USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)

History

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is the United States Navy's third Nimitz-class supercarrier. She is named for Carl Vinson (1883–1981), a congressman from Georgia, in recognition of his contributions to the U.S. Navy. The ship was launched during Vinson's lifetime in 1980, undertook her maiden voyage in 1983, and underwent refueling and overhaul between 2005 and 2009. Carl Vinson is currently the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 1 with Carrier Air Wing Two serving as her air wing.

Along with deployments in Operation Desert Strike, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Enduring Freedom, Carl Vinson has been involved in a number of notable events. The body of Osama bin Laden was buried at sea in 2011 from the deck of Carl Vinson, and that same year, on Veterans Day, she played host to the first NCAA basketball game on an aircraft carrier, between North Carolina and Michigan State.

Text from Wikipedia: USS Carl Vinson, CC BY-SA 4.0, lightly trimmed.

Wars and campaigns

From Wikidata (CC0).

Key dates

1. 1986
   On 12 August 1986, the ship departed Alameda for a western Pacific deployment, again with CVW-15 aboard, and in the process became the first modern U.S. aircraft carrier to operate in the Bering Sea.
2. 1995
   In 1995, a documentary entitled Carrier: Fortress at Sea was aired on the Discovery Channel, which chronicled the carrier's six-month-long voyage to and from the Persian Gulf.
3. 2001
   On 23 July 2001, Carl Vinson steamed from Bremerton, Washington, to San Diego, California, where CVW-11 airgroup once again embarked, then was bound for the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch.
4. 2009
   Carl Vinson commenced post-refueling sea trials on 28 June 2009 and returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 1 July 2009.
5. 2010
   The ship, under the command of then Captain Bruce H. Lindsey, departed Norfolk for San Diego on 12 January 2010.
6. 2011
   The ship docked in Hong Kong in the People's Republic of China on 22 May 2011 to take on supplies for her return to homeport San Diego, and to provide photo opportunities to the Chinese press.
7. 2012
   On 5 July 2012, Carl Vinson began preparations for a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) period.
8. 2015
   On 14 August 2015, Carl Vinson began a planned incremental availability (PIA) period at Naval Air Station North Island.
9. 2020
   The COVID-19 pandemic was reported to have spread to the crew of Carl Vinson when its first case was reported on 23 March 2020.

Dates and events quoted from the same Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Records that place someone aboard this ship

A ship history doesn't name everyone who served. These records do:

• Navy muster rolls, 1939–1949 (National Archives guide)
• Deck logs: how to get them (Naval History and Heritage Command)
• Crew lists research guide (NHHC)
• Search the National Archives Catalog for “USS Carl Vinson”

More history

• Wikipedia: USS Carl Vinson