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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Deadly USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), the Big Stick

Army and Weapons | Deadly USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), the Big Stick | USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) (also known by crewmembers as "the Big Stick" or within the navy simply as TR) is the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her radio call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War. She was launched in 1984, saw her first action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and is currently homeported at Newport News Shipyard, Virginia.

Roosevelt and those Nimitz-class vessels completed after her have slight structural differences from the earlier carriers (Nimitz and Eisenhower), and improved protection for ordnance storage in her magazines.

The responsibilities of the TR Battle Group (commanded by Carrier Group Eight) are broadly defined in U. S. Navy regulations and outlined more specifically in Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Operation Orders. Additional responsibilities are set forth in operational plans and orders issued by seniors in the national and NATO chains of command.
Tasked with maintaining open sea lanes of trade and communications, TR is capable of projecting air superiority to all points of the globe. The embarked Carrier Air Wing ONE aircraft serve as outstanding instruments of peace. Anytime and anywhere TR reports for duty, she brings 4.5 acres of sovreign U.S. territory and 97,000 tons of diplomacy.
TR's equipment and crew are always maintained at the highest state of readiness. This enables the ship to carry out a wide variety of missions, including: air warfare, strike warfare, surface warfare, undersea warfare and electronic warfare. TR also shares the task of replenishing ships at sea and performing a variety of non-combat missions, such as the rescue at sea of people in distress and the transport of refugees and others in need of help.

People make TR more than a mere mass of steel, cables and pipes. She is a floating city of 5,500 professional men and women from every state in the Union. It is the veteran Sailor with gold on his dress blues and the young 17-year old, away from home for the first time, who provide TR with heart and soul.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is the fourth NIMITZ-class carrier. Her history began on Sept. 30, 1980, when a contract was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding.

TR's history began on 30 September 1980, when a contract was awarded for "Hull 624D" to Newport News Shipbuilding.Construction began on Oct. 31, 1981, when Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger authenticated the keel laying of TR by initiating the first weld.

Her keel was laid down on 31 October 1981, with Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger initiating the first weld. On 3 November 1981, Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman announced that the carrier would be named for the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
TR was the first aircraft carrier to be assembled using modular construction, wherein large modules are independently constructed in "lay-down" areas, prior to being hoisted into place and welded together. Modular construction, made possible through the use of a huge gantry crane capable of lifting 900 tons, cut 16 months off TR's construction time, and the technique has been used on every aircraft carrier since.

The Navy's Pre Commissioning Unit (PCU) was formed in February 1984, with Captain Paul W. Parcells named the Commanding Officer.

On 27 October 1984 the ship was officially christened by Mrs. Barbara Lehman, wife of Secretary Lehman. On 25 October 1986, Theodore Roosevelt was commissioned to active service at Newport News.

After sea trials and pre-deployment work ups, Theodore Roosevelt started her maiden deployment on 30 December 1988 with Carrier Air Wing Eight embarked. The ship patrolled the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf prior to returning on 30 June 1989.

On Dec. 30, 1988, TR started her maiden deployment, which was also the maiden deployment of the first 10-squadron air wing, Carrier Air Wing EIGHT. On Dec. 28, TR and CVW-8 deployed for Operations DESERT SHIELD. TR entered the war on Jan. 9, 1991, eventually flying over 4,200 sorties, more than any other carrier, and dropping over 4,800,000 pounds of ordnance before the cease-fire on Feb. 28. When Iraqi forces turned on the Kurds, TR and CVW-8 were among the first coalition forces in Operation PROVIDE COMFORT, flying patrols over northern Iraq. After a 189-day deployment, with 169 days at sea, TR returned to Norfolk on Jun. 28, 1991.

Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the 1989 Battle "E" from Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet on 20 March 1990.