Stennis Departs on Deployment

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Elliott J. Fabrizio, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Mike Condlin, from Fayetteville, N.C., directs an F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter assigned to the "Experts" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122 onto a catapult for launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Stennis is conducting fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications off the coast of California. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Josue L. Escobosa/Released)

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) departed her homeport in Bremerton, Wash., Jan. 13 for a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment.

Stennis will join Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, to form the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSCSG), which will support regional stability in the Western Pacific.

The deployment is part of the Navy's Fleet Response Plan (FRP), which is designed to allow the United States the ability to rapidly respond with flexible and sustainable force to any global commitment on short notice.

"Anytime we deploy, our primary mission is to standby and be ready to support the war on terror wherever that may be," said Stennis Commanding Officer Capt. Joseph Kuzmick. "Terrorism takes many forms around the world, and there are a couple of hot spots in the world right now that we might participate in actively."

JCSCSG plans to maintain the strike group's operational
skill set and increase inter-operability with its allies through joint exercises.

"Some of it is just keeping up our skills and training, and we've got some enduring partnerships we're going to work on in that part of the world," said Kuzmick.

Another goal of this deployment is to foster diplomatic relations with U.S. allies and foreign nations in the region. Sailors from JCSCSG each play a role in this as they represent America positively through proper overseas conduct.

"I consider liberty a mission for the crew," said Kuzmick. "When we pull into foreign countries, not only are we seeing their country but they are seeing us. They can see we are real people, and they can see we are kind people. It makes a positive impression that sometimes does not come through the other visibility and media sources they have."

The deployment is scheduled to be approximately six months; however, JCSCSG will be prepared respond to the needs of any operational situation.

"We are not going to stick to that if conditions dictate otherwise," said Kuzmick. "When you send an aircraft carrier across the Pacific Ocean, it's a fairly large commitment. You're going to spend some time over there since you made the effort to go over there."

During the past few months, Stennis conducted several training exercises off the southern coast of California and is fully prepared to deploy in support of the FRP. This deployment is part of America's maritime strategy under the FRP to maintain a force of combat power overseas, capable of protecting America's vital interests, and assuring regional stability.

John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group
Ships and Squadrons

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)
USS Antietam (CG 54)
USS Lake Champlain (CG 57)
Destroyer Squadron Twenty One
USS Kidd (DDG 100)
USS Preble (DDG 88)
USS Milius (DDG 69)

Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW) 9
VFA-146 - "Blue Diamonds"
VFA-147 - "Argonauts"
VMFA-323 - "Death Rattlers"
VFA-154 - "Black Knights"
VAW-112 - "Golden Hawks"
VAQ-138 - "Yellow Jackets"
HSC-8 - "Eightballers"
HSM-71 - "Raptors"
VRC-30 - "Providers"

Stennis Returns from Underway Period Deployment-Ready

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elliott Fabrizio, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

Sailors and Marines work together to push an F/A-18C Hornet from the "Death Rattlers" of Marine Strike Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 323 into position on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Stennis is operating off the coast of Southern California after completing a joint task force exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kyle Steckler/ Released)

USS JOHN C. STENNIS (NNS) -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) returned to homeport in Bremerton, Wash. Nov. 21, deployment-ready after completing its final pre-deployment exercises.

During the underway period, Stennis united with the other components of its strike group, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, to complete Composite Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) and Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX).

Both exercises focused on improving the strike group's ability to perform strike warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-air warfare, said Stennis Operations Officer Cmdr. Don Glatt.

"The first goal was to get through all these exercises safely," said Commander, Carrier Strike Group (GSG) 3 Rear. Adm. Mark Vance. "The second goal was to have combat-ready aircraft and ships and combat-ready crews. We've achieved all of those."

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSCSG) completed the two-week COMPTUEX first to prepare the strike group's assets to work as a single unit.

"The air wing and the ship continued to fuse as a team, and we worked extremely well with the destroyer squadron," said Stennis Commanding Officer Capt. Joseph Kuzmick. "We all learned a great deal, and most of all, we learned to operate as a team."

Strike Force Training Pacific evaluators ran the strike group through a series unit-specific training exercises and tested the strike group's integrated operational capabilities with two unscripted scenarios called battle problems.

The strike group completed the objectives listed on the Navy Mission Essential Task List (NMETL) for carrier strike groups in COMPTUEX to demonstrate their operational readiness.

"This list consists of close to 1,000 individual tasks, and each task has a measure of performance and effectiveness associated with it," said Commander Strike Force Pacific Operations Officer Capt. George Fadok. "Throughout COMPTUEX the group's performance increased each and every day."

"As much as anything it is the confidence you get from doing this thing and seeing that you really can make it all come together," said Kuzmick. "We learned to push our equipment to the limits, and we learned how to deal with almost anything."

The strike group joined several Air Force squadrons and ships from Canada and Chile after COMPTUEX to simulate operating in a joint-force environment in JTFEX.

Commander, 3rd Fleet evaluated JCSCSG, on its ability to operate and communicate with multiple forces during the week-long, free-play scenario.

The exercises allowed JCSCSG adapt to the subtle differences between coalition forces and other military branches, so they can operate together in an actual conflict, said Glatt.

The unscripted simulations also allowed the strike group to practice reacting to realistic threats from each warfare area.

Each warfare commander got a chance to work through their tactics, techniques and procedures and got better each time, said Vance.

Stennis proved it is ready to deploy with its strike group by successfully completing the objectives in COMPTUEX and JTFEX.

"All the work we did out here over the summer, that was tailored ship's training. Each ship is basically out underway learning how to operate their own machine," said Kuzmick. "This underway was more about making us into a system of systems where we've got units working together to form a larger system, that being the deploying strike group."

JCSCSG is now certified as ready for major combat operations and prepared to deploy.

"Before, we had a whole lot of new people that haven't done this before, or we had people who haven't done it with this particular equipment," said Kuzmick. "We've all figured out how it's done now. We understand how we work, and we're ready to deploy."

Pre-deployment exercises give the Navy's strike groups operational experience so they are better prepared to safely and effectively further the goals of America's maritime strategy during their deployments.