Carrier Strike Group One (CSG-1 or CARSTRKGRU 1) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. is the strike group's current flagship, which currently consists of Carrier Air Wing 2, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton and DESRON 1, which includes the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyers USS Hopper, USS Kidd, USS Sterett and the USS William P. Lawrence.
Although the previous Carrier Strike Group One traced its history to Carrier Division 1, formed in 1930, the current Carrier Strike Group One was an entirely new naval formation when it was established in October 2009. During the relocation of its flagship Carl Vinson to its new home base in San Diego, California, it 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. Carrier Strike Group One was the second U.S. Navy carrier force to participate in Operation Inherent Resolve.
History
Second World War to 2004 Carrier Strike Group 1 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 , as well as the aircraft tender and the minesweepers and . In 1933, was reassigned to Carrier Division One under Commander Aircraft, Scouting Force, which also included aircraft tender Wright; the minesweepers , Teal, and ; and the rigid airships and . 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 , 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 ; and the destroyers , , and , which paid a highly publicized port visit to Piraeus, Greece, in September 1946.See Thomas A. Bryson, Tars, Turks, and Tankers: The Role of the United States Navy in the Middle East, 1800–1979, Scarecrow, 1980, 92–95. In conjunction with earlier visits, including that of 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 off Korea. In August 1955, Carrier Division 1 comprised at Puget Sound (in refit, receiving an angled flight deck), at San Francisco, and , and both at San Diego.Naval Aeronautical Organization OPNAV NOTICE 05400 for Fiscal Year 1956 dated 1 August 1955, 19.
In 1968, Carrier Division 1, under the command of Rear Admiral Epes, became involved in the response to the seizure of the .
In June 1973, Carrier Division 1 was redesignated Carrier Group 1 (CarGru 1), and in January 1974, it was located at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) in San Diego, California. Despite being headquartered at North Island, it was responsible for the , which with Carrier Air Wing Five aboard had moved to United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, on 5 October 1973.Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, USS Midway 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 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 1984 the group was led by . 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 Point Loma, California under Rear Admiral Ted N. Branch.
2010 operations
On 12 January 2010, 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.; ; and 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. and On 16 January, the arrived in Haiti to assist the Carl Vinson. In addition to providing medical relief, Carl Vinsons 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 liters) of potable water; and more than 40,000 lbs. (18,143 kg) of medical supplies. The ship's medical team treated 60 patients. The Carl Vinsons 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 , and the oceanographic survey ship ended their mission and departed Haiti although ten of Carl Vinsons 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. The group departed California for its 2010–11 deployment on 30 October. 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 5 May 2011, as part of NATO's counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Vinson, 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. Bunker Hills 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 CARSTRKGRU 1 Warships Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) squadrons embarked aboard flagship Strike Fighter Squadron 113 (VFA-113): 10 F/A-18C Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron 134 (VAQ-134): 4 EA-6B Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81): 10 F/A-18E Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 (VAW-125): 4 E-2C Strike Fighter Squadron 25 (VFA-25): 10 F/A-18C Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 15 (HS-15): 7 HH-60F/SH-60F Strike Fighter Squadron 22 (VFA-22): 12 F/A-18F Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC-40), Det.4: 2 C-2A 2010–2011 deployment exercises and port visits Number Regional Exercises Port Visits Notes Duration U.S. Force Bilateral/Multilateral Partner(s) Operating Area Location Dates 1st: 10 January 2011 Stockdale, Gridley PASSEX: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy Sea of Japan —- —- 2nd: —- Carrier Strike Group One —- —- Chinhae & Busan, ROK 11–14 Jan 2011 3rd: 26 January 2011 Carrier Strike Group One PASSEX: Royal Malaysian Navy Straits of Malacca —- —- 4th: —- Higgins —- —- Phuket, Thailand 17–21 Feb 2011 5th: 25–26 Feb 2011 Higgins Maritime Domain Awareness: Maldivian Coast Guard In-port Maldives 25–26 Feb 2011 6th: —- Carrier Strike Group One —- —- Port Klang, Malaysia 13 February 2011 7th: —- Carrier Strike Group One —- —- Manila, Philippines 15–19 May 2011 8th: —- Carrier Strike Group One —- —- Hong Kong 22–24 May 2011 9th: —- Carrier Strike Group One —- —- Pearl Harbor–Hickam 7–9 June 2011
2011–2012 deployment
On 18 November 2011, Rear Admiral Thomas K. Shannon took command of Carrier Strike Group One. On 30 November 2011, the strike group departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, for its 2011–2012 deployment.
On 10 January 2012, 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 operated with Carrier Strike Group One and Carrier Strike Group Nine in the Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea. On 19 January 2012, while serving as the flagship of Combined Task Force 151, the destroyer Halsey and its HSL-49 helicopter detachment responded to a distress call from M/V Albrouj, a Yemeni dhow en route to Somalia from Yemen. and
Carrier Strike Group One joined Carrier Strike Group Three, led by the carrier , in the North Arabian Sea, with Carrier Strike Group Nine, led by the carrier , 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 2012 with the Indian Navy (pictured) during its Western Pacific deployment.Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Byron C. Linder (17 April 2012). Carrier Strike Group 1 Completes Exercise Malabar 2012 . U.S. 7th Fleet. 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. and 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.