Gonzo Station

Gonzo Station was a U.S. Navy acronym for "Gulf of Oman Naval Zone of Operations," used to designate an area of carrier-based operations in the Indian Ocean during the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the so-called Tanker War between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Carriers on Gonzo Station normally rotated on three-month cruises before being relieved by another task force. Following Operation Desert Storm, the area of the North Arabian Sea grew less in strategic importance as Gonzo Station was too far away to respond to operational needs in Iraq and the Northern Persian Gulf. As a result, the area of the north Arabian Sea is considered today a "transit area".

Several U.S. Navy carriers served on Gonzo Station, including the USS Ranger (CV-61), USS Midway (CV-41), USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS America (CV-66), USS Independence (CV-62), USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), USS Constellation (CV-64), USS Coral Sea (CV-43), USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). While replenishment ships normally rotated on and off line in order to resupply, USS Roanoke (AOR-7) served in formation 180 days.The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)in 1980 served 315 days sea time with an 154 line period (July-Dec) This was the largest American Fleet dispatched to the Indian Ocean since WW2