Nearly 6,500 sailors from the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) are scheduled to return to Naval Station Norfolk on December 16, after completing an eight-month deployment across the 2nd, 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
The returning units of HSTCSG include flagship USS Harry S. Truman, the nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron Two Eight (DESRON 28) including USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) and USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98).
In April this year, HSTCSG deployed for a regularly scheduled deployment as part of the ongoing rotation of forward deployed forces to support maritime security operations and operate in international waters across the globe.
Several strike group units returned to Norfolk in mid-July for a working port visit, until late August, when they departed to continue their deployment.
The strike group’s ships and aircraft conducted a variety of missions, including forward naval presence, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation and participation in numerous bilateral and multilateral operations and exercises such as Lightning Handshake 2018, Baltic Operations 2018 and Trident Juncture 2018 .