The US Navy’s George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) entered the Mediterranean Sea on August 25 following a Strait of Gibraltar transit, joining carrier USS Harry S. Truman already operating there.
The Bush carrier strike group made a speedy transit from Naval Station Norfolk to the Mediterranean after getting underway for the deployment on August 10.
In the Mediterranean Sea, GHWBCSG is poised to relieve the Harry S. Truman CSG, which has been operating in the European theater since December last year.
It is worth noting that two Ohio-class guided-missile submarines are also operating in Europe, while two destroyers from the Harry S. Truman CSG left the region to escort Russian cruiser Marshal Ustinov, which transited the Strait of Gibraltar into the Atlantic on August 25.
Led by Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), GHWBCSG also includes guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) and guided-missile destroyers USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), USS Farragut (DDG 99) and USS Truxtun (DDG 103).
“We are here to provide the flexibility and combat power that only a US Navy carrier strike group can provide combatant commanders,” said Rear Adm. Dennis Velez, commander, George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, Carrier Strike Group 10. “The sailors of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group are clear-eyed about our mission, ready to execute, and prepared to reassure our partners and allies while allowing our diplomats to negotiate from a position of strength, knowing the US Navy is on station.”
While in the NAVEUR-NAVAF area of operations, GHWBCSG will work alongside allied and partner maritime forces, focusing on theater security cooperation efforts to further regional stability and demonstrate the strong maritime partnership between the U.S. and these allies and partners. This marks the first time that USS George H.W. Bush has operated in the region since its 2017 deployment, after which it entered an extensive maintenance period.
“The Avengers are warriors who are teachers, leaders, and ambassadors operating forward, representing the American people,” said Capt. David-Tavis Pollard, commanding officer of George H.W. Bush. “We will exemplify the principles of service, grit, humility, and resilience throughout our deployment and in our engagements throughout the region.”
Prior to deployment, GHWBCSG completed its final certification exercise with the Italian Navy destroyer ITS Caio Duilio (D 554) as part of the team. Later in the same exercise, the strike group came under the leadership of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) to flex command-and-control between US and NATO chains-of-command.
