USS Carl Vinson Commanding Officer Capt. Karl Thomas, right, and Executive Officer Capt. Walt Slaughter, left, cut their birthday cake in the hangar bay on board the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Carl Vinson is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, maritime security operations, and theater security cooperation efforts in the region.