Navy Times: Carrier VINSON rerouted to Haiti.

[Captain Hilts]

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/01/navy_vinson_haiti_011310w/

The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson was rerouted Wednesday in anticipation of humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti, according to Navy officials. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they had no information on other ships or units that could be headed to the area.

Vinson and its crew of approximately 3,200 sailors left Norfolk on Tuesday en route to their new homeport in San Diego. The carrier was joined by Carrier Air Wing 17 and the cruisers Lake Champlain and Bunker Hill. As flagship of the newly established Carrier Strike Group 1, Vinson was to provide maritime security as it circumnavigates South America and provide humanitarian assistance or disaster relief, if required.

The call came fewer than 24 hours later.

[cali]

1. from wiki

Carl Vinson 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 (18,000 m²) 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, Vinson 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.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Think of the reactor as a HUGE tea kettle. Even subs have done this in disasters. nt

[roguevalley]

26. some of the ships they are sending are to be alternative air fields

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. I didn't know the Carl Vinson was a carrier.

Was there an older ship with the same name that wasn't a carrier? A cruiser or destroyer?

I don't mean to get off track...

[MicaelS]

5. No, must have got him confused with someone else...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Vinson

In recognition of his efforts on behalf of the U.S. Navy, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was named for him, the USS Carl Vinson; Vinson became one of a handful of living Americans to have a Navy vessel named for them. On March 15, 1980, at age 96, he attended the ship's launching.

Sam Nunn was his grand-nephew!

Vinson did not have children, but his grandnephew, Sam Nunn, served as a Senator from Georgia for 25 years. Nunn followed in his granduncle's footsteps, serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee for nearly his entire tenure in the Senate.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. I guess I've misremembered.

Damn, now that's going to be bugging me all day.

[MicaelS]

10. Don't feel bad...

So many "smaller" surface combatants have been named for people it's easy to get confused.

Check this out maybe it'll help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lists_of_ships_of_the_United_States

Check out just how many ships have named for women:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._military_vessels_named_after_women

[Captain Hilts]

11. Yeah, John C. Calhoun gets a capital ship and Eleanor has to share with Franklin. Sucks.

And FDR should have his own carrier.

Truman HATED the Navy, by the way.

[MicaelS]

12. Not just the Navy, the USMC also. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

15. Yes, I forgot. An Army man...nt

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

13. Maybe the Reuben James?

I think that was a destroyer. It was in Hunt for Red October. A lot of people kinda/sorta remember that name.

[Captain Hilts]

16. There have been more than one REUBEN JAMES. One key in WWII.

First ship sunk in enemy action.

[NoPasaran]

17. Maybe USS Vincennes?

Guided missile cruiser that mistakenly shot down an Iranian airliner in 1988.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. That might be it.

Maybe.

Is there another ship named Carl?

This is all getting rather silly.

[Obamanaut]

19. NVR - Naval Vessel Register - names of a brazillion naval ships,

alphabetical by first name (carrier John F. Kennecy will be found in the 'J' section)

http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/NAME.HTM

[stray cat]

4. Your tax dollars at work - and welcome to them

[Posteritatis]

6. Nice - that'll actually be a big help

Power plants, distillation centre, mobile hospital, etc etc etc.

It's good to hear how quickly people are jumping into action on this one; there's aid teams coming in from as far away as Taiwan.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Haiti or bust!

All hands, hang on!

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. And further afield

there will be so many languages spoken...

[blondeatlast]

9. I love it when I can be thoroughly proud of my tax dollars and country.

:patriot:

[Froward69]

14. Me Too

:patriot:

[PacerLJ35]

20. Disaster relief is something we do quite often...

I can think of many times (including the present) where our aircrews were put into alert and ready to respond to earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides...you name it.

[blondeatlast]

21. I am very much aware of that, but many aren't.

And it always makes me very proud when we do.

[PacerLJ35]

22. US military is perhaps also the largest rescue/recovery/relief agency in the world

[ashling]

23. My son in law is stationed on the Carl Vinson

This will be its first mission since it was overhauled. I told my daughter (who is far from a "typical" navy wife) that it is a good omen that its first mission is a humanitarian one.
She agreed with me and that it would make my son in law feel better too.

[Zomby Woof]

25. My dad is a Plank Owner of the Vinson

I remember attending the commissioning ceremony back in 1981. Hard to believe she is nearly 30 years old!

I wish the crew of the Vinson well in assisting the people of Haiti. :patriot:

[backscatter712]

27. IIRC, the USS Comfort is enroute to Haiti as well.

The Comfort is a large hospital ship - a converted tanker that now effectively is a big-city hospital on a ship, with dozens of specialized doctors, nurses, other staff, operating rooms, CT & MRI machines, all the equipment they might need.

It will take a while before the Comfort reaches Haiti because it's further away, but it certainly will be needed after all the hospitals in Port Au Prince were destroyed.

[icymist]

28. Which Carrier is number 72?

I saw that one leaving Bremerton harbor just this afternoon.

[cherokeeprogressive]

29. CVN-72 USS Abraham Lincoln n/t

[icymist]

30. Wow! I didn't even know the Abraham Lincoln was up here!

She's heading out now, that's for sure. I must have drove by that base everyday and never notice that ship docked there.

[cherokeeprogressive]

31. A little trivia... It was the carrier * used for his flight suit photo-op. n/t