USS Harry S Truman carrier strike group starts three-week group sail

US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman met up with its carrier strike group for a three-week group sail off the coast of the Eastern United States.

The group sail is the first time since July 2016 that the ships under DESRON 28 have operated in an integrated environment, DESRON 28 Commodore Capt. Kevin Kennedy said.

The Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, also known as CSG 8, consists of seven ships from Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28, USS Normandy (CG 60) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, in addition to the USS Harry S. Truman.

While Truman was being evaluated for Tailored Shipboard Test Availability and Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP), other ships in the strike group were operating in close proximity, using the time to act out real-world situations that they may encounter during future operations.

DESRON 28 Commodore Capt. Kevin Kennedy described the evolutions as air defense exercises and submarine warfare exercises, as well as practiced movements through choke points, like the Strait of Gibraltar or the Strait of Hormuz, which may be required while on deployment.

“We’ve really just practiced the full range of operating capabilities of a naval force while we’ve been out here the last two weeks,” said Kennedy.