User:Marcd30319/Marcd30319 original Carrier Strike Group Nine 2004-2009 operation

Carrier Strike Group Nine 2004–2009 operations included three Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan (OEF-A), as well as providing support for regional maritime security operations. Additionally, CARSTRKGRU 9 also participated in such major military exercises as RSOI/Foal Eagle 2006, Valiant Shield 2006, and RIMPAC 2006, as well as Operation Unified Assistance, the U.S. military response to the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In recognition of its disaster-relief mission to Indonesia, Carrier Strike Group Nine received the Humanitarian Service Medal.

During this period, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CSG-9 or CARSTRKGRU 9) was the second U.S. Navy carrier strike group to be commanded by a former nuclear submarine commanding officer. CARSTRKGRU 9 was also the first carrier strike group to deploy with an entire Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopter squadron embarked, with individual air detachments operating from its escort ships and supported by its aircraft carrier/flagship's aviation facilities. The carrier strike group's 2007 composite unit training (COMPTUEX) pre-deployment training exercises included Mobile Security Squadron 2 (MSRON-2), Helicopter Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (HVBSS) Team 1, a highly specialized boarding party, which was a first for West Coast-based U.S. Navy ships.

Carrier Strike Group Nine was one of six U.S. Navy carrier strike groups assigned to the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the 2004–2009 time period. CARSTRKGRU 9 was based at Naval Base San Diego, California during this period, and it typically deployed to the U.S. Seventh Fleet operating in the Western Pacific and the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The flagship for Carrier Strike Group Nine during the 2004–2009 time period was the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).

Change of command
On 20 July 2004, Rear Admiral William D. Crowder relieved Rear Admiral Jacob L. Shuford as the commander of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Three (CCDG-3) in a change-of-command ceremony held on the Abraham Lincoln's flight deck. Admiral Shuford's next assignment was as the 51st president of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. A surface warfare officer (SWO), Admiral Crowder graduated from U.S. Naval Academy in 1974, and he served as the commodore of Destroyer Squadron 24 (DESRON-24) as part of the John F. Kennedy Carrier Strike Group (JFKCSG) during its 1999 Mediterranean (MED) deployment. His previous assignment had been as director, Deep Blue, Navy Operations Group on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C.

Emergency surge asset & strike group redesignation
On 3 September 2004, because of its inter-deployment training cycle (IDTC), the U.S. Navy designated the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ALCSG) as the “Emergency Surge Asset” for the Seventh Fleet as part of the Navy’s Fleet Response Plan (FRP). ALCSG’s departure was advanced to mid-October, with only six week to complete its pre-deployment training and certification.

Effective 1 October 2004, in keeping with the CNO’s Guidance from Admiral Vernon E. Clark, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three (CruDesGru 3) and its Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group were re-designated as Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9), with Rear Admiral William D. Crowder serving as Commander Carrier Strike Group Nine (COMCARSTKGRU 9).

2004-2005 WESTPAC deployment
On 19 October 2004, the newly re-designated Carrier Strike Group Nine departed Naval Base San Diego, California, under the command of Rear Admiral William D. Crowder.

HSL-47 (pictured) was the first LAMPS helicopter squadron deployed in its entirety on board an aircraft carrier, with the squadron providing LAMPS detachments to the other ships within the strike group. During the 2004 WESTPAC deployment, HSL-47 detachments operated from the cruiser Cape St. George and the destroyer Shoup.

During its 2004-2005 WESTPAC deployment, Carrier Strike Group Nine executed 4400 fix-winged sorties for a total of 7588 flight hours; executed 1518 rotary-wing sorties for a total of 4401 flight hours; and completed 4455 flight deck landings (traps) while also flying 1737 humanitarian relief missions in support of Operation Unified Assistance (OUA) between 26 December 2004 and 3 February 2005.

CARSTRKGRU 9 entered the U.S. Third Fleet's area of responsibility (AOR) between 21–22 February 2005 and completed its 2004 WESTPAC deployment when it returned to its home port of San Diego on 4 March 2005.

Operation Unified Assistance
On 26 December 2004, a massive submerged earthquake and ensuing tsunami waves swept across the Indian Ocean basin, causing widespread devastation and killing over 230,000 people in fourteen countries. The military element of humanitarian and relief effort was designated Operation Unified Assistance (OUA) under the direction of Combined Support Force 536 (CSF-536). On 28 December 2004, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) set sail from Hong Kong and arrived off the coast of Indonesia near Banda Aceh, Sumatra, on 1 January 2005. CARSTRKGRU 9's commander, Rear Admiral William D. Crowder, was designated as commander, Combined Support Group Indonesia, as part of CSF-536.

Abraham Lincoln's Air Transportation Office (ATO) coordinated the flow of supplies into the region, and the carrier provided air traffic control for the relief effort. SH-60 helicopters Seahawks from squadrons HSL-47 and HS-2 ferried supplies from collection points in Sumatra for trans-shipment to disaster victims in the vicinity. The intensive nature of the support missions drove the Seahawks to log over 1,000 hours, more than three times the expected wear-and-tear of standard deployments. HSL-47 itself logged over 600 hours during the month of January 2005.

CARSTRKGRU 9 ships, such as DESRON-9 destroyer Benfold, served as re-fueling stations for helicopters involved in relief efforts. Benfold provided 155 gallons (586.7 liters) of fuel a day, accounting for more than 14,500 gallons (54,888.47 liters) of fuel since Operation Unified Assistance began. Benfold also served as a mothership for Naval Oceanographic Office team conducting safety of navigation surveys of the altered Indonesian coastlines that had been affected by the tsunami at the request of the Indonesian government. The fast combat support ship Rainier provided underway replenishment support to 32 American, British, and Australian warships involved in Operation Unified Assistance.

Sailors and Marines from Carrier Strike Group Three went ashore to provide humanitarian assistance. Sailors from the Abraham Lincolns Engineering Department Repair Division designed a potable water manifold to help bring fresh water to Aceh Province, Sumatra, with the system beginning to ship the much-needed fresh water on 4 January. Also, teams from the strike group, including the destroyer Benfold, flew into Banda Aceh daily to work at the Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Force Base to unload humanitarian aid from trucks to waiting helicopters that deliver the aid to survivors in remote locations.

In total, Carrier Strike Group Three delivered 5,929,000,000 pounds (2,689,349,161.7 kg) of relief and Humanitarian supplies, including 2,915,500 pounds (1,322,448,554.7 kg) of food and 748,410 pounds (339,473.065 kg) of medical supplies, during Operation Unified Assistance (OUA). Carrier Strike Group received the Humanitarian Service Medal in recognition of its humanitarian assistance/disaster response (HA/DR) efforts during the OUA mission.

Maintenance & training cycle
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) underwent a docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) yard overhaul at Naval Station Everett, Washington, between 7 Mar–27 May 2005, and following its subsequent sustainment training, the carrier underwent an additional planned incremental availability (PIA) at NS Everett between 28 Jun–26 Aug 2005.

Between 1–23 June 2005, Abraham Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) trained in the northern Pacific, conducting their quarterly Integrated Strike Group (ISG) Sustainment Training cycle. Abraham Lincoln carried out surge sustainment training for the Fleet Response Plan (FRP), fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications (CQ), and Joint Task Force Exercise 2005 (JTFEX-05) in southern Californian waters between 19 October and 16 November 2005. For JTFEX-05, Abraham Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing Two were joined by the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG-53); the guided-missile destroyers USS Russell (DDG-59) and USS Shoup (DDG-86), and Carrier Strike Group Seven led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

Change of command
On 7 September 2005, Rear Admiral John W. (Bill) Goodwin (pictured) relieved Rear Admiral William D. Crowder as Commander Carrier Strike Group Nine (COMCARSTKGRU 9). A naval aviator, Admiral Goodwin served as the commanding officer of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), and prior to taking command of Carrier Strike Group Nine, Goodwin's previous assignment was as the deputy director for Strategy, Plans and Policy at the U.S. European Command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

Sustainment training exercises
On 5 January 2006, the carrier Abraham Lincoln departed its homeport of Everett, Washington, and transited to San Diego, California, for its scheduled underway period to undertake its sustainment training exercisies (SUSTAINEX) and post-refit inspection by the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey Board (INSURV). Lincoln completed its additional sustainment training in southern Californian waters between 21–24 February 2006.

2006 WESTPAC Deployment
Abraham Lincoln completed additional sustainment training in southern Californian waters between 21–24 February 2006 and departed its homeport of Naval Station Everett, Washington, on 27 February 2006. Strike group commander Rear Admiral John W. Goodwin outlined the objectives of the upcoming deployment for Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) as follows:


 * The strike group will be training with coalition partners to improve our ability to operate with naval forces from many nations. The United States is committed to its alliances and will be working to develop partnerships with nations in the region to enhance security.

The carrier sailed to southern Californian waters to rendezvous with the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) and DESRON-9 guided-missile destroyers USS Shoup (DDG 86) and USS Russell (DDG 59) and to embark Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2).

Two SH-60B Seahawk aviation repairable pack-up kits, including four aviation consumable Vidmar cabinets, were loaded transferred from Naval Air Station North Island to Abraham Lincoln. This equipment was required to support the second iteration on board Abraham Lincoln of the SH-60B-To-Carrier Pilot program that assigned the carrier to direct support of squadron HSL-47, a full squadron of SH-60B Seahawk helicopters that would be dispersed throughout the carrier strike group. During the 2006 WESTPAC deployment, 15 April 2006, HSL-47 helicopters and the destroyer Russell provided aid to a fishing vessel in distress (pictured) while operating in the South China Sea.

Between 25–27 March 2006, CARSTRKGRU 9 participated in USWEx 08-3, a series of anti-submarine warfare exercises (ASW) in Hawaiian waters while en route to the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s area of responsibility (AOR). In addition to the strike group, Undersea Warfare Exercise 08-3 (USWEx 08-3) also included the nuclear-powered attack submarines USS Seawolf (SSN-21), USS Cheyenne (SSN-773), USS Greeneville (SSN-772), USS Tucson (SSN-770), and USS Pasadena (SSN-752), as well as land-based P-3 Orion aircraft from patrol squadrons VP-4, VP-9, and VP-47.

Carrier Strike Group Nine also paid a port visit to Singapore between 27 April–1 May 2006 and subsequently transited the eastern portion of the Strait of Malacca. On 3 May 2006, while conducting flight operations in the Java Sea, CARSTRKGRU 9 was visited by U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia B. Lynn Pascoe and Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Indonesian secretary-general of defense, who thanked the strike group for their relief work during Operation Unified Assistance. On 9 May 2006, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, along with several government officials, the heads of Brunei’s armed forces, and Charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy to Brunei Jeff Hawkins, visited USS Abraham Lincoln off the northwest coast of the island of Borneo to thank the strike group for its Operation Unified Assistance relief work. During its 2006 WESTPAC deployment, CARSTRKGRU 9 hosted more than 3,000 Distinguished Visitors (DV), public visitors, and members of the media.

During May 2006, while enroute to Sasebo, Japan, Carrier Strike Group Three had to divert its course because of Typhoon Chanchu by through Philippine waters via the Balabac Strait, between the Philippine island of Palawan and Sabah, Borneo, crossed the Sulu Sea, and then transited the Surigao Strait between the islands of Mindanao and Samar before CARSTRKGRU 9 returned to its original course for Japan. On 27 June 2006, CARSTRKGRU 9 entered the U.S. Third Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) and a port visit to Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

On 8 August 2006, the strike group's flagship, the carrier Abraham Lincoln, returned to her homeport of Naval Station Everett, Washington, completing Carrier Strike Group Nine's 2006 WESTPAC deployment. During this deployment, CARSTRKGRU 9 participated in three major exercises (i.e., Foal Eagle 06, Valiant Shield 06, RIMPAC 06), as well as several passing exercises (PASSEX) and port visits, and CVW-3 aircraft flew 7,871 sorties, with a total of 7,578 catapult launches from the flight deck of the Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln also returned the two SH-60B Seahawk aviation repairable pack-up kits, including four aviation consumable Vidmar cabinets, to NAS North Island.

Foal Eagle 2006
Between 24–31 March 2006, personnel and units of the U.S. military and Republic of Korea (ROK) Combined Forces Command (CFC) engaged in Reception, Staging, Onward-movement, & Integration (RSOI)/Foal Eagle 2006 (RSOI/FE 06). RSOI/Foal Eagle are annual theater-wide computer-simulated and field exercises designed to evaluate and improve the U.S. and ROK forces' ability to coordinate the procedures, plans, and systems necessary to defend the ROK in a contingency basis. These combined and joint exercises also focused on ground maneuver, command-and-control training, and air, naval, expeditionary, and special operations. Foal Eagle involved more than 70 U.S. and ROK Navy warships and more than 100 aircraft from all services of the U.S. and ROK armed forces. The exercise is designed to demonstrate U.S. resolve to support the Republic of Korea (ROK) while improving overall readiness.

For RSOI/Foal Eagle 06, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) provided close-air support for ground units, air-to-air defense exercises, maritime inter-operability training, and expeditionary operations. This included combat air patrols and coordinated bombing runs involving strike squadrons VFA-2, VFA-34, VFA-137, and VFA-151 from Carrier Air Wing Two teaming with U.S. Air Force aircraft from the 18th Wing based at Kadena Air Base via the exercise’s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC). Also, five ROK naval officers embarked aboard Abraham Lincoln to train with the ships’ crew.

On 29 March 2006, General B. B. Bell, commander, U.S. Forces Korea, along with Deputy Commander Combined Forces, General Hee Won-lee, and other senior members of the ROK military, flew aboard the Abraham Lincoln to witness the carrier strike group’s operations. Following RSOI/Foal Eagle 06, CARSTRKGRU 9 paid a port visit to Hong Kong between 6–10 April 2006.

Valiant Shield 2006
Valiant Shield 06 was held in the Guam operating area between 19–23 June 2006, and it included 28 naval vessels, nearly 300 aircraft and, approximately 22,000 service members from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard. Valiant Shield is a joint exercise designed to reinforce the United States’ commitment to the Pacific Region by demonstrating the U.S. military’s ability to conduct joint command and control operations and rapidly deploying joint forces in response to any regional contingency. The centerpiece of ValiantShield 2006 was the three carrier strike groups (pictured):


 * Carrier Strike Group Five (CARSTRKGRU 5) led by the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
 * Carrier Strike Group Seven (CARSTRKGRU 7) led by the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)
 * Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) led by the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)

Valiant Shield 06 was the first time that three carrier strike groups had operated together in the Pacific on over ten years. Valiant Shield 06 also provided Carrier Strike Group Nine with the opportunity to exploit the tactical flexibility of its FA-18C Hornet strike fighter, undertake undersea warfare (USW) detection and tracking, and command and control capabilities, as well as the air intercept capabilities of the AEGIS radar-equipped cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG-53). Also, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2 (HS-2) flew to Guam to participate naval special warfare missions, such as dropping SEAL teams onto rooftops in an urban environment at night (pictured), with SEAL Team 1 and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5.

On 17 June 2006, twenty-two military observers from Russia, India, and Japan flew from Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, to the carrier Abraham Lincoln via a VRC-20 C-2A Greyhound cargo plane to observe Valiant Shield 06. During their visit, the guests toured the combat direction center, hangar bays, and bridge, and watched flight operations from the flight deck. Valiant Shield 06 marked the first time that Chinese military observers were invited to a major U.S. wargame exercise. CARSTRKGRU 9 commander Rear Admiral John W. (Bill) Goodwin summarized the success of Valiant Shield as follows:


 * Valiant Shield is a rare opportunity to bring together platforms that normally do not exercise together. Bringing B-2 bombers and carrier strike groups together is unusual, but exercising these capabilities helps ensure an integrated American air, sea and land force capable of an overwhelming and decisive response in any future contingency.

RIMPAC 2006
Held between 30 June–29 July 2006, Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2006 (RIMPAC 2006) was the twentieth in a series of multilateral maritime exercises conducted biennially since 1971. It involved naval forces from Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. RIMPAC training operations also included the participation of 35 ships, more than 60 aircraft and 18,000 Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Soldiers, and Coast Guardsmen of the U.S. Armed Forces. A delegation of 10 Chinese officers also observed part of the exercise.

During the exercise, the carrier Lincoln served as the command and control hub for the multi-national task force (pictured); Destroyer Squadron 9 (DESRON-9) and helicopter squadrons HS-2 and HSL-47 of conducted anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASUW) training; and Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) fixed-wing aircraft provided Combat Air Patrol (CAP) support for the multi-national fleet operation off Guam. The multi-nation task force also participated in four separate sinking exercises (SINKEX) involving decommissioned U.S. naval vessels.

On 9 July, the carrier Abraham Lincoln hosted a four-member delegation from the Australian Parliament who visited various parts of the ship, including medical spaces, the mess decks and the flight deck. On 29 July, more than 1,000 guests including sailors from each of the participating countries joined a pierside reception on board the Abraham Lincoln as she sailed from Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, after the final weekend of RIMPAC 06.

CARSTRKGRU 9 commander Rear Admiral John W. (Bill) Goodwin summarized the accomplishments of Valiant Shield 06 as follows


 * We take every opportunity to train and hone our warfighting skills. Adding the challenges of interoperability with foreign navies gives us a great opportunity to expand those capabilities and the capabilities of those participating navies. Interoperability is a perishable skill. Exercises such as RIMPAC help ensure that we will be capable of handling any contingency in the Pacific region in cooperation with the navies of nations throughout the area.

Passing exercises & port visits
In addition to scheduled military exercises (i.e., Foal Eagle, Valiant Shield, RIMPAC) during its 2006 WESTPAC deployment, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) also participated in several passing exercises (PASSEX) with regional military forces, which included general underway seamanship, search-and-rescue (SAR), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), officer exchanges, and inter-operability evolutions. These PASSEX exercises were often conducted in conjunction with foreign port visits by the strike group.

USS Abraham Lincoln maintenance cycle
On 29 August 2006, the carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, and on 8 September 2006, the carrier entered Dry Dock #6 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) to begin a scheduled Docked Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) yard maintenance period. Major projects for this DPIA included the refurbishment of ship tanks, work on three of the four catapults, modernization of navigation systems, resurfacing of the flight deck, and updates to the ship’s Local Area Network (LAN). Lincoln also received installation of the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) system, which improved the ship’s close range defensive capabilities. On 18 December 2008, Lincoln left dry dock ahead of schedule and under budget because PSNS & IMF yard team was able to cut the time of ship tank maintenance by more than half, completing 18 tanks in 89 days.

Change of command
On 26 March 2007, Rear Admiral Scott R. Van Buskirk relieved Rear Admiral John W. Goodwin as Commander Carrier Strike Group Nine (COMCARSTRKGRU 9) in a change-of-command ceremony held aboard the strike group's flagship, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), moored at Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton (pictued). Admiral Goodwin's next assignment was as Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet. A nuclear submarine officer, Admiral Van Buskirk graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1979, and he served as the commanding officer of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Pasadena (SSN-752). Before taking command of Carrier Strike Group Nine, Van Buskirk served as the senior naval officer on the Multi-National Force-Iraq staff. Admiral Van Buskirk became the second former submarine officer to command a U.S. Navy carrier strike group.

Post-refit training exercises
The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln held a fast cruise from the pier between 23–25 June and left Puget Sound on 26 June to conduct sea trials before returning to its homeport of Naval Station Everett, Washington, on 30 June 2007.

Abraham Lincoln underwent flight deck carrier (FDC) Qualifications while sailing in southern Californian waters between 12–15 July 2007. F/A-18E Super Hornets and F/A-18C Hornets from strike squadrons VFA-137 and VFA-151 joined VX-23 test pilots performed precision approach drills to ensure that the ship’s equipment, such as the Precision Approach Landing System (PALS), operated within close tolerances, with SH-60B Seahawks from squadron HS-2 providing search and rescue (SAR) capabilities during flight operations.

On 20 August 2007, Abraham Lincoln and embarked Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) completed their 25-day Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) and Final Evaluation Problem (FEP) training period off southern California. TSTA is designed to prepare the ship and crew for full integration into a carrier strike group, and FEP is a graded 48-hour evolution to evaluate how well the units learned during TSTA. Lincoln and embarked CVW-2 aircraft conducted over 1,000 fixed-wing sorties. Lincoln completed five replenishments at sea (RAS) evolutions, including two with the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187), and participated in 18 general quarters (GQ) drills. Also, on 13 August, Lincoln tested its defensive capabilities when she fired four RIM-7P NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, with two of them at BQM-74E Chukar remote-operated aerial target drones.

Carrier Strike Group Nine's Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) featured twenty-four Sailors from Mobile Security Squadron 2 (MSRON-2), Helicopter Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (HVBSS) Team 1 (pictured), a first for West Coast-based U.S. Navy ships. MSRON-2 Team 1 specializes in boarding non-compliant ships at sea in the dead of night, detaining the crew if necessary, and identifying suspected terrorists or subjects of interest, using the element of surprise afforded by helicopter insertion, night vision equipment, and state-of-the-art biometrics. MSRON-2 HVBSS Team 1 was established in 2004 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, and it was the first team of its kind to reach operational status.

Also, on 11 Nov 2007, n HH-60H Seahawk helicopter from squadron HS-2 crashed while operating from the ship approximately 100 miles (160.9 km) from San Diego. Rescuers successfully pulled all seven crewmembers from the water.

Pre-deployment training exercises
Between 3–30 January 2008, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) conducted antisubmarine exercises (USWEx) and Joint Task Force Exercise 03-08 (JTFEx 03-08) off southern California. On 16 January, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter visited the strike group's flagship, the carrier Abraham Lincoln. On 20 January, a NATO Boeing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft was deployed from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany, with a the multi-national crew aboard for JTFEx 03-08, and it defended Carrier Strike Group Nine from a simulated air attack (30 January).

2008 WESTPAC Deployment
On 13 March 2008, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) departed from Naval Base San Diego, California, for its 2008 Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment under the overall command of Rear Admiral Scott R. Van Buskirk, USN aboard the strike group's flagship, the carrier Abraham Lincoln, with Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) embarked on Lincoln.

On 8 October 2008, Carrier Strike Group Nine completed its 2008 WESTPAC deployment when the strike group arrived at Naval Base San Diego, California, and its flagship, the carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived back at its homeport of Naval Station Everett, Washington, on 12 October 2006.

Fifth Fleet operations
On 1 May 2008, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) relieved Carrier Strike Group Ten led by the carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). In addition to the various port visits and regional naval exercises (see below), CARSTRKGRU 9 operated in the Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan (OEF-A) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as a unit of the U.S. Fifth Fleet. Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) flew approximately 7,100 sorties, totalling more than 22,000 flight hours, which included 2,307 combat sorties that dropped 255,963 pounds (116,102,863.8 kg) of ordnance.

On 9 May, while operating with Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), the destroyer Shoup assisted a disabled dhow Dunia by towing it (pictured) from the Gulf of Aden to Al-Mukalla, Yemen.

Carrier Strike Group Nine also paid two port visit to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE), during its 2008 deployment with the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

Change of command
On 9 October 2008, Rear Admiral Scott H. Swift relieved Rear Admiral Scott R. Van Buskirk as Commander Carrier Strike Group Nine (CARSTRKGRU 9) in a change-of-command ceremony held aboard the strike group's flagship, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), moored at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. Admiral Van Buskirk's next assignment was as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy, and Strategy. A naval aviator, Admiral Swift received his commission in 1979 through the Aviation Reserve Office Candidate Program at San Diego State University. Swift had commanded Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97) and Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14), and prior to taking command of CARSTRKGRU 9, he had served as Deputy Commander, Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command.

Change of command
On 29 January 2009, Rear Admiral Mark D. Guadagnini relieved Rear Admiral Scott H. Swift as Commander Carrier Strike Group Nine (COMCARSTRKGRU 9) in a change-of-command ceremony held aboard the strike group's flagship, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). Admiral Swift's next assignment was as the assistant deputy, chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans & Strategy (N3/N5B). A naval aviator, Admiral Guadagnini graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980, and he subsequently commanded Strike Fighter Attack Squadron 15 (VFA-15) and Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17). Prior to taking command of Carrier Strike Group Nine, Guadagnini served as the chief of Naval Air Training (CNAF) and the head of Human Resources for the Naval Aviation Enterprise.

USS Abraham Lincoln maintenance cycle
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) began its planned incremental availability (PIA) maintenance cycle at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton, Washington, on 16 April 2008. The objective of this PIA yard period is to refurbish the Lincoln's shipboard system to meet the anticipated 50-year service life of the ship, including an upgraded Local Area Network system. Beginning 1 December 2009, Lincoln began daily flying squad, general quarters (GQ), and integrated training team (ITT) drills in preparation for its first underway period following its current maintenance cycle.

DESRON-9 Operations
On 5 February 2009, Destroyer Squadron Nine (DESRON-9) completed its Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) re-certification off the coast of San Clemente Island, California. NSFS exercises involved destroyers and cruisers firing their deck guns in support of ground troops ashore, and its certification allowed destroyers and cruisers to provide naval gunfire support (NGF) for ground forces operating ashore while under enemy fire. These exercise began in January 2009 with the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific (EWTGPAC) monitoring the ships' firing teams during a live-fire exercises in a variety of combat scenarios. Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) re-certification is a key milestone for DESRON-9's for pre-deployment Sustainment Exercise (SUSTAINEX) training cycle.

Carrier Strike Group Nine warships USS Mobile Bay (CG-53), USS Shoup (DDG-86), USS Ingraham (FFG-61), and USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG-60) subsequently hosted more than 40 first class and second class midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy and Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs from colleges across the United States as part of the midshipman summer training program. Also, on 20 July 2009, DESRON-9 warships USS Momsen (DDG-92), Shoup, Ingraham, and Rodney M. Davis participated in three-day training maneuvers off the coast of Washington.