Carrier Strike Group Ten

Carrier Strike Group Ten, abbreviated as CSG-10 or CARSTRKGRU 10, is one of five U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore.

The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the strike group's current flagship, and as of 2012, other units assigned to Carrier Strike Group Ten include Carrier Air Wing Three embarked on board the Harry S. Truman, the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60), and Destroyer Squadron 26.

Historical background
Carrier Strike Group Ten's lineage can be traced to Destroyer Flotilla Two, which was established during World War I at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. The Flotilla was deactivated in 1922 as part of the fleet draw down after the war. Destroyer Flotilla Two was reactivated in 1931 and served throughout the 1930s as a caretaker of reserve destroyers until again deactivated in the early days of World War II. As part of a Navy reorganization, the Flotilla was reactivated yet again in 1946. In 1973, Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Two was renamed Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, and it relocated to Charleston Navy Yard in South Carolina in 1974. Among its ships was USS Yosemite (AD-19), a destroyer tender.

Rear Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., the first African-American flag officer in the U.S. Navy, commanded Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two. Rear Admiral Henry C. Muston, Jr., also commanded Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two. During his tenure as Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, Admiral Mustin was an pioneer in the tactical use of the Tomahawk cruise missile, and he was one of the first non-aviators to command a U.S. Navy carrier battle group.

In late June 1990, Rear Admiral Thomas D. Paulson, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, led the guided-missile cruiser USS Harry E. Yarnell (CG-17) and the guided-missile frigate USS Kauffman (FFG-59) to visit Poland during BALTOPS '90, a U.S. Naval Forces Europe-hosted exercise in the Baltic Sea. Their port call at Gdynia was the first visit by United States Navy vessels to Poland since 1927.

In the middle of 1992, the U.S. Navy instituted a concept which mandated greater task group integration of naval air and surface warfare assets into a more permanent carrier battle group structure. Instead of routinely changing the cruisers, destroyers, and frigates assigned to each carrier battle group, there was an attempt made to affiliate certain escorts more permanently with the carriers they escorted. Each of the Navy's 12 existing carrier battle groups was planned to consist of an aircraft carrier; an embarked carrier air wing; cruiser, destroyer, and frigate units; and two nuclear-powered attack submarines. For details regarding this re-alignments as it pertained to Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, see the chart below.

In 1993, following a fleet reorganization, the Cruiser Destroyer Group Two staff went aboad a new flagship, the new Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73). The group participated in the 2000 NATO Exercise Destined Glory, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Deny Flight, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Vigilant Resolve. After 2001 the group took part in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 1997 Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, Rear Admiral Michael Mullen, led the group on deployment from George Washington.

On 1 October 2004, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two was redesignated as Carrier Strike Group Ten. Subsequently, George Washington was relieved as the flagship by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).
 * Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, late 1992

Command structure
Commander Carrier Strike Group Ten (COMCARSTRKGRU 10 or CCSG 10) is responsible for unit-level training, integrated training, and material readiness for the ships and aviation squadrons assigned to the group. When not deployed, the strike group is part of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and its commander reports to Commander Task Force 80, the director of Fleet Forces' Maritime Headquarters. Carrier Strike Group Ten is designated Task Group 80.4. When deployed overseas, the group comes under command of the numbered fleet (Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh) in whose area it is operating, and will have a task force or task group designator, for example, Task Group 50.1 in the Fifth Fleet area.

Group commanders since May 2004 have included:

2004-2005 deployment
Carrier Strike Group Ten departed Norfolk on 13 October 2004 for an extended deployment under the command of Rear Admiral Michael C. Tracy. The strike group participated in the Joint Maritime Course north of Scotland between 25–28 October 2004 which included multi-national strike, surface, and submarine warfare exercises. The strike group transited the Suez Canal on 11 November 2004, joining the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and relieved Carrier Strike Group Four, led the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), on 20 November 2004.

Truman and Carrier Air Wing Three launched 2,577 sorties, totaling nearly 13,000 flight hours, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and maritime security operations being relieved by the Carrier Strike Group One in the Persian Gulf on 19 March 2005. One major air operation involved a VAW-126 detachment of two E-2C Hawkeyes that operated out of Kandahar International Airport in southern Afghanistan, from 4–13 December 2004. The detachment's mission was to provide airborne command and control for the inauguration of President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. This event was attended by an entourage led by U.S. Vice President Richard B. Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld.

Despite plans to cross the equator and visited South Africa, diplomatic issues caused the strike group to transit the Suez Canal, stopping in Portsmouth, England, prior to returning to the United States on 19 April 2005.
 * 2004-2005 deployment force composition
 * 2004-2005 deployment exercises and port visits

Operation Brewing Storm 2005
Code-named Operation Brewing Storm, Joint Task Force Exercise 05-2 (JTFEX 05-2) was held between 14–22 July 2005, and it involved Carrier Strike Group Ten, Carrier Strike Group Two, the Spanish frigate Álvaro de Bazán, and the Peruvian submarine Antofagasta. Truman and Carrier Air Wing Three also completed sustainment training 19 July 2005 in accordance with the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Response Training Plan (FRTP), which included general quarters drills, strike warfare, close air support, and air defense operations. Following humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, Truman underwent an extended yard period at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Operation Bold Step 2007
Code-named Operation Bold Step, Joint Task Force Exercise 07-2 (JTFEX 07-2) was a multilateral naval exercises involving 30 ships and more than 15,000 personnel from five different nations led by the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), and HMS Illustrious (R06) (pictured). Operation Bold Step took place between 26–31 August 2007 off the coast of North Carolina and Florida.

2007-2008 deployment
On 5 November 2007, following the yard period and training exercises, Carrier Strike Group Ten (pictured) departed Norfolk under the command Rear Admiral William E. Gortney for its 2007-2008 deployment to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

Carrier Air Wing Three aircraft flew more than 26,500 hours during 9,500 sorties, including 2,459 combat sorties directly in support of coalition forces operating on the ground in Iraq. This included flying almost 14,000 combat hours and expended 77,500 pounds of ordnance during 228 troops-in-contact events, as well as providing defense to the Iraqi oil platforms. Additionally, the carrier air wing provided logistical support to the American Embassy in Lebanon. The air wing's aircraft also carried out a variety of security cooperation exercises with five countries within the Sixth Fleet and Fifth Fleet areas to enhance allied cooperation and interoperability.

Surface warships of Destroyer Squadron 26 operated with over 50 coalition warships from 11 countries supporting combat operations in Iraq, carrying maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf, and conducting seven exercises throughout the Middle East. The squadron's warships made 1,021 approach-and-assist visits with local fishermen and merchants to encourage them to contact coalition warships as first responders against Persian Gulf piracy and smuggling. They also conducted Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations, searching for vessels that could support international terrorist organizations by transferring personnel, drugs, and weapons. Finally, Destroyer Squadron 26 provided security patrols northern Persian Gulf to protect the vital Khor Al-Amaya and Al-Basra oil terminals from possible terrorist attacks.

Carrier Strike Group Ten completed its seven-month-long 2007-2008 overseas deployment, returning to Norfolk on 6 June 2008.
 * 2007-2008 deployment force composition
 * 2007-2008 deployment exercises and port visits

2010 deployment
On 21 May 2010, Carrier Strike Group Ten deployed for its 2010 deployment under the command of Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll. During the seven-month deployment, the strike group flew 2,915 missions into Afghanistan and Iraq, delivering 35,000 pounds (15,876 kg) of ordnance in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn, providing surge support for coalition forces in Afghanistan, and to support existing maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf. Detachments from helicopter squadron HSL-44 based on board the destroyers USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) flew a combined 1,875 hours in support of anti-piracy operations, multinational training events, and counter-smuggling missions in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Normandy served as the naval Regional Air Defense Commander (RADC) during the deployment, providing surveillance of more than 264 million square miles (683.8 million km2) of air space. On 5 July 2010, the guided-missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG-55) assisted 16 stranded Pakistani fishermen (pictured) whose boat had taken on water and sank two days earlier. After being spotted floating adrift in a life raft by a Task Force 57 Lockheed P-3 Orion, the stranded crew was recovered by the Elrod's rigid-hulled inflatable boat before being transferred to the Pakistani Navy frigate PNS Babur on 6 July 2010. On 18 November 2010, guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) located and provided assistance to two Iranian mariners who were spotted floating in a life raft in the Persian Gulf. Oscar Austin was operating with Combined Task Force 152, and the two mariners were picked up by an Iranian rescue vessel.

On 15 November 2010, four Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from squadron VMM-266 landed and re-fueled on board the carrier Harry S. Truman following operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These VMM-266 helicopters part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and they were returning to the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) after completing humanitarian relief efforts in Pakistan. Because of the distance between Pakistan and Kearsarge, the Truman acted as a "lily pad" for the helicopters to re-fuel.

Carrier Strike Group Ten returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 20 December 2010, completing its six-month deployment.
 * 2010 deployment force composition
 * 2010 deployment exercises and port visits

2011-2013 operations
Exercise FRUKUS 2011, involving France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, began off the coast of Virginia on 20 June 2011. It was a two-week exercise to improve the navies' maritime security operations capabilities. U.S. naval forces included Commander Carrier Strike Group Ten, Destroyer Squadron 26, and the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG-95); and the international naval forces included the French frigate Ventôse, the Russian destroyer Admiral Chabanenko, and the British destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33). The exercise consisted of two phases, ashore and at-sea. The week-long ashore phase included damage control, fire fighting, and ship handling exercises. The at-sea phase (pictured) occurred during the second week, between 27 June and 1 July, and included maritime domain awareness training, anti-piracy operations, and maritime interdiction operations. A multi-national task group staff ashore provided command and control.

Between 31 July and 2 August 2011, Destroyer Squadron 26 participated in a passing exercise with Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships off the east coast of the United States. Passing exercises are designed to provide realistic training environments that closely replicates the operational challenges routinely encountered around the world. The destroyer squadron worked in close coordination with the JMSDF Training Squadron which consists of newly-commissioned Japanese surface warfare officers. U.S. naval units participating were Carrier Strike Group Ten, Destroyer Squadron 26, the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG-69), the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG-94), and the guided-missile frigate USS Taylor (FFG-50). The JMSDF Training Squadron consisted of the destroyer Mineyuki, the training vessel Asagiri, and the training vessel JDS Kashima.

Between 19 to 29 June 2012, Commander Carrier Strike Group Ten participated in War of 1812 Commemoration Fleet Exercise, or 1812 FleetEx, with Rear Admiral Herman Shelanski embarked on the helicopter carrier USS Wasp (LHD-1). It involved 19 warships from the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Portugal, Denmark, and Canada under the command of Rear Admiral Scott Craig, the Commander Strike Force Training Atlantic. The 1812 FleetEx also served as the summer cruise for over 60 midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy.

On 7 July 2012, Harry S Truman departed Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia, for sea trials (pictured) following its 16-month-long docking planned incremental availability overhaul. Harry S Truman completing its sea trials on 10 July 2012, signaling the conclusion of the Truman's overhaul period and the start of its pre-deployment training cycle, beginning with carrier qualifications on 3 August 2012. On 24 October 2012, the Harry S Truman completed its tailored ship's training availability (TSTA) period. as well as successfully its final evaluation problem (FEP) assessment, following a 24-day underway period. Carrier Air Wing Three underwent advanced training at Naval Air Station, Nevada, between 12 November to 21 December 2012 while the Truman performed carrier-based evaluation of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System between 26 November and 18 December 2012 (pictured).

On 14 January 2013, Carrier Strike Group Ten began its 20-day Composite Training Unit Exercise in order to undertake a surge deployment to the U.S. Fifth Fleet two months ahead of its previously scheduled departure date. One unit of Carrier Strike Group Ten not part of this surge deployment was the guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG-56) which was undergoing repairs following a collision with the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Montpelier (SSN-765) on 13 October 2012 during training exercises off the coast of Florida. Joining Carrier Strike Group Ten were the Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec (FFH-332) and replenishment oiler HMCS Preserver (AOR 510), as well as the German frigate Hamburg. On 3 February 2013, Carrier Strike Group Ten completed its Composite Training Unit Exercise and returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. It was also announced that the Ticonderoga-class cruiser guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) and the German frigate Hamburg will join Carrier Strike Group Ten for its upcoming 2013 deployment.

On 6 February 2013, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the upcoming deployment of Carrier Strike Group Ten would be postponed pending the resolution of the upcoming budget sequestration, leaving Carrier Strike Group Three led by USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) as the only carrier force in the Persian Gulf region. Carrier Strike Group Ten was originally scheduled to depart Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on 8 February 2013.

On 5 June 2013, Carrier Strike Group Ten was underway to begin its final sustainment exercise (pictured) prior to its upcoming deployment, completing this exercise on 17 June 2013.

2013 deployment
On 22 July 2013, Carrier Strike Group Ten departed Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia, for its 2013 deployment to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The group is scheduled to join the U.S. Fifth Fleet in mid-August, and is slated to relieve Carrier Strike Group Eleven. The duration of this deployment was estimated to be between eight to nine month in length. The surface warfare duties for the strike group will be coordinated by the 1st Combined Destroyer Squadron, a combined American-Briish staff. Carrier Strike Group Ten joined the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea in two sections. The first section consisted of the cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG-56) and the two destroyers, joining the fleet on 26 July 26 2013. The second section consisted of the carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) and the cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64), joining on 29 July 2013. This is the first time that the strike group has operated with the Sixth Fleet since 2010.

On 19 August 2013, Carrier Strike Group Ten transited the Suez Canal and joined the U.S. Fifth Fleet. Carrier Strike Group Ten relieved Carrier Strike Group Eleven on 26 August 2013 and began combat air operations in support of the War in Afghanistan on 27 August 2013 (pictured). Both U.S. Navy carrier strike groups remained in the north Arabian Sea area pending potential military action against Syria amid allegations that the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons during the ongoing Syrian civil war, including the gas attacks that occurred on 21 August 2013. On 2 September 2013, Carrier Strike Group Eleven moved into the Red Sea while Carrier Strike Group Ten continued to operate in the North Arabian Sea.

On 6 October 2013, the strike group's flagship, the Harry S. Truman, dispatched a helicopter in response to a medical assistance on board the Marshall Islands-flagged merchant vessel C Elephant located 130 nmi from Carrier Strike Group in the Gulf of Oman.
 * 2013 deployment force composition
 * 2013 deployment exercises and port visits