On 12 November 2001, two months ahead of schedule, the group left for an accelerated Middle East deployment, and became involved in the War in Afghanistan. The carrier strike group consisted of the carrier "John C. Stennis"; Carrier Air Wing Nine; the cruisers and ; destroyers and ; the guided-missile frigate ; the submarines and ; and the fast combat support ship . The group later saw action in Operation Anaconda and the Second Gulf War.