San Diego is now the home port to three aircraft carriers. The USS Carl Vinson is scheduled to arrive in San Diego Bay today.
The Vinson will join the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Nimitz as one of three nuclear aircraft carriers based at Naval Air Station North Island. The ship brings with her more than 3,000 sailors.
On her way to San Diego the Vinson was diverted to Haiti to help with earthquake relief. Rear Admiral Ted Branch said the carrier will have an economic impact of more than $400 million a year for the region.
The Vinson was previously based in Bremerton, Washington, but Branch feels San Diego will make a good base for the ship.
“San Diego is a major fleet concentration area. So all the infrastructure required, not just to support the ship but to support all the sailors and their families, is resident there in San Diego already,” he said. “Also the training areas off San Diego are very beneficial, in fact unparalleled in the Navy, to support carrier operations and training.”
Branch says the increased car traffic the Vinson will bring to Coronado is a valid concern. He says the Navy tries to mitigate traffic problems by encouraging sailors to be respectful drivers and staggering working hours.
