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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Remembering America’s Finest - Christmas 2011

Remembering America’s Finest - Christmas 2011


A Special Salute To All Serving Aboard The USS Carl Vinson & The Pacific Fleets



By Dell Hill

With Christmas nigh, a moment out to give thanks for the men and women serving America in the United States military.

A special shout-out to over 6,000 American men and women aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), currently deployed in the “Western Pacific”.


The Mighty USS Carl Vinson - US Navy Photo


The USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is the third United States Navy Nimitz class supercarrier and is named after Carl Vinson, a Congressman from Georgia.  Carl Vinson's callsign is "Gold Eagle".


On 30 November 2011, Carl Vinson departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, on its scheduled Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment.


Class and type:Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:101,300 long tons (113,500 short tons)[1]
Length:Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m)
Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m)
Beam:Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m)
Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draft:Maximum navigational: 37 feet (11.3 m)
Limit: 41 feet (12.5 m)
Propulsion:2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors
4 × steam turbines
4 × shafts
260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed:30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)
Range:Unlimited distance; 20-25 years
Complement:Ship's company: 3,200
Air wing: 2,480
Crew:6062
Sensors and
processing systems:
AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar
AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar
AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar
AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars
AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar
AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars
4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems
4 × Mk 95 radars
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite
SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
Armament:2 × Mk 57 Mod3 Sea Sparrow
2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
3 × Phalanx CIWS
Armor:Unknown
Aircraft carried:90 fixed wing and helicopters


2010–2011 deployment to the U.S. Seventh Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR) in the Western Pacific and U.S. Fifth Fleet Areas of Responsibility in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf as part of Carrier Strike Group One.

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 One is composed of the following units:

The United States military seldom, if ever, identifies the location and/or missions involving its nuclear class submarines, but rest assured “they’re out there” protecting the surface fleet, along with “special ops” teams that we never hear about, but are always there.

To each and every man and woman serving aboard these vessels, our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and A Happy, Healthy New Year!!

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