User:Marcd30319/Marcd30319 original Carrier Strike Group Two rev 2

Carrier Strike Group Two, abbreviated CSG-2 or CARSTRKGRU 2, 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. The current flagship for the group is the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), replacing the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) which was undergoing its 2009–2013 mid-life refueling and complex overhaul.

On 29 July 2010, Rear Admiral Nora W. Tyson assumed command of Carrier Strike Group Two, becoming the first woman to command a U.S. Navy carrier task group. The group's 2011 Mediterrranean deployment marked the maiden deployment for the carrier George H.W. Bush and the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG-103), as well as the first carrier-based overseas deployment for the Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.

Historical background
Carrier Division Two (CarDiv 2) was established on 30 September 1937, consisting of the fleet aircraft carriers USS Yorktown (CV-5) and USS Enterprise (CV-6), under the command of Vice Admiral William F. Halsey. In February 1939, Carrier Division Two, still consisting of Yorktown and Enterprise, participated in the war game Fleet Problem XX. The scenario for the exercise called for one fleet to control the sea lanes in the Caribbean against the incursion of a foreign European power while maintaining sufficient naval strength to protect vital American interests in the Pacific.

During World War II, aircraft carriers assigned to Carrier Division Two participated in the Doolittle Raid (pictured), the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Operation Hailstone, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, as well as the Solomon Islands campaign, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, the Hollandia and Western New Guinea campaign, the Philippines Campaign, the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, the Iwo Jima campaign, and the Okinawan campaign, as part of the U.S. Navy's Fast Carrier Task Force.

After the war, aircraft carriers assigned to Carrier Division Two were involved in the Cuba Missile Crisis, Operation Sea Orbit, the Six-Day War, and the Vietnam War. USS Enterprise (CVN-65) flew the flag of Commander Carrier Division 2 in 1963. On 25 September 1965, Rear Admiral J. O. Cobb broke his flag as Commander, Carrier Division 2, aboard USS America (CV-66). The division was re-designated as Commander Carrier Group Two (ComCarGru 2) in 1973.

The 1980s were also a particularly busy operational period for Carrier Group Two. During the 1986 Mediterranean deployment with USS Coral Sea (CV-43) as flagship, the F/A-18 Hornet was introduced to the fleet. Subsequently, battle group aircraft led Operation El Dorado Canyon strikes against Libyan targets. On August 15, 1990, the group staff demonstrated the importance of 'training to fight' as it embarked in USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) for a surge combat deployment in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (pictured). The battle group deployed for Operation Desert Storm only five days after notification, even though she had dispersed her air wing throughout the continental United States for training and just off-loaded stores and material in preparation for a routine yard period.

Rear Admiral Riley Mixson, Commander, Carrier Group Two, acted as Commander, Battle Force Yankee of Naval Forces Central Command during the war. Battle Force Yankee included Saratoga and probably John F. Kennedy, and operated in the Red Sea.

In the summer of 1992, the U.S. Navy decided to group escorts more consistently with aircraft carriers. 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. The first such carrier battle group assigned to Carrier Group Two consisted of Carrier Air Wing Three; Destroyer Squadron 40; the nuclear submarines USS Seahorse (SSN-669) and USS Albuquerque (SSN-706); the guided-missile cruisers USS Wainwright (CG-28), USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55), and USS Gettysburg (CG-64); and the carrier Kennedy which served as the battle group's flagship.

In the middle 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. For details regarding this re-alignments as it pertained to Carrier Group Two, see the chart below.


 * Carrier Group Two, late 1992

During its Mediterranean deployments, the Kennedy battle group flew large numbers of Operation Deny Flight no-fly zone missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The battle group also saw service with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in support Operation Southern Watch, the enforcement of a no-fly zone over southern Iraq. Commander Carrier Group Two also served as Commander Joint Task Force 120 during Operation Uphold Democracy, the 1994–1995 intervention designed to remove the military regime in Haiti installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état. It appears that Kennedy transferred to another carrier group in 1995, as the announced August 31, 1995, listing of Carrier Group Two's composition included USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) and USS San Jacinto (CG-56). In addition, USS Monterey (CG-61) was intended to join the group in 1996-97.

Command structure
Commander, Carrier Strike Group Two 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. The group's pre-deployment training and certification is controlled by U.S. Fleet Forces Command following the disestablisment of the U.S. Second Fleet on 30 September 2011. When deployed overseas, Carrier Strike Group Two 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
U.S. Navy carrier strike groups typically consist of an aircraft carrier (flagship), an embarked carrier air wing, at least one Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, and a destroyer squadron. As of 2011, Carrier Strike Group Two comprises:


 * USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), flagship (pictured)
 * Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8)
 * USS Vella Gulf (CG-72)
 * USS Monterey (CG-61)
 * USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55)
 * Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Two (DESRON-22):
 * USS Truxtun (DDG-103)
 * USS Nitze (DDG-94)
 * USS Mason (DDG-87)
 * USS McFaul (DDG-74)
 * USS Mahan (DDG-72)
 * USS Cole (DDG-67)
 * USS Elrod (FFG-55)

Deployment history
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) was re-assigned to Carrier Group Two (CarGru 2) effective 1 February 2004, and the ship underwent its Docked Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) yard overhaul at the Newport Naval Yard in Virginia between 10 August to 10 December 2004. On 1 October 2004, Carrier Group Two was re-designated as Carrier Strike Group Two, with Theodore Roosevelt as its flagship. Theodore Roosevelt underwent sea trials 11–15 December 2004, and the carrier was officially delivered back to the Navy on 17 December 2004.

Operational summary
For its 2005 deployment, Carrier Strike Group Two departed from Norfolk on 1 September 2005. For this deployment, Carrier Strike Group Two began air combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 6 October 2005. Fighter squadrons VF-213 and VF-31, along with the strike fighter squadrons VFA-87 and VFA-15, attacked insurgent targets in Iraq. Electronic Attack Squadron 141 (VAQ-141) operated from Al Asad, Iraq, from September 24 to October 6, 2005, flying 37 combat sorties. Sixty-three personnel from the squadron were flown from the Theodore Roosevelt in support of this mission. Aircraft from squadrons VAW-124, VS-24, and HS-3 flew missions in support of maritime security operations to help promote stability in the maritime environment. Also, aircraft supported Operation Steel Curtain throughout the second week of November, conducting 5 consecutive days of strikes against terrorist targets in support of coalition troops in Iraq. On 6 February 2006, a chapter in naval aviation history drew to a close when the last Grumman F-14 Tomcat was recovered from a combat mission landed on board the Theodore Roosevelt. This deployment also marked the final mission for the Navy's last two F-14 squadrons, VF-31 and VF-213, as well as the final deployment of the Lockheed S-3 Viking ASW aircraft of squadron VS-24. Carrier Strike Group Two transited the Suez Canal on 15 February 2006, completing its overseas deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The strike group returned to Norfolk on 11 March 2006.

During its 2008 deployment, Carrier Strike Group Three aircraft flew more than 3,100 sorties into Afghanistan and dropped 59,500 pounds (27 MT)of ordnance while providing vital close air support to coalition forces operating as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. On 9 October 2008, Theodore Roosevelt and the guided missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG-61) participated in a one-day theater security cooperation exercise with three South African warships and one French Navy warship in the Indian Ocean following a 3-day port visit to Cape Town, the first by an U.S. aircraft carrier since 1967. Between 5–14 March 2009, Theodore Roosevelt, the cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG-57), and the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719) participated in the international naval exercise Aman 2009 off the coast of Pakistan. The exercise was sponsored by the Pakistani Navy, and it included surface exercises, air-defense training, explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) exercises, and participation in foreign officer exchanges. Aman 2009 include participants from Australia, Bangladesh, China, France, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nigeria, Turkey, United States, and the United Kingdom. Also, 46 observers from naval forces of 27 countries monitored the exercise.

In early 2010, more than 172 sailors from Carrier Strike Group Two took part in Operation Unified Response, the relief effort for earthquaked-ravaged Haiti. Rear Admial David M. Thomas and his command staff were charged with providing the command and control to manage the movement of food, water, medical supplies and relief personnel to Haiti from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and ships operating off the coast. Thomas assumed command of Task Force 41, the U.S. Navy's sea-based element supporting JTF-Haiti, on 1 Feb 2010, after USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and its strike group departed the area. The group staff alternated between being embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) and living in tents outside of the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince until late March. Most of the strike group staff returned to Naval Station Norfolk by 25 March 2010 after a 70-day tour of duty, with Rear Admiral Thomas returning on 1 April 2010.

Carrier Strike Group Three The group departed from Naval Station Mayport, Florida, for its Joint Task Force Exercise pre-deployment training exercises on 14 February 2011 prior to its 2011 deployment. The exercise was supported by personnel from NATO's Headquarters Naval Striking and Support Forces (STRIKFORNATO), with representatives from Canada, Denmark, Greece, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. STRIKFORNATO was involved in this scenario-driven tactical exercise that focused on major combat operations, with its objective being to increase multilateral interoperability among allied military forces. STRIKFORNATO's interest in JTFEX training cycle dates back to 2008, and this is the first time that STRIKFORNATO had participated as a component commander in a carrier strike group certification.

During its 2011 MED deployment, aircraft from Carrier Strike Group Three completed nearly 12,000 sorties, made over 9,000 arrested landings, and logged almost 31,000 flight hours. This included 2,216 combat sorties flown in support of Iraq and Afghanistan. Over 20 tons of ordnance were delivered in support of coalition ground forces, consisting of laser-guided bombs, GPS munitions, and 20-mm ammunition in support of coalition ground forces. Carrier Air Wing Eight also participated in joint air operations with the Royal Jordanian Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force during its 2011 deployment. After departing Djibouti on 1 July 2011, the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG-68) (pictured) conducted counter-piracy and maritime security operations as a unit of the Combined Task Force 151 (pictured) before paying a goodwill visit to Port Victoria in the Seychelles on 18 August 2011. On 13 August 2011, as part of Combined Task Force 150 operating in the Gulf of Aden, the guided-missile destroyer Mitscher provided assistance the Sri Lankan-flagged cargo vessel Al Habib which was experiencing engineering problems and running low on water. Mitscher's VBSS-AIT boarding party transported supplies to the Al Habib via rigid-hulled inflatable boat (pictured).

Also during its 2012 deployment, Carrier Strike Group Two participated in Saxon Warrior '11 (pictured), an eight-day series of NATO military exercises in the Western Approaches designed to develop theater-specific combat capabilities, as well as fostering enhance cooperation between multi-national military forces and other governmental agencies. Saxon Warrior '11 included naval forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Canada, and Spain under the overall direction of Flag Officer Sea Training. As part of Saxon Warrior '11, on 21 May 2011, the group's destroyers Truxtun and Mitscher joined the U.S. replenishment tanker USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO-195) and the Spanish frigate Almirante Juan de Borbón in conducting a transit exercise, with the British destroyer HMS Gloucester (D96) and frigate HMS Westminster (F237) acting as hostile forces during this exercise. This was the final deployment for Gloucester prior to its decommissioning. Also, the guided-missile cruiser Gettysburg and the British destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33) conducted joint air defense exercises (pictured).

On 8 December 2011, the guided-missile cruiser Gettysburg returned to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, and was greeted by Vice President Joe Biden. On 10 December 2011, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, the guided-missile cruiser Anzio, and the guided-missile destroyers Mitscher and Truxtun returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, completing the first overseas deployment for the Bush and Truxtun.

Deployment force composition

 * 2005–2006 deployment
 * 2008–2009 Deployment
 * 2011 deployment

Deployment exercises and port visits

 * 2005–2006 deployment
 * 2008–2009 Deployment
 * 2011 deployment