USS Carl Vinson ( CVN - 70 ) The USS " Carl Vinson " ( CVN - 70 ) is the third United States Navy " Nimitz " class supercarrier and is named after Carl Vinson , a Congressman from Georgia , in recognition of his contributions to the US Navy . The ship was launched in 1980 , undertook her maiden voyage in 1983 , and underwent Refueling and Overhaul between 2005 and 2009 . " Carl Vinson ' s " callsign is " Gold Eagle " . Besides deployments in Operation Desert Strike , Operation Iraqi Freedom , Operation Southern Watch , and Operation Enduring Freedom , the " Carl Vinson " was involved in a number of notable events . The body of Osama bin Laden was disposed of in 2011 from the deck of the " Carl Vinson " , and that same year , on 11 November , she played host to the first NCAA basketball game on an aircraft carrier , between North Carolina and Michigan State . Namesake . A member of the United States House of Representatives for fifty years , Carl Vinson was , for twenty - nine years , the Chairman of the House Naval Affairs and Armed Services Committee ; Vinson was the principal sponsor of the so - called " Vinson Acts , " culminating in the Two - Ocean Navy Act of 1940 , which provided for the massive Naval shipbuilding effort in World War II . Ship Seal . The seal of USS " Carl Vinson " shows an eagle , wings spread and talons extended , carrying a banner in its beak . The eagle is emblematic of the nation and the ship ' s motto , and also represents the power that resides in the ship ' s aircraft . The eagle flies in the form of a stylized letter " V , " the initial of the ship ' s namesake , Congressman Carl Vinson . The " V " also represents the ship ' s hull when viewed bow - on . Inscribed on the banner the eagle carries is the Latin Phrase " Vis Per Mare " which means " Strength through the Sea . " Carrier Strike Group 1 . In October 2009 , the US Navy announced that " Carl Vinson " would be the flagship of the newly established Carrier Strike Group 1 , based in San Diego . The ship , under the command of Captain Bruce H . Lindsey , departed Norfolk for San Diego on 12 January 2010 . Accompanying the carrier was Carrier Air Wing Seventeen , Destroyer Squadron 1 and the guided missile cruiser " Bunker Hill " . As of September 2012 , the ship is under the command of Captain Kent Whalen . Design and construction . The keel was laid at Newport News Shipbuilding on 11 October 1975 , and on 15 March 1980 the ship was launched / christened . Congressman Carl Vinson became the first person in the history of the United States Navy to witness a ship ' s launching in his honor . After builder sea trials , she was delivered to the Navy on 26 February 1982 . Ship history . 1980s . USS Carl Vinson was commissioned on 13 March 1982 at Newport News , Virginia , with Captain Richard Martin commanding . Present were the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Thomas B . Hayward , Secretary of the Navy John F . Lehman , Keynote speaker Senator John Tower , and ship ' s sponsor Molly Snead . After commissioning , " USS Carl Vinson " put to sea to conduct flight deck certifications , an evaluation designed to test the ship ’ s ability to conduct Modern US Navy carrier air operations . That was followed by numerous at sea periods for various training evolutions along the East Coast . " Carl Vinson " departed Norfolk on 1 March 1983 with Carrier Air Wing 15 embarked for her maiden deployment , an eight - month around the world cruise to her new homeport of Naval Air Station Alameda , California , arriving on 28 Oct 1983 . " Carl Vinson " participated in RIMPAC ' 84 before departing on 14 October 1984 for an overseas deployment in the Western Pacific . Carrier Air Wing 15 was embarked . From January until April 1985 , " Carl Vinson " was in the Indian Ocean for 107 consecutive days . The WESTPAC deployment included Sea of Japan operations while pursuing a Soviet Charlie I class submarine in the Indian Ocean . The carrier received her first Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations conducted from November 1984 to May 1985 . In February , the Chief of Naval Operations named " Carl Vinson " the winner of the Admiral James H . Flatley Memorial Award for operational readiness and aviation safety for 1984 . On 12 August 1986 the ship departed Alameda for a western Pacific deployment , again with CVW - 15 aboard , and in the process became the first modern U . S . aircraft carrier to operate in the Bering Sea . In January 1987 , after operating extensively in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea , " Carl Vinson " transited the Bering Sea once more while returning to NAS Alameda . " Carl Vinson " and CVW - 15 departed for the ship ' s fourth overseas deployment on 15 June 1988 . While on station the carrier supported Operation Earnest Will , the escort of U . S . flagged tankers in the Persian Gulf . The carrier returned to the States on 16 December 1988 and was awarded the Admiral Flatley Memorial Award for aviation safety for 1988 . On 18 September 1989 the carrier departed Alameda to participate in PACEX ' 89 , the largest peacetime naval exercise since the Second World War . During the exercise " Carl Vinson " operated in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands , eventually leading a three carrier battle group operation in the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean . " Carl Vinson " had a port call in Pusan , South Korea and then returned to her home port of Alameda shortly after the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . 1990s . " Vinson " departed on her fifth deployment ( again with CVW - 15 ) on 1 February 1990 , the last deployment for the A - 7 Corsair . The ship returned to Alameda on 30 July 1990 . On 22 September 1990 , " Carl Vinson " entered the yards at Bremerton Naval Station , Washington for a 28 - month complex overhaul ( COH ) . The carrier received her first COMNAVAIRPAC Battle " E " award for 1990 . On 17 February 1994 the carrier , with Carrier Air Wing Fourteen embarked , departed for the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch . The carrier returned to Alameda on 17 August 1994 , receiving her third Admiral Flatley Award for aviation safety . In 1995 , a documentary entitled " Carrier : Fortress at Sea " was aired on the Discovery Channel , which chronicled the carrier ' s six - month - long voyage to and from the Persian Gulf . From 26 August until 3 September 1995 , " Vinson " participated in Exercise Ke Koa , as well as ceremonies to commemorate the end of World War II in the Pacific . During these ceremonies , President Bill Clinton visited the ship in Hawaii . As part of the commemoration ceremonies , " Vinson " launched 11 WWII era planes . The ship departed for her seventh deployment 14 May 1996 , heading for the Persian Gulf with CVW - 14 in support for Operation Southern Watch and Operation Desert Strike . The ship also participated in Exercise Rugged Nautilus before returning to Alameda on 14 November 1996 . With the closing of Naval Air Station Alameda , the ship was transferred to Bremerton , Washington , arriving at her new homeport on 17 January 1997 , where she played host to the last carrier launch and recovery operations for the A - 6E Intruder . In 1998 with Carrier Air Wing Eleven ( CVW - 11 ) embarked , the ship participated in RIMPAC ' 98 , where on the morning of 10 August , HMAS Onslow located the ' enemy ' , closed to within 300 metres ( 980 ft ) without being detected , then released green flares to indicate her location , ' sinking ' the supercarrier , before departing for the Persian Gulf , launching airstrike s on 19 December 1998 in support of Operation Desert Fox and Operation Southern Watch . These strikes continued into March 1999 . In July 1999 , " Carl Vinson " was drydocked in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for 13 months as the Navy spent more than $ 230 million to upgrade the ship . Post refit shakedowns continued into 2000 . 2000s . On 23 July 2001 , again with CVW - 11 embarked , " Carl Vinson " steamed from Bremerton , Washington , bound for the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch . This changed abruptly on 11 September 2001 , as the ship was rounding the tip of India . In response to the terror attacks on U . S . soil , " Vinson " changed course and sped toward the North Arabian Sea , where on 7 October 2001 , " Vinson " launched the first airstrikes in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . For 72 days , " Vinson " , along with Carrier Wing 11 , launched over 4 , 000 combat sorties in the War on Terror , earning the ship the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal . " Vinson " earned the Battle E and Navy Unit Commendation during this deployment . In mid December , " Vinson " began the return trip home , stopping over at Changi Naval Base , Singapore for Christmas before reaching the U . S . on 23 January 2002 . In April , the ship was overhauled , setting sail in September for a post - refit shakedown . During this time several new operational systems were installed , and the ship ’ s flight deck and catapults were completely renovated . Numerous other spaces and crew living areas were also entirely restored , drastically improving working and living conditions for the crew . Completing her maintenance / overhaul period in record - setting time , USS Carl Vinson and crew got underway in September to conduct sea trials . In January 2003 she was set for a one month work up for Flight Deck Quals with Carrier Air Wing Nine ( CVW - 9 ) embarked . Due to the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom the ship was extended at sea indefinitely . After 9 months ( Sept 2003 ) " Carl Vinson " finally returned to Bremerton on 15 September 2003 . From January 2003 until September 2003 , she made port calls in Hawaii , Guam , South Korea , Japan , Australia , Hong Kong , and Singapore . USS Carl Vinson ’ s participation in Foal Eagle , an annually scheduled joint and combined training exercise conducted in the Korean theatre . In competition year 2004 , she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award , awarded to the most battle - ready ship in the U . S . Pacific Fleet . In January 2005 , " Carl Vinson " departed Bremerton , Washington with CVW - 9 embarked for a six - month deployment , including several months in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Highlights of the cruise included port calls to Singapore , Guam , Bahrain , the United Arab Emirates , Rhodes , Greece and Lisbon , Portugal . " Vinson " completed this deployment at Naval Station Norfolk on 31 July 2005 . Refueling and Complex Overhaul 2005 . In November 2005 , " Carl Vinson " became the third " Nimitz " class carrier to undergo a mid - life Refueling and Complex Overhaul ( RCOH ) , which was scheduled to last 36 months . The ship moved out of dry dock to pier side berth at Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard in May 2007 . She commenced post - refueling sea trials on 28 June 2009 and returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 1 July 2009 . The Navy accepted her back into the fleet on 11 July 2009 , after successful completion of her sea trials . In October 2009 , " Carl Vinson " entered a four - month shipyard maintenance period at Northrup Grumman Newport News in preparation for her upcoming transit to the Pacific in the spring . The ship was scheduled to transit around South America to her new home of NAS North Island ( San Diego ) , joining the " Nimitz " ( CVN - 68 ) and " Ronald Reagan " ( CVN - 76 ) , by early 2010 . 2010s . On 12 January 2010 , just hours after the 2010 Haiti earthquake , " Carl Vinson " was ordered to redirect from her current deployment in the North Atlantic Ocean to Haiti to contribute to the relief effort as part of Operation Unified Response . Upon receiving orders from USSOUTHCOM , the " Carl Vinson " battle group proceeded to Mayport , Florida where the ships loitered offshore to receive additional supplies and helicopters . The ships arrived off Port au Prince on 15 January 2010 to commence operations . CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta , pediatric surgeon Henri Ford , and two Navy doctors removed a piece of concrete from the skull of a 12 - year - old earthquake victim in an operation performed aboard " Carl Vinson " on 18 January . In addition to providing medical relief , CVN - 70 ' s excess desalination capacity was critical to providing water to Haiti ' s population during the earthquake relief . On March 2010 , during her transit around South America performed Gringo - Gaucho / Southern Seas 2010 maneuvers with the Argentine Navy On 12 April 2010 the carrier arrived at her new home port of Naval Station North Island , San Diego California . On 30 November 2010 , with Carrier Air Wing Seventeen embarked , the " Vinson " departed Naval Air Station North Island for a three - week composite training unit exercise ( COMPTUEX ) and its 2010 – 2011 deployment to the U . S . Seventh Fleet Area of Responsibility ( AOR ) in the Western Pacific and U . S . Fifth Fleet Areas of Responsibility in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf as part of Carrier Strike Group One . This is the first Western Pacific deployment for " Vinson " in more than five years since the ship entered its Refueling Complex Overhaul ( RCOH ) in the fall of 2005 . On 11 April 2011 while operating in the Arabian Sea , an F / A - 18 Hornet suffered an engine fire immediately after launch from the carrier . The aircraft returned to the carrier with one engine and the fire was extinguished without any damage to the ship or any injuries to the pilot or ship crew members . On 2 May 2011 , following the death of Osama bin Laden , his body was brought aboard Carl Vinson , which was operating in the Northern Arabian Sea , and buried at sea following religious rites . The ship docked in Manila Bay in the Philippines from 15 to 18 May 2011 for a " routine port call and goodwill visit " meant to " highlight the strong historic , community , and military connections between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines . " Among those given a special tour of this aircraft carrier were Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and U . S . Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K . Thomas , Jr . This brief visit was criticized by cause - oriented group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan as well as Filipino youth leader Raymond Palatino and University of the Philippines political science professor Clarita Carlos . The ship docked in Hong Kong in the Peoples Republic of China on Sunday , 22 May 2011 to take on supplies for its return to homeport San Diego , and to provide photo opportunities to the Chinese press . The ship returned to San Diego on 15 June 2011 . On 21 June 2011 , it was announced that the Michigan State Spartans would play a regular season men ' s basketball game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson on Veterans Day . On 11 November 2011 , the inaugural Carrier Classic took place at the Naval Air Station North Island on San Diego Bay in Coronado , California . U . S . President Barack Obama was one of 8 , 111 people in attendance as the Tar Heels defeated the Spartans by a score of 67 – 55 . On 30 November 2011 , " Carl Vinson " departed Naval Air Station North Island , California , on its scheduled Western Pacific ( WESTPAC ) deployment . During January 2012 , Carl Vinson began to patrol the Arabian Sea . On 23 May 2012 , Carl Vinson returned to Naval Air Station North Island , California , to end its November 2011 deployment . It had stopped earlier in Hawaii to pick up approximately 900 " Tigers " - friends and family of the sailors aboard the ship who traveled with the ship from Hawaii to San Diego . On 5 July 2012 , USS Carl Vinson began preparations for a Planned Incremental Availability ( PIA ) period . PIA is a major maintenance phase that all U . S . Naval vessels must go through multiple times throughout their lifetime to be able to sustain underway operations . PIA 2012 - 2013 for the Carl Vinson included overhauls of over 40 crew living spaces , 30 heads and hundreds of workspaces throughout the ship . It also included upgrades to many of the electronics and defense systems that the ship uses during deployments , to include an upgrade from the Global Command and Control System - Maritime ( GCCS - M ) to the Distributed Common Ground System - Navy ( DCGS - N ) . On 30 January 2013 , USS Carl Vinson commenced sea trials , marking its first time underway in seven months , since its ammo offload which ended on 29 June 2012 . Upon returning from this underway period , the ship ' s commanding officer , Captain Kent Whalen , announced on 2 February 2013 that PIA had officially ended , marking the first on - time PIA completion since 1999 . Since February 2013 , the Carl Vinson has been underway multiple times conducting carrier qualifications with Carrier Airwing Seventeen as well as multiple crew certification exercises . The most recent accomplishment for USS Carl Vinson was the completion of its evaluation of nuclear reactor operation . During this evaluation , the Naval Sea Systems Command embarks a team of proctors who put the ship ' s engineering department through a multitude of drills and exercises to test their ability to safely operate a nuclear reactor and to contain any casualty of the reactor as it occurs . This was completed on 1 July 2013 . Since then , the Carl Vinson has been pierside at Naval Air Station North Island receiving small maintenance upgrades . Awards . " Carl Vinson " has received numerous awards , including :