U.S. Navy’s Aircraft Carrier ‘USS Theodore Roosevelt’ Departs Middle East After 8-Month Deployment

The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) has departed the Middle East and is returning to the Pacific after an eight-month deployment, according to US defense authorities.

The aircraft carrier, based in San Diego, has been operating in the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) region since July as part of the Navy’s mission to protect merchant vessels from the Houthi rebel group’s threats.

A US official confirmed that the carrier began its return to the Indo-Pacific Command area of operations late Wednesday. The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) has maintained the United States naval presence in the Middle East since its arrival in late August.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a press briefing on September 19, 2024, that Theodore Roosevelt has departed and begun its transit into the Indo-Pacific command area of operations after a period of dual carrier coverage by the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and the Abraham Lincoln CSG in the CENTCOM region.

According to defense officials, the US Navy has maintained a two-carrier presence in the region for the past three weeks to protect merchant shipping and prevent future Iranian actions.

The Theodore Roosevelt and its crew will spend several weeks returning to California. According to USNI News, the Theodore Roosevelt is the Navy’s second most active carrier, after the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), having spent 572 days deployed since the beginning of 2020.

Theodore Roosevelt’s extended deployment is part of an ongoing pattern of prolonged carrier missions in the Middle East and Mediterranean. This began in late 2021, when tensions increased after Russia invaded Ukraine, and has continued on orders from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

His orders have led to the extension of several carrier deployments in various regions, particularly after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 and the increasing threat posed by the Houthis.

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), based in Norfolk, Va., has recently completed its pre-deployment preparations and is scheduled to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln during its upcoming deployment.

With its return to the Pacific, the Theodore Roosevelt will resume operations in its usual area of duty and assist with U.S. maritime defense missions.

Reference: USNI, Business Insider

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