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SAN DIEGO -- USS Ronald
Reagan (CVN 76) departed San Diego May 28 on a deployment to the 7th
and 5th Fleet Areas of Responsibility.
The carrier joins the other ships of its strike group which departed
the day prior, including the guided-missile cruiser USS
Chancellorsville (CG 62), and the ships of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON)
7, which include the guided-missile destroyers USS Decatur (DDG 73),
USS Howard (DDG 83) and USS Gridley (DDG 101), and the guided
missile frigate USS Thach (FFG 43). Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 is
embarked aboard Ronald Reagan.
"I'm proud of these Sailors, and I'm proud of their families - proud
of their commitment, their excellence and their dedicated service,"
said Rear Adm. Scott Hebner, commander, Carrier Strike Group 7.
"They understand the importance of their mission and the challenges
ahead of them - they have worked hard, and they are ready."
Friends and family members of Sailors aboard Ronald Reagan bid their
Sailors farewell from the pier on Naval Air Station North Island.
"Be safe and strong. We are here to support them. It's a tough job,
and we are proud of them," said Pam Ortiz-Martin, a wife of a Sailor
aboard Ronald Reagan.
The deployment is the fourth for the San Diego-based Ronald Reagan,
which recently received its second Battle "E" award for being the
most combat-efficient carrier in the Pacific Fleet. The Ronald
Reagan/CVW-14 team also received the Ramage Award for most efficient
carrier-air wing team in the entire Navy.
During its last deployment, the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group
performed a humanitarian assistance mission, supporting the armed
forces of the Philippines delivering more than 519,000 pounds of
fresh water, rice and medical supplies to people affected by Typhoon
Fengshen. Additionally, CVW-14, staging from Ronald Reagan in the
Gulf of Oman, flew more than 1,150 combat sorties in support of
coalition troops in Afghanistan, while the ships of DESRON 7
supported maritime security operations in the 5th Fleet Area of
Operations.
The squadrons of CVW-14 include the "Redcocks" of Strike Fighter
Squadron (VFA) 22, the "Fist of the Fleet" of VFA-25, the "Stingers"
of VFA-113, the "Eagles" of VFA-115, the "Black Eagles" of Airborne
Early Warning Squadron 113, the "Cougars" of Tactical Electronic
Warfare Squadron 139, the "Providers" of Carrier Logistics Support
30, and the "Black Knights" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 4.
Ronald Reagan is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 7 and the
ninth of 10 Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The ship
is named for the 40th president; its motto, "Peace through
Strength," was a recurring theme during the Reagan presidency. |
