Stennis strike group sets out on deployment
Friday, January 23, 2009
USS John C. Stennis departs Naval Air Station North Island after picking up its air wing. (U.S. Navy photo)
USS John C. Stennis left for a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment Jan. 17. The ship and its crew pulled out of port in Bremerton during the early morning hours of Jan. 13 and headed to the San Diego to meet with Carrier Air Wing 9 and Destroyer Squadron 21 before continuing on its way. The deployment is expected to last about six or seven months.
The Kitsap Sun captured video of the ship as it left Bremerton, and an NBC affiliate in San Diego interviewed a tearful mother as she waved goodbye to her son onboard. The Navy also posted its own video story about the deployment.
Former Stennis ombudsman Beth Wilson in a recent column shared resources for Stennis families during their time away from loved ones. Each command has at least one ombudsman, a volunteer spouse trained to provide information and refer families to resources. The Stennis ombudsman team can be reached at stennisombudsmanteam@yahoo.com, 877 GO CVN74 (462-8674) or through the ship's Web site at www.cvn74.navy.mil/ombudsman.