USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the eighth of the United States Navy, named after the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. The ship's callsign is Lone Warrior, and she is currently homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

Harry S. Truman was launched on 14 September 1996 by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, and commissioned on 18 July 1998 with Captain Thomas Otterbein in command. President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker, and other notable attendees and speakers included Missouri Representative Ike Skelton, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, Secretary of Defense William Cohen and Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.

Harry S. Truman was initially the flagship of Carrier Group Two and, beginning 1 October 2004, of Carrier Strike Group Ten.

Beginning in 2001, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Battle Group participated in Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Deny Flight, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Summer Pulse '04, and NATO Operation Medshark/Majestic Eagle '04.

Description
Harry Truman (also known as HST within the Navy) is 1,092 ft (333 m) long, 257 ft (78 m) wide and is as high as a twenty-four-story building, at 244 feet (74 m). The super carrier can accommodate approximately 80 aircraft and has a flight deck 4.5 acre in size, using four elevators that are 3,880 ft² (360 m²) each to move planes between the flight deck and the hangar bay. With a combat load, HST displaces almost 97,000 tons and can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers. Her four distilling units can make 400,000 U.S. gallons (1,500 m³) of potable water a day; her food service divisions serve 18,000 meals per day. There are over 2,500 compartments on board requiring 2,520 tons (2.1 MW) of air conditioning capacity (enough to cool over 2,000 homes). The warship uses two Mark II stockless anchors that came from USS Forrestal (CV-59) and weigh 30 tons each, with each link of the anchor chain weighing 360 pounds (160 kg). She is currently equipped with three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and two Sea Sparrow SAM launchers. The ship cost over $4.5 billion in 2007 dollars to manufacture.

Propulsion
Two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors are used for propulsion (the ship is capable of steaming more than three million miles before refueling) turning 4 five-bladed screws that weigh 66,220 pounds (30 t) each driving the ship at speeds over 30 knots (56 km/h).

Recreation
While underway, the ship has its own daily newspaper, the "Give 'em Hell Herald", and its own weekly television newscast, "The Lookout". In addition, the ship's Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) division collaborates with the public affairs office (PAO) to telecast bingo contests for the crew that award as much as $1,000 and several prizes.

Awards
Harry S Truman has been the recipient of numerous awards recognizing the ship's excellence. They include
 * Battenberg Cup 2003
 * Battle "E" in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
 * Dorie P. Miller Memorial Award for Food Service in 2002 and 2004
 * Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award, an honor given to the most battle-ready ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet 2004 and 2009
 * Ney Award in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005
 * Admiral Stan Arthur Award, 2004

Ship's seal and battle flag
The oval seal was designed by the ship's pre-commissioning crew and is primarily blue and gold. According to the ship's history webpage, a coat of arms "characterizes the global on-station capability of the ship and the United States Navy" and "Truman's name forms the shape of a forward-deployed aircraft carrier prepared to uphold and protect American interests". The three flags near the bottom represent the letters "HST". The 33 gold stars surrounding the seal represent Truman's position as the 33rd President.

The Truman battle flag was also designed by the ship's crew and is a variation of the guidons carried by the companies of the 129th Field Artillery Regiment of the 35th Infantry Division, such as Battery D, the battery under the command of then Army Capt. Harry Truman during World War I. It consists of crossed cannons on a scarlet background with the phrase "Give 'em hell", a reference to Truman's 1948 reelection campaign.

Pre-commissioning and construction


The keel was laid by Newport News Shipbuilding on 29 November 1993 and the ship was christened on 7 September 1996. HST was authorized and laid down as USS United States but her name was changed in February 1995 at the direction of then Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.

Three Newport News ship workers died during construction when a pump room filled with methane and hydrogen sulfide gases during a sewage leak on 12 July 1997. They are commemorated by a brass plaque in the tunnel off Hangar Bay No. 1. The ship was christened on 7 September 1996, launched 13 September 1996, and the crew began moving aboard from contract housing in Newport News in January 1998. The ship successfully completed builder's sea trial on 11 June 1998 after a short delay due to noise issues in one of the reactor closure heads. The ship was officially accepted by the Navy on 30 June 1998 and was commissioned on 25 July 1998 at Naval Station Norfolk.

Commissioning
The keynote speaker of the commissioning ceremony was President Bill Clinton. Other notable attendees and speakers were: Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., who pushed to have the carrier named after the 33rd president; Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan; Captain Thomas Otterbein, Truman’s first commanding officer; Secretary of Defense William Cohen; and Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.

1998–1999
Truman got underway for the first time as a U.S. Navy carrier in August 1998 to conduct flight deck certifications, an evolution designed to test the ship’s ability to successfully launch and recover aircraft. That was followed by numerous at sea periods for various training evolutions.

2000 Maiden deployment
The Maiden deployment of Harry S Truman began on 28 November 2000 with Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) embarked. After transiting the Suez Canal, the air wing flew 869 combat sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch (OSW), including a strike on Iraqi integrated air defense system sites on 16 February 2001, in a sanctioned response to Iraqi surface-to-air missile fire against United Nations Security Council coalition forces. Combat operations ended on 27 April and the ship returned to the U.S. on 23 May 2001. She then entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va., for her first Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) on 5 September.

2002–2003
HST deployed on her second deployment on 5 December 2002, again with CVW-3 embarked, visiting Marseille, France, Souda Bay, Crete and Koper, Slovenia. Between 19 March and 18 April, airwing aircraft flew nearly 1,300 combat sorties from the Mediterranean Sea in the early stages of 2003 invasion of Iraq. The ship stopped in Portsmouth, England, before returning to Norfolk on 23 May 2003. Truman conducted her second Planned Incremental Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard from August 2003 to 13 February 2004.

2004–2005


On 2 June 2004, HST "surged" for Exercise Summer Pulse, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea. The ship called at Naples, Italy, and participated in Operation Majestic Eagle in the eastern Atlantic Ocean before returning home on 25 July.

On 1 October 2004, as part of a Navy-wide series of redesignations, Truman's immediate superior in command (ISIC) changed to Carrier Strike Group Ten. The ship set out from Norfolk on her third extended deployment on 13 October 2004, and visited Souda Bay, Crete, before relieving USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) on 20 November in the Persian Gulf. Truman and Carrier Air Wing 3 launched 2,577 sorties, totaling nearly 13,000 flight hours, flying combat missions over Iraq and maritime security operations before being relieved by USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Carrier Strike Group in the Persian Gulf on 19 March 2005. Despite plans to cross the equator and visit South Africa, diplomatic issues caused her instead to transit the Suez Canal, stopping in Portsmouth, England, prior to returning home on 18 April 2005.

On 1 September 2005, in response to the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Truman set sail for the devastated U.S. Gulf Coast. She arrived in the Gulf of Mexico on 4 September and served as the flagship for the Naval task force. While the ship's strike group (Carrier Strike Group 10) commander, Rear Adm. Joseph Kilkenny, was appointed deputy commander of Joint Task Force Gulf Coast (also known as JTF Katrina & Rita), the ship remained anchored in the gulf and provided fresh desalinated water for the relief effort via helicopter (the actual command hub for the JTF was USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7)). The carrier also provided support to JRB New Orleans in the form of aviation boatswain's mates and cooks to keep that station in operation. Harry S Truman returned to home port in October 2005 after five weeks of relief efforts.



2006
Harry S Truman entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a Docked Planned Incremental Availability in January 2006. The ship received many system upgrades, and underwent preventative maintenance to repair minor weld defects originating from the initial construction of the reactor plants. She left the yard in December 2006 and continued preparations for surge beginning in April 2007.

2007
On 15 August 2007, an E-2C Hawkeye crashed after taking off from the carrier, killing all three crewmembers. On 5 November 2007 Harry S Truman left Norfolk for her fourth extended deployment with CVW-3 embarked in support of OIF.

2008
HST returned to the US on 4 June 2008. She first pulled into port in Naval Station Mayport, Florida in order to welcome aboard family and friends for a three-day "Tiger Cruise" or Family Day Cruise, before returning to Norfolk Naval Station on 4 June 2008. The ship was awarded her fourth Battle E award for the east coast (for 2008) in early 2009.

2009
HST completed a nearly seven-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA in February 2009. On 5 August 2009, EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) and Electronic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132) completed their first at-sea carrier-arrested landing (trap) aboard Harry S Truman.

2010
The Truman began a seven-month deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations in support of maritime security operations on 21 May 2010. Truman led a task force of 11 American warships and 5,000 men into the Suez Canal on 20 June 2010. The ship visited four ports during its 213 days at sea, including Marseille, France; Dubai, U.A.E; Manama, Bahrain; and Souda Bay, Crete, before returning to the United States on 20 December 2010.

2011
On 2 February 2011, Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet named the Truman as the Battle Effectiveness Award, or Battle "E", award winner, which was third consecutive Battle "E" award. This was the sixth award in the ship's twelve-year history, having previously won the Battle "E" award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009.

Harry S Truman entered a Docked Planned Increment Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in late March 2011. On 28 February 2011, the Harry S Truman began its dry-docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) maintenance and yard overhaul period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. During this maintenance cycle, Truman received a new main mast, an upgrade in its close-in weapons systems, and the installation of the Automated Digital Network System (ADNS) which provides the carrier with enhanced communications and cooperative engagement capabilities to assess possible threats. Truman is expected to complete this DPIA yard overhaul in early 2012 and begin preparations for its sixth overseas deployment. Also, Truman's berthing spaces were also upgraded, installing 2,500 racks, replacing 46,000 square feet of deck and painting 106,000 square feet of spaces. On 8 November 2011, Captain Tushar Tembe passed away after collapsing on the ship. Executive Officer Captain Craig Clapperton assumed command after Captain Tushar Tembe's death. Soon after Tembe's death Captain Dee Mewbourne assumed command and Captain Craig Clapperton resumed his position as Executive Officer.

2012
On 7 April 2012, Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed the Truman's nuclear power plant modernization and testing was to begin to ensure its readiness for sea trials lasting 90 days. The Harry S Truman returned to the U.S. Navy fleet in the summer of 2012. On 26 November 2012, an X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) was hoisted on board the Truman in preparation for an unmanned aircraft's first, carrier-based testing. Truman was to be the first aircraft carrier in Naval aviation history to host test operations for an unmanned aircraft. Testing on the X-47B was conducted over a three-week period that included in-port and underway demonstrations aboard Truman. The X-47B successfully completed carrier deck tests aboard the Harry S Truman on 18 December 2012.

2013
On 6 February 2013, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the upcoming deployment of the Harry S. Truman, the Ticonderoga-class cruiser guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64), and the rest of Carrier Strike Group Ten will be postponed pending the resolution of the upcoming budget sequestration, leaving the carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) and its carrier strike group as the only carrier force operating in the Persian Gulf region. The strike group was originally scheduled to depart Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on 8 February 2013.

On 22 July 2013, The USS Harry S. Truman left for an extended deployment to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility, and settled into their mission of supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the coalition of troops on the ground in Afghanistan.