The USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group (JCSSG) entered the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of responsibility (AOR) Jan. 31. Stennis and the rest of the strike group, led by Rear Adm. Kevin Quinn, is headed west to provide support for U.S. and coalition forces operating in the 5th Fleet and will support Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, be prepared to take part in Horn of Africa operations, and conduct maritime security operations (MSO).
Elements of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group left San Diego, Jan. 20, after picking up Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, and began steaming west toward the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which left its Bremerton, Wash., homeport Jan. 16, spent one day in port on-loading the air wing, and departed San Diego with the guided missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) and guided missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88).
The guided missile destroyers USS O’Kane (DDG 77) and USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, will join the group in transit. Stennis and its strike group are scheduled to enter 5th Fleet’s area of operation and provide support to U.S. and coalition forces operating there.
