SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Thousands of servicemembers aboard the USS Carl Vinson will return to Naval Air Station North Island Monday, marking the end of an eight-month deployment.
The strike group steamed to the Hawaiian Islands operating area with the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard as part of the Defense Department's ongoing presence in the Indo-Pacific region. They continued into the western Pacific.
"The tireless dedication and professionalism of our sailors, through a global pandemic, challenging operational tempo, and sacrificed time away from family, is truly humbling," said Capt. P. Scott Miller, commanding officer of the USS Carl Vinson, the strike group's flagship.
"Their efforts have demonstrated flexibility and resiliency and ensured mission success in every task. They have directly supported a free and open Indo-Pacific and have underscored our Navy's readiness, strength and lethality."
Ships in the Carl Vinson CSG sailed more than 80,000 nautical miles while underway for 262 days and "conducted dual carrier operations and multinational exercises, including maritime security operations, integrated training between surface and air units, long-range maritime strike, anti- submarine warfare, information warfare operations, maritime interdiction operations, personnel recovery, air defense operations, multiple ship navigation and formation maneuvering and refueling-at-sea operations," a statement from the Navy read.
Its return comes after a video leaked last week showing a fiery F-35 jet crash on deck. Several sailors were hurt in the incident. Officials said the incident involving an F-35C Lightning II occurred during routine flight operations in the South China Sea.
The strike group successfully completed operations and exercises alongside multiple partners and allies including navies from Australia, Canada, Germany, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom as well as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
"Alongside our partners and allies, we have aggressively pursued every opportunity to elevate our combat readiness in a drive to continue upholding regional stability," said Rear Adm. Dan Martin, commander, Carrier Strike Group 1.
"We've been doing this for 75 years and I'm proud to say that our team has relentlessly paid tribute to this legacy with many long hours of sweat and determination that started well before we left San Diego."
The Carl Vinson CSG consists of Carl Vinson, embarked staffs of CSG 1, Carrier Air Wing 2 and Destroyer Squadron 1, nine embarked air wing squadrons, guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and guided-missile destroyers USS Chafee, USS O'Kane, USS Stockdale and USS Michael Murphy.
For more information on the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, click here.
WATCH: Above the USS Carl Vinson as it returns to San Diego after 8-month deployment
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