Uss carl vinson next deployment
USS Carl Vinson returns to San Diego after extended deployment
Spouses, parents, eager children and brand-new babies — the pier at Naval Air Station North Island was electric Thursday morning as families waited for their first look at their loved-ones in almost nine months.
Rear Adm. Amy Bauernschmidt is the commander of Carrier Strike Group 1.
"San Diego, thank you for welcoming us home," she said. "Your continued support for our Navy and our sailors is deeply felt."
It's been a busy couple of years for the ship and the roughly 5,000 sailors.
The ship left San Diego in November 2023 for a short four-month deployment.
Then in the summer of 2024, it participated in the biannual Rim of the Pacific exercise. Once that was over, workups for this deployment began. The ship left Naval Air Station North Island Nov. 18.
This spring, the ship's deployment was extended, and it was directed to the Middle East amid ongoing conflicts with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Jasmine Benavente's husband is a Vinson sailor. This is her family's third deployment. She said she's adjusted to Navy life but the ongoing war in the Gaza made this deployment a little different.
"This deployme
A Nimitz-class supercarrier launched in 1980 and commissioned in 1982, Carl Vinson calls San Diego her home port. She has participated in many cruises and support missions around the world, deploying frequently to the Middle East and Pacific. There are no plans for her decommissioning at any point in the future.
Deployments
Over her career, Carl Vinson has been involved in the following missions and operations:
- Participated in RIMPAC
- Stayed in the Indian Ocean for 107 days until WESTPAC deployment
- Supported Operation Earnest Will
- PACEX 1989, which was the largest naval exercise during peacetime since the second World War
- Operation Desert Strike
- Exercise Rugged Nautilus
- Operation Desert Fox and Southern Watch
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
USS Carl Vinson Awards
- Meritorious Unit Commendation
- Admiral James H. Flatley Memorial Award, three times
- Battle “E” Award
- Featured in the PBS documentary, Carrier
- Afghan Campaign Medal
- Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
Carl Vinson has played roles in popular culture including:
- Aircrew and planes featured in the film Top Gun
- Appeared in the opening scene for the film, The Pres
March 1, 1983 - October 29, 1983VF-51 VF-111 VA-37 VA-105 VA-52 VAW-114 VAQ-134 VS-29 VQ-1 Det.C HS-4Homeport Change around-the-world CruiseREADEX 1-83 ADEX National Week Beacon Flash 83-3 Bright Star ANNUALEX 58GMonte Carlo, Monaco Casablanca, Morocco Abidjan, Ivory Coast Fremantle, Australia Subic Bay, Philippines Hong Kong Sasebo, Japan Busan, ROK Pearl Harbor, HI.October 13, 1984 - May 24, 1985VF-51 VF-111 VA-27 VA-97 VA-52 VAW-114 VAQ-134 VS-29 HS-4 VQ-1 Det.Western Pacific Indian Ocean North Arabian SeaMULTIPLEX 85-3 Beacon FlashPearl Harbor, HI. (2) Yokosuka, Japan Hong Kong Subic Bay, Philippines (2) Fremantle, AustraliaAugust 12, 1986 - February 5, 1987VF-51 VF-111 VA-27 VA-97 VA-52 VAW-114 VAQ-134 VS-29 HS-4 VQ-1 Det. VRC-50Northern and Western Pacific Indian Ocean North Arabian SeaCope Thunder 86-7 Weapons Week 87-1 Kernal PotlachBusan, Republic of Korea Subic Bay, Philippines Singapore (2) Diego Garcia (2) Mombasa, Kenya Fremantle, AustraliaJune 15, 1988 - December 16, 1988VF-51 VF-111 VA-27 VA-97 VA-52 VAW-114 VAQ-134 VS-29 HS-4Northern and Western Pacific Indian Ocean North ArabiDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a exceptional move, is beefing up Navy warship presence in the Middle East, ordering the USS Carl Vinson to be there next month.
The move coincides with the U.S. increase in strikes on the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, according to a U.S. official.
It will be the second time in six months that the U.S. has kept two carrier strike groups in that region, when generally there is only one. It had been years since the U.S. had committed that much warship power to the Middle East.
According to the official, Hegseth signed orders on Thursday to keep the USS Harry S. Truman in the Middle East for at least an additional month. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations.
The ship has been conducting operations in the Red Sea against the Houthis and was scheduled to begin heading home to Norfolk, Virginia, at the end of March.
And Hegseth has ordered the USS Carl Vinson, which has been operating in the Pacific, to begin steaming toward the Middle East, which will reach the carrier’s scheduled deployment by three months.
The Vinson is expected to arrive in the region early next month. It had been
Thousands of San Diego service members deployed to Middle East
When the USS Carl Vinson was ordered to the Middle East in March it had already been deployed for four months.
Now, its deployment stretching into its eighth month, it's unclear when its 5,000 sailors can expect to again see home.
The Vinson is one of five locally-based ships now operating in the region. Its been conducting strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen but wasn't part of the weekend bombing of Iran — that was U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers.
Iran retaliated by launching missiles against a U.S. base in Qatar. Officials said there were no casualties.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday about the threat Iran’s military still poses to U.S. forces in the Middle East.
"They (Iran) possess considerable tactical capability," he said.
Cooper is the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees Middle East military operations. He's been nominated to be its next commander.
In addition to the Vinson, four other San Diego-based warships are now in the region.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Steritt and guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton are with the Vin