The Role of the Carrier Strike Group

-- President Bill Clinton -- 12 March 1993, aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT
April 29, 2006e of Midway during World War II, the strategic importance of the aircraft carrier has been reaffirmed time and time again. When a crisis erupts anywhere in the world and U.S. interests are imperiled, an aircraft carrier and its strike group are generally less than 48 hours away. That's one reason why the aircraft carrier has been called our nation's most flexible tool of diplomacy. It serves as a highly visible deterrent to would be aggressors. If deterrence should fail, then the carrier and its strike group offer the most versatile and powerful weapons systems available.

The make-up of a strike group is dependent on the mission and potential threat. A traditional battle group formerly consisted of an aircraft carrier and its air wing of planes, two cruisers, four destroyers, two attack submarines, eight helicopters and a fast combat support ship. Today, the carrier strike group operates with a myriad of forces, ready to succeed in any mission as directed by the National Command Authority. The centerpiece is the carrier and her crew. The carrier is a floating mobile airport and carries seven different types of aircraft. During flight operations, the 4.5 acre flight deck is a scene of intense activity.

Aircraft crew and equipment work as a well-rehearsed, carefully choreographed team. The various functions of the flight deck crew are identified by the colors they wear: yellow for deck officers, catapult officer and aircraft directors; purple for fuel handlers; green for catapult and arresting gear crews; blue for chock chain runners; red for crash and salvage teams and ordnance personnel.

The carrier is home to about 5,000 sailors and airmen. As a self-contained city, USS JOHN C. STENNIS has virtually the same amenities as any American city with comparable population. It has a daily newspaper, radio and television stations, fire department, library, hospital, general store, laundry, two barber shops and a post office with its own zip code.

Support facilities are essential to the operational success of an aircraft carrier. A carrier is honey combed with specialized shops, including electronic shops for communication, avionics and navigation equipment and repair shops to maintain all types of machinery. Behind all these shops and services are the airmen, seamen, petty officers, chief petty officers and officers who, through professionalism and commitment, make it all happen.