The USS Carl Vinson arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Tuesday. The aircraft carrier and its 5,500 member crew is en route to their homeport of San Diego after a six-month deployment, according to the Navy.
Family and friends of the Vinson crew were on hand to greet their loved ones at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Dozens of family members will stay on the Vinson and catch a ride home to San Diego in what's known as a Tiger cruise.
During its deployment to the Western Pacific and Middle East, the Vinson helped support maritime theater security operations with the U.S. 7th and 5th Fleets. In addition, the crew visited ports in Hong Kong, India, and Australia.
Commanding Officer Capt. Kent D. Whalen said of the deployment:
"The dedication demonstrated by every Sailor up and down the chain of command was the key factor in accomplishing every mission objective for our time in the 5th and 7th Fleets."
The Navy has not yet announced a San Diego arrival date for the USS Vinson.
