their

visit, board, search and seizure Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggl ...

(VBSS) team (''pictured''), and once aboard, the VBSS team confirmed that there were nine suspected pirates, one grappling hook, 36 barrels of fuel, and 75 and 45 horsepower outboard engines. The VBSS team scuttled one outboard motor and left the skiff with enough fuel and water to return to shore. On 5 January 2012, at approximately 12:30 p.m local time, an SH-60S Seahawk helicopter from guided-missile destroyer detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow ''Al Molai'' operating in the northern

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channe ...

. Simultaneously, the ''Kidd'' received a distress call was from the master of the ''Al Molai'' claiming to be held captive by pirates. The ''Kidd'' dispatched a visit, board, search and seizure team that boarded the ''Al Molai'' (''pictured'') and subsequently detained 15 suspected pirates who had been holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks. The pirates did not resist the boarding, quickly surrendered, and were detained on the ''Al Molai'' by the ''Kidd'' boarding party until the next morning, 6 January 2012, when they were transferred to the aircraft carrier ''John C. Stennis'' where the incident was reviewed for potential prosecution. According to the Iranian vessel's crew, the ''Al Molai'' had been pirated and used as a "mother ship" for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf during the preceding 40–45 days. The pirates forced the ''Al Molai'' crew to live in harsh conditions under the constant threat of violence with limited supplies and medical aid. The ''Kidd'' VSBB team provided the ''Al Molai'' crew with food, water, and medical care, and the ''Al Molai'' master thanked the VBSS team for their assistance. On 18 January 2012, at 7:53 am local time, an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from the squadron HSM-71 spotted the Iranian fishing vessel ''Al Mamsoor'' disabled in the Arabian Sea. The vessel was in a sinking condition, and the helicopter alerted the guided-missile destroyer which rendered assistance. ''Dewey'' dispatched a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team (''pictured'') which discovered that the ''Al Mamsoor'' was in a sinking condition for the previous three days. The VBSS team provided food, water, medical, and hygienic supplies to the Iranian mariners, and after confirming Iranian nationals' safety, departed the scene. On 27 December 2011, ''Stennis'' concluded a four-day port visit to

Jebel Ali Jebel Ali ( ar, جبل علي) is a port town south-west of Dubai. The Jebel Ali Port is located there. Al Maktoum International Airport has been constructed just outside the port area. Jebel Ali is connected to Dubai via the UAE Exchange (fo ...

in the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...

. It then steamed through the

to the North Arabian Sea to provide combat air support to coalition ground forces in

. On 3 January 2012, following the end of Velayat 90, a 10-day Iranian military exercise in international waters near the

, the Iranian Army chief of staff, General

Ataollah Salehi Ataollah Salehi ( fa, عطاءالله صالحی; born 9 March 1950) is the former and third commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, serving from 2005 until 2017. He graduated before the Islamic Revolution from the Iranian Arm ...

, warned the United States to not send the ''Stennis'' back into the Persian Gulf. This initiated the 2011–12 Strait of Hormuz dispute between the United States and Iran over access through the strait. On 27 February 2012, the strike group completed its seven-month deployment. The cruiser ''Mobile Bay'' and destroyers ''Pinckney'', ''Kidd'', ''Dewey'', and ''Wayne E. Meyer'' returned to

Naval Base San Diego Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, con ...

. ''Stennis'' stopped in San Diego before returning to its homeport of

, Washington, on 28 February 2012. ;2011–2012 deployment force composition ;2011–2012 deployment exercises and port visits

2012–2013 deployment

Between 29 June and 17 July 2012, ''Stennis'' conducted Fleet Replacement Squadron Carrier Qualifications and Sustainment Exercises off the coast of southern California. On 27 August 2012, four months ahead of schedule, the group departed for an eight-month

deployment under the command of Rear Admiral

Charles M. Gaouette Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

. On 30 August 2012, ''Stennis'' arrived at

, California, to embark

, departing on 1 September 2012 with the guided-missile cruiser ''Mobile Bay''. On 31 August 2012, the carrier ''Stennis'' embarked additional Carrier Air Wing Nine personnel during a port visit to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, departing on 1 September 2012, with the guided-missile ''Paul Hamilton'' joining the strike group. On 11 September 2012, the group came under U.S. Seventh Fleet command and soon began taking part in

Exercise Valiant Shield Exercise Valiant Shield is one of the largest United States military war games held in the Pacific Ocean. Nine Valiant Shield exercises were conducted between 2006 and 2022. According to the Navy, Valiant Shield focuses on cooperation between m ...

2012 off

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

(''pictured''). The deployment of two carrier strike groups for this exercise coincided with the ongoing Senkaku Islands dispute between China and Japan. After four weeks underway, the first port call of the deployment followed at

Kota Kinabalu , image_skyline = , image_caption = From top, left to right, bottom:Kota Kinabalu skyline, Wawasan intersection, Tun Mustapha Tower, Kota Kinabalu Coastal Highway, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, the Wism ...

, Malaysia, the first such visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to that port. Following its port visit to Phuket, Thailand, the group participated in joint operations with

in the

Andaman Sea The Andaman Sea (historically also known as the Burma Sea) is a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar and Thailand along the Gulf of Martaban and west side of the Malay Peninsula, and separated fro ...

(''pictured''). On 17 October 2012, the strike group entered the Fifth Fleet area, joining Carrier Strike Group 8 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, maritime security operations, and theater security cooperation missions. On 21 October 2012, Carrier Air Wing Nine began strikes supporting the

International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 pursua ...

in Afghanistan. On 22 March 2013, the group concluded air operations over Afghanistan, with its aircraft having flown around 1,200 sorties totaling over 7,400 flight hours. On 27 October 2012, Fifth Fleet commander Vice Admiral

John W. Miller John W. "Fozzie" Miller is a retired United States Navy Vice Admiral who last served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Manama, Bahrain. Prior to assuming the duties of NAVCENT/C5F, Miller was sp ...

ordered the temporary reassignment of Rear Admiral Gaouette pending the results of an investigation by the Naval Inspector General. Gaouette's chief of staff, Captain William C. Minter, led the strike group until the arrival of Rear Admiral Troy Shoemaker as Gaouette's replacement. Later it emerged that Gaouette was dismissed for misconduct including '..for misconduct including foul language, flipping off lieutenants, speculation that black admirals were chosen because of their race and sending fellow officers a racially charged email about a black sailor.' On 6 February 2013, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the upcoming deployment of the carrier and the cruiser would be postponed pending the resolution of the upcoming budget sequestration, leaving Carrier Strike Group 3 as the only U.S. carrier force operating in the Persian Gulf region. In an March 2013 interview, group commander Rear Admiral Troy Shoemaker noted that the shortfall of U.S. escort ships was being off-set by the assignment of the British destroyer and the French frigate Chevalier Paul'', to operate with the strike group. Two destroyers from Carrier Strike Group 8, the and , also joined Carrier Strike Group 3 temporarily. In that capacity, on 2 March 2013, the ''Farragut'' joined the guided-missile frigate is aiding distressed mariners aboard a dhow in the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Chann ...

. Both ''Farragut'' and ''Churchill'' left the U.S. Fifth Fleet via the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popula ...

on 8 March 2013. On 1 March 2013, the destroyer from Carrier Strike Group Eleven entered the

for operations with the strike group. On 26 March 2013, the strike group departed the Fifth Fleet. During over five months of operations, Carrier Air Wing Nine had flown a total of more than 9,000 sorties and more than 23,000 flight hours in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan. Also on that date, the carrier ''Stennis'' and Carrier Air Wing Nine received the 2012 Ramage Award for carrier/air wing operational excellence during the 2012–2013 deployment. On 29 April 2013, the carrier ''Vinson'' and the cruiser ''Mobile Bay'' arrived at Naval Station San Diego, California, ending the 2013 deployment. The strike group had steamed over and aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing Nine had flown 10,000 sorties totaling 30,400 flight hours during the eight-month-long operation. ;2012–2013 deployment force composition ;2012–2013 deployment exercises and port visits

2013–2015 operations & upkeep

On 27 June 2013, the carrier ''John C. Stennis'' began a scheduled 14-month-long overhaul when it entered drydock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility at

(''pictured''). On 19 August 2013, the destroyer ''Milius'' completed its Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (E-DSRA) overhaul. On 23 September 2013, the destroyer ''Wayne E. Meyer'' completed its Mid-Cycle Inspection (MCI) assessment with the Board of Inspection and Survey. Between 7–11 October 2013, the cruiser ''Mobile Bay'' and destroyer ''Dewey'' participated with other U.S. and Canadian warships in a Task Group Exercise (TGEX) maneuvers. Following this exercise, the ''Mobile Bay'' began its Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) overhaul at the

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenue ...

ship repair facility in San Diego, California, with a completion date of May 2014. In November 2013, the destroyer ''Kidd'' completed its two-week Independent Deployer Certification (IDCERT) exercises. Also, during that month, the ''Wayne E. Meyer'' underwent its own IDCERT exercises in the southern California operating area, as well as participating Group Sail maneuvers with Carrier Strike Group Nine, as part of ''Wayne E. Meyer''s work-up for its upcoming 2014 deployment. On 25 April 2014, ''John C. Stennis'' departed drydock, completing its 14-month-long overhaul (''pictured''). Between 23–28 September 2014, strike group planners held a pre-deployment training planning meeting among the various component commands. It was held at

Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state, created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor. It is the home base for the Navy’s fleet throughout Wes ...

, Washington. Both ''Stennis'' and Carrier Air Wing 9 completed their flight deck certification on 11 December 2014. During 13–15 January 2015, ''Stennis'' on-loaded over six million pounds of munitions at the U.S. Naval Magazine Indian Island, Washington. On 23 March 2015, ''John C. Stennis'' departed

, Washington, for a Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA) and Final Evaluation Period (FEP) exercises in the Southern California operating area (''pictured'') after a six-week Continuous Maintenance Availability (CMAV). The ''Stennis'' subsequently conducted joint training exercise with the U.S. Army helicopters, stationed at

Joint Base Lewis-McChord A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...

, Washington, while transiting the

Strait of Juan de Fuca The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the centre ...

. On 8 June 2015, the ''Stennis'' departed Bremerton, Washington, for Carrier Qualifications (CQ) exercises before paying a port call at

, California, from 12–15 June 2015. The ''Stennis'' completed its Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) and Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) training before returning to its home-base on 1 September 2015.

2016 deployment

On 15 January 2016, ''John C. Stennis'' left

for a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific. On 20 January 2016, the destroyers , and , along with the cruiser and the fast combat support ship , left port, all running off a ' Great Green Fleet' biofuel blend made from tallow, or rendered beef fat, a Navy spokesman told Navy Times. The biofuel mix was 10% biofuel and 90% petroleum. However, the 50-50 goal is still on track, Navy Secretary

Ray Mabus Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. (; born October 11, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017. Mabus previously served as the State Auditor ...

told Navy Times in September 2015. The strike group was planned to make a seven-month deployment within the Seventh Fleet area of responsibility.

Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carrier Strike Group 03 Carrier Strike Groups Military units and formations established in 2004 Military units and formations in Washington (state)