Carrier Strike Group Ten Carrier Strike Group Ten , abbreviated as CSG - 10 or CARSTRKGRU 10 , is one of five U . S . Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command . Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore . The aircraft carrier is the strike group ' s current flagship , and as of 2012 , other units assigned to Carrier Strike Group Ten include Carrier Air Wing Three embarked on board the " Harry S . Truman " , the guided - missile cruiser , and Destroyer Squadron 26 . Historical background . Carrier Strike Group Ten ' s lineage can be traced to Destroyer Flotilla Two , which was established during World War I at Naval Station Newport , Rhode Island . The Flotilla was deactivated in 1922 as part of the fleet draw down after the war . Destroyer Flotilla Two was reactivated in 1931 and served throughout the 1930s as a caretaker of reserve destroyers until again deactivated in the early days of World War II . As part of a Navy reorganization , the Flotilla was reactivated yet again in 1946 . In 1973 , Cruiser - Destroyer Flotilla Two was renamed Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two , and it relocated to Charleston Navy Yard in South Carolina in 1974 . Among its ships was , a destroyer tender . Rear Admiral Samuel L . Gravely , Jr . , the first African - American flag officer in the U . S . Navy , commanded Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two . Rear Admiral Henry C . Muston , Jr . , also commanded Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two . During his tenure as Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two , Admiral Mustin was an pioneer in the tactical use of the Tomahawk cruise missile , and he was one of the first non - aviators to command a U . S . Navy carrier battle group . In late June 1990 , Rear Admiral Thomas D . Paulson , Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two , led the guided - missile cruiser and the guided - missile frigate to visit Poland during BALTOPS ' 90 , a U . S . Naval Forces Europe - hosted exercise in the Baltic Sea . Their port call at Gdynia was the first visit by United States Navy vessels to Poland since 1927 . In the middle of 1992 , the U . S . Navy instituted a concept which mandated greater task group integration of naval air and surface warfare assets into a more permanent carrier battle group structure . Instead of routinely changing the cruisers , destroyers , and frigates assigned to each carrier battle group , there was an attempt made to affiliate certain escorts more permanently with the carriers they escorted . Each of the Navy ' s 12 existing carrier battle groups was planned to consist of an aircraft carrier ; an embarked carrier air wing ; cruiser , destroyer , and frigate units ; and two nuclear - powered attack submarines . For details regarding this re - alignments as it pertained to Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two , see the chart below . In 1993 , following a fleet reorganization , the Cruiser Destroyer Group Two staff went aboad a new flagship , the new Nimitz class aircraft carrier . The group participated in the 2000 NATO Exercise Destined Glory , Operation Joint Endeavor , Operation Deny Flight , Operation Southern Watch , and Operation Vigilant Resolve . After 2001 the group took part in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . In 1997 Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two , Rear Admiral Michael Mullen , led the group on deployment from " George Washington " . On 1 October 2004 , Cruiser - Destroyer Group Two was redesignated as Carrier Strike Group Ten . Subsequently , " George Washington " was relieved as the flagship by the nuclear - powered aircraft carrier . Command structure . Commander Carrier Strike Group Ten ( COMCARSTRKGRU 10 or CCSG 10 ) is responsible for unit - level training , integrated training , and material readiness for the ships and aviation squadrons assigned to the group . When not deployed , the strike group is part of the U . S . Fleet Forces Command , and its commander reports to Commander Task Force 80 , the director of Fleet Forces ' Maritime Headquarters . Carrier Strike Group Ten is designated Task Group 80 . 4 . When deployed overseas , the group comes under command of the numbered fleet ( Third , Fourth , Fifth , Sixth , or Seventh ) in whose area it is operating , and will have a task force or task group designator , for example , Task Group 50 . 1 in the Fifth Fleet area . Group commanders since May 2004 have included : Operational history . 2004 - 2005 deployment . Carrier Strike Group Ten departed Norfolk on 13 October 2004 for an extended deployment under the command of Rear Admiral Michael C . Tracy . The strike group participated in the Joint Maritime Course north of Scotland between 25 – 28 October 2004 which included multi - national strike , surface , and submarine warfare exercises . The strike group transited the Suez Canal on 11 November 2004 , joining the U . S . Fifth Fleet , and relieved Carrier Strike Group Four , led the , on 20 November 2004 . " Truman " and Carrier Air Wing Three launched 2 , 577 sorties , totaling nearly 13 , 000 flight hours , in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and maritime security operations being relieved by the Carrier Strike Group One in the Persian Gulf on 19 March 2005 . One major air operation involved a VAW - 126 detachment of two E - 2C Hawkeyes that operated out of Kandahar International Airport in southern Afghanistan , from 4 – 13 December 2004 . The detachment ' s mission was to provide airborne command and control for the inauguration of President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai . This event was attended by an entourage led by Richard B . Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald H . Rumsfeld . Despite plans to cross the equator and visited South Africa , diplomatic issues caused the strike group to transit the Suez Canal , stopping in Portsmouth , England , prior to returning to the United States on 19 April 2005 . Operation Brewing Storm 2005 . Code - named Operation Brewing Storm , Joint Task Force Exercise 05 - 2 ( JTFEX 05 - 2 ) was held between 14 – 22 July 2005 , and it involved Carrier Strike Group Ten , Carrier Strike Group Two , the Spanish frigate " Álvaro de Bazán " , and the Peruvian submarine " Antofagasta " . " Truman " and Carrier Air Wing Three also completed sustainment training 19 July 2005 in accordance with the U . S . Navy ’ s Fleet Response Training Plan ( FRTP ) , which included general quarters drills , strike warfare , close air support , and air defense operations . Following humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 , " Truman " underwent an extended yard period at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth , Virginia . Operation Bold Step 2007 . Code - named Operation Bold Step , Joint Task Force Exercise 07 - 2 ( JTFEX 07 - 2 ) was a multilateral naval exercises involving 30 ships and more than 15 , 000 personnel from five different nations led by the aircraft carriers , , and ( " pictured " ) . Operation Bold Step took place between 26 – 31 August 2007 off the coast of North Carolina and Florida . 2007 - 2008 deployment . On 5 November 2007 , following the yard period and training exercises , Carrier Strike Group Ten ( " pictured " ) departed Norfolk under the command Rear Admiral William E . Gortney for its 2007 - 2008 deployment to the U . S . Fifth Fleet . Carrier Air Wing Three aircraft flew more than 26 , 500 hours during 9 , 500 sorties , including 2 , 459 combat sorties directly in support of coalition forces operating on the ground in Iraq . This included flying almost 14 , 000 combat hours and expended 77 , 500 pounds of ordnance during 228 troops - in - contact events , as well as providing defense to the Iraqi oil platforms . Additionally , the carrier air wing provided logistical support to the American Embassy in Lebanon . The air wing ' s aircraft also carried out a variety of security cooperation exercises with five countries within the Sixth Fleet and Fifth Fleet areas to enhance allied cooperation and interoperability . Surface warships of Destroyer Squadron 26 operated with over 50 coalition warships from 11 countries supporting combat operations in Iraq , carrying maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf , and conducting seven exercises throughout the Middle East . The squadron ' s warships made 1 , 021 approach - and - assist visits with local fishermen and merchants to encourage them to contact coalition warships as first responders against Persian Gulf piracy and smuggling . They also conducted Visit , Board , Search , and Seizure ( VBSS ) operations , searching for vessels that could support international terrorist organizations by transferring personnel , drugs , and weapons . Finally , Destroyer Squadron 26 provided security patrols northern Persian Gulf to protect the vital Khor Al - Amaya and Al - Basra oil terminals from possible terrorist attacks . Carrier Strike Group Ten completed its seven - month - long 2007 - 2008 overseas deployment , returning to Norfolk on 6 June 2008 . 2010 deployment . On 21 May 2010 , Carrier Strike Group Ten deployed for its 2010 deployment under the command of Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll . During the seven - month deployment , the strike group flew 2 , 915 missions into Afghanistan and Iraq , delivering 35 , 000 pounds ( 15 , 876 kg ) of ordnance in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and , providing surge support for coalition forces in Afghanistan , and to support existing maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf . Detachments from helicopter squadron HSL - 44 based on board the destroyers and flew a combined 1 , 875 hours in support of anti - piracy operations , multinational training events , and counter - smuggling missions in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean . " Normandy " served as the naval Regional Air Defense Commander ( RADC ) during the deployment , providing surveillance of more than 264 million square miles ( 683 . 8 million km ) of air space . On 5 July 2010 , the guided - missile frigate assisted 16 stranded Pakistani fishermen " ( pictured ) " whose boat had taken on water and sank two days earlier . After being spotted floating adrift in a life raft by a Task Force 57 Lockheed P - 3 Orion , the stranded crew was recovered by the " Elrod " s rigid - hulled inflatable boat before being transferred to the Pakistani Navy frigate PNS " Babur " on 6 July 2010 . On 18 November 2010 , guided - missile destroyer located and provided assistance to two Iranian mariners who were spotted floating in a life raft in the Persian Gulf . " Oscar Austin " was operating with Combined Task Force 152 , and the two mariners were picked up by an Iranian rescue vessel . On 15 November 2010 , four Sikorsky CH - 53E Super Stallion helicopters from squadron VMM - 266 landed and re - fueled on board the carrier " Harry S . Truman " following operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan . These VMM - 266 helicopters part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit , and they were returning to the amphibious assault ship after completing humanitarian relief efforts in Pakistan . Because of the distance between Pakistan and " Kearsarge " , the " Truman " acted as a " lily pad " for the helicopters to re - fuel . Carrier Strike Group Ten returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 20 December 2010 , completing its six - month deployment . 2011 - 2013 operations . Exercise FRUKUS 2011 , involving France , Russia , the United Kingdom , and the United States , began off the coast of Virginia on 20 June 2011 . It was a two - week exercise to improve the navies ' maritime security operations capabilities . U . S . naval forces included Commander Carrier Strike Group Ten , Destroyer Squadron 26 , and the guided - missile destroyer ; and the international naval forces included the French frigate " Ventôse " , the Russian destroyer " Admiral Chabanenko " , and the British destroyer . The exercise consisted of two phases , ashore and at - sea . The week - long ashore phase included damage control , fire fighting , and ship handling exercises . The at - sea phase ( " pictured " ) occurred during the second week , between 27 June and 1 July , and included maritime domain awareness training , anti - piracy operations , and maritime interdiction operations . A multi - national task group staff ashore provided command and control . Between 31 July and 2 August 2011 , Destroyer Squadron 26 participated in a passing exercise with Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships off the east coast of the United States . Passing exercises are designed to provide realistic training environments that closely replicates the operational challenges routinely encountered around the world . The destroyer squadron worked in close coordination with the JMSDF Training Squadron which consists of newly - commissioned Japanese surface warfare officers . U . S . naval units participating were Carrier Strike Group Ten , Destroyer Squadron 26 , the guided - missile cruiser , the guided - missile destroyer , and the guided - missile frigate . The JMSDF Training Squadron consisted of the destroyer " Mineyuki " , the training vessel " Asagiri " , and the training vessel . Between 19 to 29 June 2012 , Commander Carrier Strike Group Ten participated in War of 1812 Commemoration Fleet Exercise , or 1812 FleetEx , with Rear Admiral Herman Shelanski embarked on the helicopter carrier . It involved 19 warships from the United States , Brazil , the United Kingdom , Norway , Germany , Portugal , Denmark , and Canada under the command of Rear Admiral Scott Craig , the Commander Strike Force Training Atlantic . The 1812 FleetEx also served as the summer cruise for over 60 midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy . On 7 July 2012 , " Harry S Truman " departed Norfolk Naval Shipyard , Virginia , for sea trials ( " pictured " ) following its 16 - month - long docking planned incremental availability overhaul . " Harry S Truman " completing its sea trials on 10 July 2012 , signaling the conclusion of the " Truman " s overhaul period and the start of its pre - deployment training cycle , beginning with carrier qualifications on 3 August 2012 . On 24 October 2012 , the " Harry S Truman " completed its tailored ship ' s training availability ( TSTA ) period . as well as successfully its final evaluation problem ( FEP ) assessment , following a 24 - day underway period . Carrier Air Wing Three underwent advanced training at Naval Air Station , Nevada , between 12 November to 21 December 2012 while the " Truman " performed carrier - based evaluation of the X - 47B Unmanned Combat Air System between 26 November and 18 December 2012 ( " pictured " ) . On 14 January 2013 , Carrier Strike Group Ten began its 20 - day Composite Training Unit Exercise in order to undertake a surge deployment to the U . S . Fifth Fleet two months ahead of its previously scheduled departure date . One unit of Carrier Strike Group Ten not part of this surge deployment was the guided - missile cruiser which was undergoing repairs following a collision with the nuclear - powered attack submarine on 13 October 2012 during training exercises off the coast of Florida . Joining Carrier Strike Group Ten were the Canadian frigate and replenishment oiler , as well as the German frigate " Hamburg " . On 3 February 2013 , Carrier Strike Group Ten completed its Composite Training Unit Exercise and returned to Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia . It was also announced that the guided - missile cruiser and the German frigate " Hamburg " will join Carrier Strike Group Ten for its upcoming 2013 deployment . On 6 February 2013 , the U . S . Department of Defense announced that the upcoming deployment of Carrier Strike Group Ten would be postponed pending the resolution of the upcoming budget sequestration , leaving Carrier Strike Group Three led by as the only carrier force in the Persian Gulf region . Carrier Strike Group Ten was originally scheduled to depart Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia , on 8 February 2013 . On 5 June 2013 , Carrier Strike Group Ten was underway to begin its final sustainment exercise ( " pictured " ) prior to its upcoming deployment , completing this exercise on 17 June 2013 . 2013 deployment . On 22 July 2013 , Carrier Strike Group Ten departed Norfolk Naval Base , Virginia , for its 2013 deployment to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean . The group is scheduled to join the U . S . Fifth Fleet in mid - August , and is slated to relieve Carrier Strike Group Eleven . The duration of this deployment was estimated to be between eight to nine month in length . The surface warfare duties for the strike group will be coordinated by the 1st Combined Destroyer Squadron , a combined American - Briish staff . Carrier Strike Group Ten joined the U . S . Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea in two sections . The first section consisted of the cruiser and the two destroyers , joining the fleet on 26 July 26 , 2013 . The second section consisted of the carrier and the cruiser , joining on 29 July 2013 . This is the first time that the strike group has operated with the Sixth Fleet since 2010 . On 19 August 2013 , Carrier Strike Group Ten transited the Suez Canal and joined the U . S . Fifth Fleet . Carrier Strike Group Ten relieved Carrier Strike Group Eleven on 26 August 2013 and began combat air operations in support of the War in Afghanistan on 27 August 2013 ( " pictured " ) . Both U . S . Navy carrier strike groups remained in the north Arabian Sea area pending potential military action against Syria amid allegations that the regime of Syrian president Bashar al - Assad used chemical weapons during the ongoing Syrian civil war , including the gas attacks that occurred on 21 August 2013 . On 2 September 2013 , Carrier Strike Group Eleven moved into the Red Sea while Carrier Strike Group Ten continued to operate in the North Arabian Sea . On 6 October 2013 , the strike group ' s flagship , the " Harry S . Truman " , dispatched a helicopter in response to a medical assistance on board the Marshall Islands - flagged merchant vessel " C Elephant " located from Carrier Strike Group in the Gulf of Oman .