User:Marcd30319/Marcd30319 original Carrier Strike Group Twelve

Carrier Strike Group Twelve, abbreviated CSG-12 or CARSTRKGRU 12, is one of five U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned the United States Fleet Forces Command. U.S. Navy carrier strike groups are employed in a variety of roles, all of which involve gaining and maintaining sea control. A carrier strike group is an operational naval formation that deploys together. Permanently assigned units of a carrier strike group typically consists of an aircraft carrier that acts as the flagship, a carrier air wing embarked onboard the carrier, a squadron of destroyers and frigates, and at least one Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser.

CARSTRKGRU 12 is currently based at Naval Station Norfolk, and it typically deploys to the U.S. Sixth Fleet operating in the Mediterranean Sea and the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The current flagship for Carrier Strike Group Twelve is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) which is making its final operational deployment prior to its scheduled decommissioning in March 2013.

Historical background
Effective 30 June 1973, Commander Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla Eight was re-designated as Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Eight (CCDG-8). Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 8 (CCDG-8) subsequently served as the Immediate Superior-in-Command (ISIC) for the USS Saratoga (CV-60), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) carrier battle groups which participated in such post-Cold War missions as Operation Southern Watch and Operation Deny Flight.

In the Summer of 1992, the U.S. Navy instituted a concept which mandated greater task group integration of naval air and surface warfare assets into a more permanent carrier battle group structure. Instead of routinely changing the cruisers, destroyers, and frigates assigned to each carrier battle group, there was an attempt made to affiliate certain escorts more permanently with the carriers they escorted. Each of the Navy's 12 existing carrier battle groups was planned to consist of an aircraft carrier; an embarked carrier air wing; cruiser, destroyer, and frigate units; and two nuclear-powered attack submarines.

On 1 September 2004, Rear Admiral James W. Stevenson, Jr., took command of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (ENT CSG) as Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Eight. Admiral Stevenson had been in command of Cruiser-Destroyer Group Eight since May 2004. On 1 October 2004, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Eight (CruDesGru 8) was re-designated as Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CARSTRKGRU 12).

Command structure
Commander Carrier Strike Group Twelve (COMCARSTRKGRU 12) serves as Immediate Superior-in-Command (ISIC) for the ships and units assigned to Carrier Strike Group Twelve. Acting as an Operational Commander, COMCARSTRKGRU 2 exercises oversight of unit-level training, integrated training, and readiness for assigned ships and units, as well as maintains administrative functions and material readiness tracking for ships and squadrons assigned to the group.

Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CARSTRKGRU 12) reports to the Deputy Commander, Fleet & Joint Operations, United States Fleet Forces Command/Commander Task Force 20 as one of its six carrier strike groups reporting directly to that Vice Admiral-ranked flag officer. CARSTRKGRU 12's pre-deployment training and certification comes under the operational control (OPCON) of USFLTFORCOM following the disestablishment of the U.S. Second Fleet on 30 September 2011. When deployed overseas, Carrier Strike Group Twelve comes under the command authority of the U.S. Sixth Fleet when operating in the Mediterranean Sea and the U.S. Fifth Fleet when operating in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.

Assigned units
As of 2012, Carrier Strike Group Twelve consists of the following units:


 * USS Enterprise (CVN-65), flagship (pictured)
 * Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1)
 * USS Vicksburg (CG-69)
 * Destroyer Squadron Two (DESRON-2):
 * USS Truxtun (DDG-103)
 * USS James E. Williams (DDG-95)
 * USS Nitze (DDG-94)
 * USS Porter (DDG-78)
 * USS Mahan (DDG-72)
 * USS Laboon (DDG-58)
 * USS Stout (DDG-55)
 * USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51)

Operational history
On 3 September 2004, the USS Enterprise entered the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard for a scheduled Extended Selected Restricted Availability overhaul which began on 14 August 2004. On 13 October 2005, the Enterprise pulled away from Norfolk Naval Station’s Pier 12 for sea trials, signifying the conclusion of its overhaul. Enterprise's post-overhaul sea trials ended on 15 October 2005, signaling the beginning of its pre-deployment training cycle.

2006 deployment
On 2 May 2006, Carrier Strike Group Twelve departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, for its 2006 deployment under the command of Rear Admiral Ray Spicer. During its 2006 deployment, Carrier Air Wing One delivered 65,000 pounds (29,483.50 kilograms) of ordnance, including 137 precision weapons, to provide air support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Its aircraft completed more than 8,300 sorties, of which 2,186 were combat missions, while flying more than 22,500 hours and making 6,916 day and night arrested landings. Carrier Air Wing One provided the first combat air support to Operation Enduring Freedom from an aircraft carrier in more than three years.

Carrier Strike Group Twelve conducted training and theater security cooperation engagements with naval forces from Bulgaria, Germany, Croatia, and Greece during its deployment to the U.S. Sixth Fleet. The strike group transited the Suez Canal and joined the U.S. Fifth Fleet on 6 June 2006. Also, the guided-missile frigate Nichols participated in Anatolian Sun, a proliferation security initiative exercise, held between 24-26 May 2006 that was hosted for the first time by Turkey.

Carrier Strike Group Twelve conducted two operational rotations with the U.S. Fifth Fleet during its 2006 deployment. The first rotation began when the strike group entered the Persian Gulf on 6 June 2006. During this initial rotation, Carrier Air Wing One flew 781 sorties in support of coalition ground forces in Afghanistan for a total of 3,832 flight hours. The air wing also flew an additional 237 sorties in support of ground forces in Iraq for a total of 455 flight hours. Carrier Strike Group Twelve ended this first operational phase and departed the Persian Gulf on 6 July 2006. Carrier Strike Group Twelve subsequently conducted a two-month deployment with the U.S. Seventh Fleet in the Western Pacific which included training exercises with Carrier Strike Group Five. This was the first time that an East Coast-based carrier air wing had operated in the western Pacific in 18 years.

On 28 August 2006, Carrier Strike Group Twelve rejoined the Fifth Fleet and begin its second rotation in the Persian Gulf on 8 September 2006. Beginning on 2 September 2006, the strike group provided combat air support for two major ground operations, with coalition forces engaging Taliban insurgents in the Kandahar Province as part of Operation Medusa while Operation Mountain Fury targeted Taliban forces in the Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Paktia, Logar provinces adjacent to the Pakistani border. All four strike fighter squadrons from Carrier Air Wing One flew more than 450 sorties and delivered over 100 precision weapons during this second rotation to the Persian Gulf which ended on 1 November 2006. The strike group also flew more than 450 sorties and delivered over 100 precision weapons in support of Operation Medusa and Operation Mountain Fury during this second rotation to the Persian Gulf which ended on 1 November 2006. Carrier Strike Group Twelve returned to Norfolk on 18 November 2006, completing its 2006 deployment.
 * 2006 deployment force composition
 * 2006 deployment exercises and port visits

2007 deployment


On 7 July 2007, Carrier Strike Group Twelve departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, for its 2007 deployment under the command of Rear Admiral Daniel P. Holloway. Carrier Strike Group Twelve entered the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of responsibility on 16 July 2007, and the carrier Enterprise was the venue for a landmark event involving the American and French naval air arms. On 23 July 2007, prior to a scheduled port visit to Cannes, France, two French Rafale M jet fighters landed on board the Enterprise and were subsequently catapulted from the Big E, a first for an American aircraft carrier.

Carrier Strike Group Twelve entered the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility on 1 August 2007 and began air operation in the Persian Gulf on 12 August 2007. During its 2007 deployment to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing One flew more than 7,500 missions, which included 1,676 combat missions, and made more than 6,500 arrested landings for a total of 20,300 hours. Aircraft dropped 73 air-to-ground weapons and fired 4,149 rounds of 20-mm ammunition in support of ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also during this deployment, Carrier Strike Group Twelve was the second U.S. Navy carrier strike group to deploy with the new ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) targeting system for its embarked F/A-18 strike fighters. This new system allows its pilots to use their weapon systems at higher altitude with greater accuracy and enhanced safety. Finally, the 2007 deployment marked the final cruise for squadron VS-32 and its S-3 Viking aircraft (pictured). During this deployment, VS-32 aircraft flew 960 sorties, which totaled more than 2,200 flight hours, and included more than 950 carrier landings. Squadron VS-32 operated at sea for 180 days with only 13 days spent in port.

Units of Carrier Strike Group Twelve were also involved in maritime security operations during its 2007 deployment. On 25 September 2007, the Tanzanian-flagged passenger ferry Spice Islander I was off the coast of Somalia when she experienced engine problems due to contaminated fuel. After the alarm had been raised via Kenya, the guided-missile destroyer Stout, operating with Combined Task Force 150, was dispatched to her aid. The Spice Islander had been on a voyage from Oman to Tanzania, and it was not carrying any passengers. The destroyer James E. Williams also responded. Stout provided the ship with 7,800 USgal of fuel and supplied the ten-man crew with food and water. After her engines were restarted, she resumed her voyage to Tanzania.

On the morning of 30 October 2007, Combined Maritime Forces Headquarters, based in Bahrain, received a call from the International Maritime Bureau, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, providing the status of the North Korean cargo vessel Dai Hong Dan (pictured), which had been taken over the previous day by Somali pirates. The ship was approximately 60 nmi northeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. At that time, the guided-missile destroyer James E. Williams was about 50 nmi from the vessel and sent a helicopter to investigate the situation. The James E. Williams arrived in the vicinity of the Korean ship midday local time and contacted the pirates via bridge-to-bridge radio, ordering them to give up their weapons. At that point, the Korean crew had confronted the Somali pirates, regained control of the ship, and began communicating with the James E. Williams, requesting medical assistance. The crew said the pirates had been in control of the bridge, but the crew had retained control of the steering and engineering spaces. The James E. Williams crew provided care and assistance for approximately 12 hours to crew members and Somali pirates aboard Dai Hong Dan. Six pirates were captured, and one was killed. The pirates remained aboard Dai Hong Dan.

On 5 November 2007, the destroyers James E. Williams and Arleigh Burke provided aid to the crew of the M/V Ching Fong Hwa 168  (pictured), a Taiwanese-flagged fishing trawler that had been seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia in May. After the Somali pirates returned to shore, the destroyer escorted the Taiwanese ship out of Somali waters and provided needed supplies and medical assistance. Finally, the guided-missile destroyer Forrest Sherman executed a circumnavigation of the African continent while performing theater security operations with local military forces as the flagship of Task Group 60.5, the U.S. Navy's Southeast Africa task force. Forrest Sherman was also the first American warship to land a helicopter operated by the Ukrainian Navy.

Carrier Strike Group Twelve transited the Suez Canal on 1 December 2007, and the group returned to Norfolk on 13 December 2008, concluding its 2007 deployment. For this deployment, the carrier Enterprise received the Battle "E" award, the Battenberg Cup, and the Admiral Flatley Memorial Award for the year 2007.
 * 2007 deployment force composition


 * 2007–2008 deployment exercises and port visits

BALTOPS 2008
Since 1971, BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) is an annual military exercise held in the Baltic Sea and the adjacent regions under the sponsorship of the Commander, United States Naval Forces Europe. BALTOPS 2008 took placed between 8 June to 18 June 2008. Its objective was to promote mutual understanding, confidence, cooperation, and interoperability among the forces and personnel of the participating nations, as well as support national unit and staff training through a series of exercises. BALTOPS 2008 included surface warships, submarines, aircraft, and ground forces from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Rear Admiral Daniel P. Holloway supervised BALTOPS 2008, and the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) served as his flagship during this exercise. Gettysburg was accompanied by the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG-67) and the fleet oiler USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201) as part of the U.S. Navy's Task Group 369.4. Following BALTOPS 2008, the Cole paid a port visit to Stockholm, Sweden, on 27 June 2008, and Gettysburg paid a post-exercise port visit to Kiel, Germany. Gettysburg returned to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on 14 July 2008, completing this two-month-long 2008 surge deployment for Carrier Strike Group Twelve.

2008-2010 operations
On 11 April 2008, the Enterprise began a two-year, $661.7 USD million Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) overhaul at the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard. On 11 September 2009, the U.S. Navy announced that the near-term carrier strike group deployment schedule would be changed to accommodate the delay in the return of the Enterprise from its current overhaul. This resulted in extending Carrier Strike Group Eleven's 2009-2010 deployment and Carrier Strike Group Ten's 2010 deployment to eight months for both carrier strike groups. Enterprise returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 19 April 2010 after completing its post-overhaul sea trials, signifying the beginning of its pre-deployment training cycle.

2011 deployment
On 13 January 2011, Carrier Strike Group Twelve departed its homebase of Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, under the command of Rear Admiral Terry B. Kraft. The strike group entered the U.S. Sixth Fleet's area of responsibility on 20 January 2011 and following its transit of the Suez Canal on 15 February 2011, joined the U.S. Fifth Fleet. During its 2011 deployment, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Obe flew more than 1,450 sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation New Dawn in Iraq. Units of Carrier Strike Group Twelve also disrupted nine piracy attacks, resulting in the capture of 75 suspected pirates and the detention of an additional 18 suspected pirates. Finally, the guided-missile destroyer Barry was detached from Carrier Strike Group Twelve in order to participate in Operation Odyssey Dawn.

In February 2011, the Enterprise, the Leyte Gulf, and the Buckley, as well as the guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104), responded to the seizure of the American yacht Quest by Somali pirates off the coast of Oman.

On 6 March 2011, while operating with Combined Task Force 151, the guided-missile destroyer Buckley responded to a distress call from the Bahamian-flagged, Japanese-operated oil tanker MV Guanabara which had reported on the previous day of being under attack from Somali pirates while operating 328 nmi southeast of Duqm, Oman. Joining Buckley was the Turkish frigate TCG Giresun from NATO's anti-piracy Task Force 508. After determining that the Guanabaras crew was safely in the ship's citadel, Bulkeleys boarding team, supported overhead by its embarked SH-60 helicopter, secured the Bahamian-flagged vessel and detained four suspected pirates (pictured). Three of the pirates were subsequently indicted in Japan, and the fourth was turned over to juvenile authorities, as it was determined that he was a minor.

On 24 March 2011, units from Carrier Strike Group Twelve disrupted a pirate attach on the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel M/V Falcon Trader II. While operating in the Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, at 10:00 A.M. local time, the carrier Enterprise and cruiser Leyte Gulf responded to a distress call from the Falcon Trader II reporting that suspected pirates in a small skiff were attempting to board the ship. A follow-up message reported that the pirates had boarded the Falcon Trader II, but confirmed that her crew was safely in the ship's citadel. A SH-60F helicopter squadron HS-11 embarked on the Enterprise and a SH-60B helicopter from squadron HSL-48 onboard the Leyte Gulf were dispatched to investigate the situation. Once on the scene, the HS-11 helicopter fire warning shots, prompting the pirates to flee in their skiff. The HS-11 helicopter pursued the skiff which was observed trying to rendezvous with a suspected pirate mother ship. The HS-11 helicopter came under small arms fire, but the flight crew were not harmed while the helicopter maintained surveillance of the situation. On 25 March 2011, after determining there were no pirated aboard, the Leyte Gulf sent a boarding party to the Falcon Trader II to free its crew (pictured).

On 16 May 2011, the Bulkeley responded to a mayday call from the Panamanian-flagged, German-owned very large crude carrier Artemis Glory by dispatching a SH-60B helicopter from squadron HSL-48 to its reported position. Observing that a piratical skiff carrying four men was firing upon the Artemis Glory, the HSL-48 helicopter engaged the skiff. After killing four suspected pirates, the helicopter withdrew without any casualties to its own crewmembers or that of the Artemis Glory.

On 21 June 2011, the U.S. Navy's oldest aircraft carrier, the Enterprise, passed the Navy's newest carrier, the George H.W. Bush, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as Carrier Strike Group Two relieved Carrier Strike Group Twelve as the U.S. Fifth Fleet's in-theater carrier strike group. On 15 July 2011, Carrier Strike Group Twelve returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, completing its six-month-long 2011 deployment.
 * 2011 deployment force composition
 * 2011 deployment exercises and port visits

Bold Alligator 2012
Bold Alligator 2012 (BA12) was the second annual joint and multinational amphibious assault exercise sponsored by the U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the U.S. Marine Forces Command. Held from 30 January to 12 February 2012, Bold Alligator 2012 was the largest amphibious assault exercise held on the east coast of the United States since 2002. Its objective was the revitalization of U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps amphibious expeditionary tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as the reinvigoration of combined Navy and Marine Corps operations from the sea. This live and synthetic, scenario-driven, simulation-supported exercise focused on the six core capabilities set forth in the current U.S. maritime strategy - forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance/disaster response.

Bold Alligator 2012 served as a key pre-deployment training exercises for the Expeditionary Strike Group Two, the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and Carrier Strike Group Twelve. Additionally, nine countries participated in this exercise, providing maritime, land, and air units or observers from Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Bold Alligator 2012 was held ashore and afloat, in and off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida, and it culminated in three large-scale operations - an amphibious assault at Camp Lejeune; an aerial assault from the sea into Fort Pickett; and an amphibious raid on Fort Story.

Bold Alligator 2012 served as the Joint Task Force Exercise for Carrier Strike Group Twelve, the final pre-deployment training exercises needed to receive its combat-readiness certification. During this month-long underway period, Carrier Air Wing completed 3,830 flight hours, made 2,052 arrested landings, and received a 96 percent sortie completion rate. This included a single-day total of 107 sorties flown on 6 February 2012 during the amphibious assault phase of Bold Alligator 2012.

2012 deployment
On 11 March 2012, Carrier Strike Group Twelve departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, for its 2012 deployment under the command of Rear Admiral Walter E. Carter, Jr. This was the final deployment of the group's flagship, the 50-year-old carrier Enterprise, and its Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, the 20-year-old Vicksburg. Carrier Strike Group Twelve transited the Strait of Gibraltar on 23 March 2012 and subsequently conducted a passing exercise with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 under the command of Commodore Ben Bekkering, RNN, between 24-25 March 2012.

Carrier Strike Group Twelve transited the Suez Canal to join the U.S. Fifth Fleet on 3 April 2012. On 8 April 2012, the guided-missile destroyer Porter was detached in order to join Combined Task Force 151 operating in the Gulf of Aden. On 1 May 2012, Carrier Strike Group Twelve began combat air operations in support of coalition ground forces in Afghanistan, with Carrier Air Wing One flying 29 sorties on that date.
 * 2012 deployment force composition
 * 2012 deployment exercises and port visits

Flagship and air wing status
Following its 2012 deployment to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, Carrier Strike Group Twelve's current flagship, the carrier Enterprise, is scheduled for decommissioning on 1 December 2012 at Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia, with its inactivation scheduled to begin no later than 15 March 2013. The deactivation of the Enterprise will result in a one-time increase of approximately $857.3 USD million in depot maintenance costs for the U.S. Navy's operation and maintenance budget for Fiscal Year 2013. Enterprise' retirement will occur two years before the scheduled commissioning of the lead ship of the new Ford-class aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), with this new ship's homeport tentatively located on the west coast of the United States. Also, following its 2012 deployment, Carrier Air Wing One will be re-assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) which is undergoing its mid-life Refueling and Complex Overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding.