USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the eighth Nimitz-class

Nimitz class aircraft carrier

The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest capital ships in the world...

supercarrier

Supercarrier

Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial...

of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, named after the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...

. HSTs callsign is Lone Warrior and is currently homeported at Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...

, Virginia.

Harry S. Truman was launched

Ship naming and launching

The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...

on 14 September 1996 by Newport News Shipbuilding

Northrop Grumman Newport News

Newport News Shipbuilding , originally Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , was the largest privately-owned shipyard in the United States prior to being purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001...

, Newport News, Virginia

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...

, and commissioned

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...

on 18 July 1998 with Captain Thomas Otterbein

Thomas Otterbein

Thomas G. Otterbein is a retired captain of the United States Navy. A naval aviator, he held important aviation-related commands both at sea and on shore, including a stint as Executive Officer and acting Commanding Officer of the Navy Fighter Weapons School .-Early life and career:Otterbein was...

in command. President Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

was the keynote speaker, and other notable attendees and speakers included Missouri Representative Ike Skelton

Ike Skelton

Isaac Newton "Ike" Skelton IV is the former U.S. Representative for . During his tenure, he has served as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a member for the Democratic Party...

, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan

Mel Carnahan

Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...

, Secretary of Defense William Cohen

William Cohen

William Sebastian Cohen is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. A Republican, Cohen served as Secretary of Defense under Democratic President Bill Clinton.-Early life and education:...

and Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.

USS Harry S. Truman was initially the flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

of Carrier Group Two and, beginning 1 October 2004, of Carrier Strike Group Ten

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. U.S...

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 acres (1.8 ha) 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 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

Phalanx CIWS

The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...

mounts and two Sea Sparrow SAM launchers. The ship cost over $4.5 billion in 2007 dollars to manufacture.

Propulsion

Two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactor

Nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...

s 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
Battenberg Cup
The Battenberg Cup is an award given annually as a symbol of operational excellence to the best ship or submarine in the United States Navy Atlantic Fleet. The cup was originally awarded as a trophy to the winner of cutter or longboat rowing competitions between crews of American and British naval...

2003
Battle "E"
Battle Efficiency Award
The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...

in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Dorie P. Miller
Doris Miller
Doris "Dorie" Miller was a cook in the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor awarded by the U.S...

Memorial Award for Food Service in 2002 and 2004
Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
The Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award is presented annually by the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations to one ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and one in the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

, an honor given to the most battle-ready ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...

2004 and 2009
Ney Award
Admiral Stan Arthur
Stan Arthur
Admiral Stanley R. Arthur, USN was the Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1992–95, culminating more than 38 years as an officer in the United States Navy.-Military career:...

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 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

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. It consists of crossed cannons on a scarlet background with the phrase "Give 'em hell", a reference to Truman's 1948 reelection campaign

United States presidential election, 1948

The United States presidential election of 1948 is considered by most historians as the greatest election upset in American history. Virtually every prediction indicated that incumbent President Harry S. Truman would be defeated by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. Truman won, overcoming a three-way...

Pre-commissioning and construction

The keel was laid by Newport News Shipbuilding

Northrop Grumman Newport News

on 29 November 1993 and the ship was christened on 7 September 1996. HST was authorized and laid down as but her name was changed in February 1995 at the direction of then Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.

Three Newport News shipworkers died during construction when a pump room filled with methane

Methane

Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...

and hydrogen sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...

gases during a sewage leak on 12 July 1997. They are commemorated by a brass plaque in the tunnel off Hangar Bay #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

Sea trial

A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...

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

Naval Station Norfolk

Commissioning

The keynote speaker of the commissioning ceremony was President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

Bill Clinton

. Other notable attendees and speakers were: Rep. Ike Skelton

Ike Skelton

, D-Mo., who pushed to have the carrier named after the 33rd president; Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

Governor Mel Carnahan

Mel Carnahan

; Captain Thomas Otterbein

Thomas Otterbein

, Truman’s first commanding officer; Secretary of Defense William Cohen

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

Flight deck

The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...

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

Maiden voyage

The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....

of Harry S. Truman began on 28 November 2000 with Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) embarked. After transiting the Suez Canal

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...

, the air wing flew 869 combat sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch

Operation Southern Watch

Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...

(OSW), including a strike on Iraqi integrated air defense system sites on 16 February 2001, in a sanctioned response to Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

i surface-to-air missile

Surface-to-air missile

A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...

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

Marseille

Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Souda Bay

Souda Bay

Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, and runs west to east...

, Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

and Koper, Slovenia

Slovenia

Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

. 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 Summer Pulse 04, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea in support of the Navy's Fleet Response Plan. The ship ported in Naples, Italy, and participated in Operation Majestic Eagle in the eastern Atlantic Ocean before returning home on 25 July.

The ship set out from Norfolk on her third extended deployment on 13 October 2004, and visited Souda Bay, Crete, before relieving on 20 November in the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

.

Truman and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 launched 2,577 sorties, totaling nearly 13,000 flight hours, in support of OIF and maritime security operations (MSO) before being relieved by Carrier Strike Group in the Persian Gulf on 19 March 2005. Despite plans to cross the equator and visit South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, diplomatic issues caused her instead to transit the Suez Canal, stopping in Portsmouth, England, prior to returning home on 19 April 2005.

On 1 September 2005, in response to the disaster of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

, 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 (JTF) Gulf Coast

Joint Task Force Katrina

Joint Task Force Katrina was a joint operation between the United States Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency created on August 31, 2005 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi to organize relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The operation was...

(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 ). 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

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...

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

Naval Station Mayport

Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a military airfield with one asphalt paved runway measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. ....

, Florida in order to welcome aboard family and friends for a three-day "Tiger Cruise

Tiger Cruise

Tiger Cruise is the 54th Disney Channel Original Movie. It stars Hayden Panettiere, Bill Pullman and Jansen Panettiere, Hayden's real-life younger brother...

", 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)

VAQ-129

Electronic Attack Squadron One Two Nine is the United States Navy and Marine Corps' only EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler training squadron. Known as the Vikings, they are a Fleet Replacement Squadron, or FRS, and are charged with training all EA-6B and EA-18G aviators and developing standard...

and Electronic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132)

VAQ-132

Electronic Attack Squadron , the "Scorpions", is a United States Navy aircraft squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The Scorpions fly the EA-18G Growler and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 17...

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

Suez Canal

on 20 June 2010. The ship visited four ports during it's 213 days at sea, including Marseille, France; Dubai, U.A.E; Manama, Bahrain; and Souda Bay, Crete, before returning to the United States on December 20, 2010.

2011

On 2 February 2011, Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet

Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet

Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet is the aviation Type Commander for the United States Atlantic Fleet naval aviation units...

named the Truman as the 2010 Battle Efficiency

Battle Effectiveness Award

The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...

, 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

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

in Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...

. 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, Trumans 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 November 8th, 2011, Captain Tushar Tembe passed away after collapsing on the ship. Executive Officer Captain Craig Clapperton assumed command after Captain Tembe's death.

External links

USS Harry S. Truman official website
An unofficial USS Harry S. Truman webpage
Truman Continues Preparations to Aid Hurricane Relief
Maritimequest USS Harry S. Truman CVN-75 Photo Gallery
The Examiner - Truman Commissioning Special Edition
USS Harry S. Truman history at U.S. Carriers
USS Harry S. Truman on Google Maps
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) Story Archive - U.S. Navy
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) - U.S. Navy
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Description

Propulsion

Recreation

Awards

Ship's seal and battle flag

Pre-commissioning and construction

Commissioning

1998–1999

2000 Maiden deployment

2002–2003

2004–2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

See also

External links