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.