Carrier Strike Group One

Carrier Strike Group One, abbreviated as CSG-1 or CARSTRKGRU 1, is one of five U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore.

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is the strike group's current flagship, and as of 2012, other units assigned include Carrier Air Wing Seventeen; the cruisers USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) and USS Lake Champlain (CG-57); and the ships of Destroyer Squadron 1.

Although the previous Carrier Strike Group One traced its history to Carrier Division 1, formed in 1930, this current Carrier Strike Group One is an entirely new naval formation when it was established in October 2009. During the reloaction of its flagship Carl Vinson to its new home base in California, Carrier Strike Group Obe supported Operation Unified Response, providing humanitarian assistance following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. During its first overseas deployment in 2011, the body of Osama bin Laden was flown to the Carl Vinson for burial at sea.

Historical background
Carrier Strike Group One traces its lineage to Carrier Division 1 (CarDiv 1), the U.S. Navy's first seagoing naval aviation formation. It was first organized in October 1930 as part of the Aircraft Scouting Force, U.S. Fleet in the Atlantic. It initially included the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley (CV-1), as well as the aircraft tender USS Wright (AZ-1) and the minesweepers USS Sandpiper (AM-51) and USS Teal (AM-23). In 1933, USS Saratoga (CV-3) was re-assigned to Carrier Division One under Commander Aircraft, Scouting Force, which also included aircraft tender Wright; the minesweepers USS Lapwing (AM-1), Teal, and USS Swan (AM-34); and the rigid airships USS Akron (ZRS-4) and USS Macon (ZRS-5). Carrier Division One was initially headquartered at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station located on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal Zone near Colón, Panama. In 1939, Carrier Division One was transferred to the Pacific Scouting Force. Division aircraft carriers saw service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Rear Admiral John H. Cassady served as Commander Carrier Division 1 immediately after the end of Second World War. In this capacity, Cassady commanded Task Group 21.11, led by the carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), during Operation Frostbite in February 1946. This naval exercise involved the embarked Air Group 74 conducting flight operations in Davis Straits between Labrador and Greenland. Previously, U.S. Naval carrier aviation had virtually no experience operating in Arctic waters. Subsequently, Admiral Cassady commanded Task Group 125.4, consisting of the carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt; the cruiser USS Little Rock (CL-92); and the destroyers USS New (DD-818), USS Cone (DD-866), and USS Corry (DD-817), which paid a highly-publicized port visit to Piraeus, Greece, in September 1946. In conjunction with earlier visits, including that of USS Missouri (BB-63) to Turkey, this port call demonstrated U.S. support to Greece and Turkey in the face of Soviet pressure. According to James Chace, the deployment of Task Group 125.4 "symbolized" American resolve against that Soviet pressure, marking the true beginning of the Cold War. In 1952 Commander Carrier Division 1 was flying his flag aboard USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) off Korea. In August 1955, Carrier Division 1 comprised USS Yorktown (CV-10) at Puget Sound (in refit, receiving an angled flight deck), USS Hornet (CV-12) at San Francisco, and USS Hancock (CV-19), and USS Boxer (CV-21) both at San Diego.

In June 1973, Carrier Division 1 was redesignated Carrier Group 1 (CarGru 1), and in January 1974, it was located at North Island, California. Despite being headquartered at North Island, it was responsible for the USS Midway (CV-41), which with Carrier Air Wing Five aboard had moved to United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, on 5 October 1973. The move was the result of an accord signed on 31 August 1972 between the U.S. and Japan. In addition to the morale factor of dependents housed alongside with the crew, the move allowed continuous positioning of three carriers on the Pacific Rim at a time when the economic situation demanded the reduction of carriers in the fleet. In December 1990, following commanding Battle Group Delta, ComCarGru 1 was designated Commander, Training Battle Group, with responsibility for the Carrier Battle Group Inter-Deployment Training Cycle for the Pacific Fleet. In 1996 the group was commanded by Timothy Beard.

On 1 October 2004, Carrier Group 1 became Carrier Strike Group 1. In 2005, it was redesignated Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific. On 1 October 2009, Carrier Strike Group 1 was re-established based at Naval Base San Diego, California under Rear Admiral Ted N. Branch.

Command structure
Commander Carrier Strike Group One (COMCARSTRKGRU 1 or CCSG 1) is responsible for unit-level training, integrated training, and material readiness for the ships and aviation squadrons assigned to the group. Carrier Strike Group One reports to Commander, U.S. Third Fleet, which also supervises its pre-deployment training and certification that includes Composite Unit Training Exercises. When deployed overseas, the strike group comes under the command authority of the numbered fleet in whose area it is operating (Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh Fleets). When deployed in this fashion, the group utilizes a task force or task group designator, for example, Task Group 50.1 in the Fifth Fleet area.n deployed in this fashion, the group utilizes a task force or task group designator, for example, Task Group 50.1 in the Fifth Fleet area.

2010 operations
On 12 January 2010, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), departed Naval Station Norfolk for its new homeport of San Diego with squadrons VFA-81, VAW-125, VRC-40, and HS-15 embarked.

Just hours after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Carl Vinson was redirected from the North Atlantic to Haiti to contribute to the Operation Unified Response relief effort. On 15 January, the Carl Vinson arrived off the coast of Port-au-Prince (pictured) to provide humanitarian aid, with its trained personnel, emergency relief supplies, and 19 helicopters on deck. On 16 January, the USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) arrived in Haiti to assist the Carl Vinson. In addition to providing medical relief, Carl Vinson's desalination capacity provided fresh drinkable water to Haiti's population. In total, the Carl Vinson delivered 1,095,442 lbs. (496,884 kg.) of food; 147,591 gallons (558,693 litres) of potable water; and more than 40,000 lbs. (18,143 kg.) of medical supplies. The ship's medical team treated 60 patients. The Vinson's embarked helicopters flew 1,299 sorties, conducted 1,152 medical evacuations, and delivered more than 2,900,000 lbs. (1,315,418 kg.) of cargo ashore. On 1 February, the Carl Vinson, the cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Henson (T-AGS-63) ended their mission and departed Haiti although ten of Vinson's helicopters remained to support the relief effort.

In March 2010, during her transit around South America, the carrier strike group participated in Southern Seas 2010 naval maneuvers with the Brazilian, Uruguayan, and Argentine navies. The group also paid port visits to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Callao, Peru. Carl Vinson arrived at its new homeport on 12 April 2010 following a three-month underway period.

2010–2011 deployment
On 26 October 2010, Rear Admiral Samuel Perez, Jr. took command of the group. On 30 November 2010, Carrier Strike Group One departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, for its 2010–2011 deployment. During the deployment, Carrier Air Wing Seventeen flew 1,656 combat air sorties, logging a total of 9,140 flight hours while 33 bombs and 2,970 rounds of 20-mm ammunition were expended. On 2 May 2011, following Operation Neptune's Spear, the body of Osama bin Laden, the founder of the al-Qaeda terror group, was flown out by a MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft to the carrier Carl Vinson operating in the Northern Arabian Sea, and the body was subsequently buried at sea after religious rites were conducted aboard the Vinson.

On 5 May 2011, as part of NATO's counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, the carrier Carl Vinson, the cruiser Bunker Hill, and the Turkish frigate Giresun responded to a distress call from the Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned bulk carrier Full City. An Indian Navy Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft located the Full City, and while Giresun boarded the merchant vessel, Bunker Hill and its embarked HS-49 helicopters intercepted a dhow believed to be the 'mothership' for the pirate attack (pictured). Bunker Hill's VBSS boarding party seized weapons and other equipment commonly used in piracy, and the boarding party also sank a small skiff being towed by the dhow. Giresuns boarding party found the Full Citys Chinese crew safe and in control of their ship. On 15 June 2011, Carl Vinson returned to its homeport of Naval Station San Diego, California.


 * 2010–2011 deployment force composition
 * 2010–2011 deployment exercises and port visits

2011–2012 deployment
On 18 November 2011, Rear Admiral Thomas K. Shannon took command of the group. On 30 November 2011, the group departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, for its 2011–2012 deployment. During this deployment, aircraft from Carrier Strike Group One flew 1,085 missions in support of ground forces in Afghanistan, totaling 6,600 flight hours, while delivering 7,283 pounds (3.3 MT) of ordnance and expending 1,717 rounds of 20-mm ammunition in support of coalition operations in Afghanistan. On 10 January 2011, two guided-missile destroyers from Destroyer Squadron One, Stockdale and Gridley, and their embarked detachments from helicopter squadron HSL-49 participated in a passing exercise with the Japanese helicopter destroyer Kurama in the Sea of Japan. Later in the same day, Stockdale and Gridley participated in separate maneuvers with units of the Republic of Korea Navy. Also, during its maiden deployment, the new British guided-missile destroyer HMS Daring (D32) operated with Carrier Strike Group One and Carrier Strike Group Nine in the Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea.

Carrier Strike Group One joined Carrier Strike Group Three, led by the carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), in the North Arabian Sea, with Carrier Strike Group Nine, led by the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), en route to the Arabian Sea amid rising tension between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran over U.S. naval access to the Strait of Hormuz.

While with the Seventh Fleet, between 9–16 April 2012, Carrier Strike Group One participated in Malabar 2007 with the Indian Navy (pictured). Ships of the strike group paid a port visit to Brisbane on 5 May 2012 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Coral Sea. Between 7–16 May 2012, Carrier Strike Group One became the first U.S. Navy carrier strike group to participate in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative, a maritime law enforcement operation within the exclusive economic zones of various South Pacific states.

On 11 May 2012, Carrier Strike Group One entered the U.S. Third Fleet area of responsibility. On 23 May 2012, the carrier Carl Vinson, the cruiser Bunker Hill, and the destroyer Halsey returned to Naval Air Station North Island, California, concluding the six-month-long 2011–2012 deployment for Carrier Strike Group One.
 * 2011–2012 deployment force composition
 * 2011–2012 deployment exercises and port visits

2012–2013 operations
On 5 July 2012, Vinson began a planned incremental availability overhaul to undergo major maintenance and modernization, with a scheduled completion date of 1 February 2013. The Carl Vinson completed its maintenance on 3 February 2013 and began carrier qualifications with Carrier Air Wing 17. On 21 February 2013, Rear Admiral David F. Steindl relieved Rear Admiral Thomas K. Shannon as commander, Carrier Strike Group One in ceremonies held aboard the group's flagship, the Vinson. A surface warfare officer, Steindl had commanded Destroyer Squadron Seven while Shannon takes command of the Military Sealift Command.