Carrier Strike Group Fifteen Carrier Strike Group Fifteen , abbreviated CSG - 15 or CARSTRKGRU 15 , was one of fourteen U . S . Navy carrier strike group s established on 1 October 2004 . U . S . Navy carrier strike groups are employed in a variety of roles , all of which involve gaining and maintaining sea control . Before 1 October 2004 , the group was known as Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 . The group commander served as Immediate Superior - in - Command ( ISIC ) for the ships and units assigned to Carrier Strike Group Fifteen . As an Operational Commander , the group commander exercised oversight of training , integrated training , and readiness , as well as maintaining administrative functions and material readiness tracking for ships and squadrons assigned to the group . Carrier Strike Group Fifteen was initially based at Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia , prior to changing its homeport to Naval Air Station North Island , California , with the " Nimitz " - class nuclear - powered aircraft carrier assigned as its flagship . Pre 2004 operations . In 1978 , Norman Polmar writes that Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 , with its staff and all its subordinate units at San Diego , consisted of Destroyer Squadron 5 , Destroyer Squadron 13 , and Destroyer Squadron 23 . Commander , Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 led Battle Group Sierra to the Middle East in 1987 . The Group consisted of , USS " Bunker Hill " , , USS HOEL ( DDG - 13 ) , USS CURTS ( FFG 38 ) , and USS KANSAS CITY ( AOR 3 ) . While part of the Third Fleet , Battle Group Sierra was designated Task Group 30 . 7 , which changed to TG 70 . 10 when en route to the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman . Rear Admiral J . Paul Reason commanded Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 from 1988 to November 1990 , also commanding Battle Group Romeo during that period . Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 was led by " Constellation " for its November 1994 – 1995 ' Westpac ' 95 ' cruise . Effective October 1 , 1995 , Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 / USS " Constellation " Battle Group was to include : USS " Lake Erie " and USS " Chosin " . ( Globalsecurity . org ) . Then Rear Admiral Barry M . Costello became Commander , Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 in June 2002 . For " Constellation " ' s final cruise in 2002 , Destroyer Squadron 7 provided the screen , being made up of " Bunker Hill , " Benfold , Valley Forge , Howard , Kinkaid , Milius , USS John Paul Jones , USS Higgins , and USS Thatch . " Constellation " ' s 20th deployment began on 16 March 2001 . She entered the Persian Gulf on 30 April and immediately commenced operations in support of OSW . On 13 May , CAPT John W . Miller assumed command as " Connie ' s " 30th skipper , and her last . She ceased OSW operations on 4 August , having conducted multiple air strikes in response to Iraqi violations of the no - fly zone . " " Connie " " departed Pearl Harbor , Hawaii on 9 September with dependents on board for the traditional Tiger Cruise on the final leg to San Diego . On 11 September " Constellation " was nearly halfway between Pearl Harbor and San Diego when word was received of the September 11 terrorist attacks . Despite discussions about turning the battle group around , the carrier was allowed to complete her regularly scheduled deployment . " Connie " arrived in San Diego on Friday 14 September and celebrated her 40th birthday the next month . Following an abbreviated turnaround cycle , " Constellation " prepared for her final deployment . She departed on 2 November 2002 , leading Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 under the command of Rear Admiral Barry M . Costello . She was soon supporting Operation Enduring Freedom ; on 17 December she entered the Persian Gulf to begin OSW missions . On 19 March 2003 , with two carriers in the eastern Mediterranean and three in the gulf , Operation Iraqi Freedom commenced . " Connie " was designated a night carrier and remained on station throughout the major ground combat phase . She launched more than 1 , 500 sorties and CVW - 2 aircraft delivered over 1 . 7 million pounds ( 770 , 000 kg ) of ordnance . While one aircraft was lost in an operational mishap , there were no fatalities . Before 2004 ( 2003 ? ) , Cruiser - Destroyer Group One included USS " Constellation " , USS " Bunker Hill " , and USS " Lake Erie " . South American transit 2004 . On 27 May 2004 , the carrier " Ronald Reagan " departed from Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia , for a two - month cruise to change her homeport to Naval Air Station North Island , California . While the homeport change cruise was underway , many U . S . Navy aircraft carriers were active simultaneously , an occurrence grouped by the Navy as ' Exercise Summer Pulse ' . Rear Admiral Robert T . Moeller , Commander , Cruiser - Destroyer Group One ( CCDG - 1 ) , and his group staff , led the deployment . Admiral Moeller oversaw all the training exercises and the transit of " Reagan " to San Diego . The following squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Eleven ( CVW - 11 ) were temporarily embarked on board the " Ronald Reagan " : Carrier Air Wing Eleven was normally embarked on board the carrier , and the main purpose for embarking these CVW - 11 squadrons on board " Reagan " was to complete their training evolutions prior to their next Western Pacific ( WESTPAC ) deployment . While underway , on 15 June 2004 , the crew of the " Reagan " held a memorial service for its namesake following its first foreign port visit to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , on 3 June ( " pictured " ) . " Reagan " subsequently paid port visits to Valparaíso , Chile , and Callao , Peru , prior to arriving at its new homeport of Naval Air Station North Island , California , on 23 July 2004 . Exercises & port visits . During its inter - fleet transfer , the carrier " Reagan " and its embarked CVW - 11 aircraft participated on several bilateral and multilateral naval exercises . On 17 June 2004 , two Super Étendard jet fighters and three S - 2T Turbo Trackers antisubmarine aircraft from the Argentine Navy carried out touch - and - go landings on the " Reagan " s flight deck during Gringo - Gaucho exercises ( " pictured " ) . The " Reagan " Carrier Strike Group also participated in a SIFOREX ( Silent Forces ) exercise with the Peruvian Navy prior to its port visit to Callao , Peru , on 9 July 2004 . In terms of scale , the most significant naval exercise involving the " Ronald Reagan " Carrier Strike Group was UNITAS 45 - 04 , the largest multinational naval exercise held in Latin America . Joining the carrier " Reagan " and Carrier Air Wing Eleven ( CVW - 11 ) were the guided - missile cruiser , the dock landing ship , and the guided - missile destroyers and . UNITAS 45 - 04 included naval forces from Argentina , Bolivia , Chile , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , Paraguay , Peru , United States , and Uruguay , with observers from Colombia and Mexico , and it was hosted by Peru and sponsored by Rear Admiral Vinson Smith , commander , Commander U . S . Naval Forces Southern Command ( Task Force 138 ) . While it featured jungle warfare , peacekeeping , and humanitarian operations , the highlight of UNITAS 45 - 04 was the first multi - national amphibious assault exercise held in Latin America on 24 June 2004 , with close air support provided by Carrier Air Wing Eleven and the Peruvian Air Force . Change of command . On 6 August 2004 , Rear Admiral Robert J . Cox ( " pictued " ) relieved Rear Admiral Robert T . Moeller as Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group One ( CCDG - 1 ) and its " Ronald Reagan " Carrier Strike Group during a change - of - command ceremony held on the flight deck of aircraft carrier . Admiral Moeller ' s next assignment was as Director , Plans and Policy ( J - 5 ) at U . S . Central Command ( CENTCOM ) . On 1 October 2004 , Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Group One was re - designated as Carrier Strike Group Fifteen . 2005 Operations . On 11 January 2005 , the carrier departed San Diego for routine carrier operations and to transport two VRC - 30 C - 2A Greyhound aircraft for use in support of Operation Unified Assistance . After a 12 - day underway period , " Reagan " paid a three - day port visit to Hawaii beginning 22 January . On 21 March 2005 , Carrier Strike Group Fifteen was disestablished , and " Reagan " was reassigned as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group Seven .