Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Arrives In Middle East (Video)

Photo credit: U.S. Navy

An EA-18G Growler from the Cougars of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), October 2014.

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group arrived Wednesday in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, which includes the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea.

As Home Post reported Oct. 1, the Vinson will relieve the USS George H.W. Bush, which has been in the Persian Gulf since June, and begin airstrikes against the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

Rear Adm. Christopher Grady, commander of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, said of the Vinson's new duties:

"All of our hard work and effort through the workup cycle was done with operations in this part of the world in mind.

"We are ready on arrival to execute the tasking of our leadership."

The strike group consists of aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, along with USS Bunker Hill, USS Gridley, USS Sterett, and USS Dewey.

The nine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 17 are also part of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group.

The USS Carl Vinson has a prolific media department that puts out a regular video magazine called "The 70," as well as the feature "On the Deckplates," where Commanding Officer Capt. Karl O. Thomas chats with different members of the crew about their jobs. Here's the latest episode of "On the Deckplates":

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