The United States Navy
displacement: Approx. 97,000 tons (98,556.67 metric tons) full load
length: 1,092 feet (332.85 meters)
beam: 134 feet (40.84 meters); extreme width: 252 feet (76.8 meters)
speed: In excess of 30 knots (34.5+ miles per hour)
complement: 3,950 crew
aircraft: 85
armament: Two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers; four 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts
class: Nimitz
From: USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Public Affairs Office
Larger screen images are linked from the images in the text below.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is the fourth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Her history began Sept. 30, 1980, when a contract was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding. Construction began Oct. 31, 1981, when Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger authenticated the keel laying by initiating the first weld. Capt. Paul W. Parcells was named prospective commanding officer in February 1984. The ship was commissioned and placed in active service on Oct. 25, 1986.
Capt. Dayton W. Ritt became USS Theodore Roosevelt's second commanding officer on Oct. 3, 1987. On Dec. 30, 1988, TR started her maiden deployment which was also the maiden deployment of the first 10-squadron air wing, Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8). Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the Battle "E" from Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, on Mar. 20, 1990.
On Jun. 9, 1990, Capt. Charles S. Abbot became the ship's third commanding officer. On Dec. 28, the carrier and CVW-8 deployed for Operation Desert Shield. She entered the war on Jan. 9, 1991, flying more than 4,200 sorties — more than any other carrier, and dropping over 4,800,000 pounds of ordnance before the cease-fire on Feb. 28.
When Iraqi forces turned on the Kurds, Theodore Roosevelt and her air wing were among the first coalition forces in Operation Provide Comfort, flying patrols over northern Iraq.
After a 189-day deployment, with 169 days at sea, the carrier returned to her homeport of Norfolk, Va., on Jun. 28, 1991. On Feb. 14, 1992, the ship won its second Battle "E." This was followed by the award of the Battenburg Cup for 1991 as the Atlantic Fleet's premier ship.
Capt. Stanley W. Bryant became Theodore Roosevelt's fourth commanding officer on Aug. 27, 1992.
Theodore Roosevelt and CVW-8 began their third deployment on Mar. 11, 1993, teamed with the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) to test the concept of embarking a multi-purpose Marine force in a carrier. TR hosted President Bill Clinton's first visit to a U.S. Navy ship, then sailed to the Adriatic as CVW-8 planes enforced Operation Deny Flight in the U.S. no-fly zone over Bosnia. In June on the way to only her second port visit, the carrier was ordered to turn around and transit the Suez Canal enroute to the Red Sea to participate in Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq.
In November 1993, Theodore Roosevelt entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA). Heading back to sea on Apr. 14, 1994, she was the first nuclear carrier to complete an SRA ahead of schedule at the shipyard. Awards for 1993 continued when she received the CINCLANTFLT Golden Anchor Award for the best retention in an Atlantic Fleet carrier. On Mar. 10, 1994, TR received its third Battle "E." Then on June 3, Theodore Roosevelt was awarded its second Battenburg Cup as the best ship in the Atlantic Fleet.
On Jul. 8, 1994, Capt. Ronald L. Christenson became Theodore Roosevelt's fifth commanding officer. The carrier and CVW-8 began their fourth deployment in March 1995, operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Southern Watch. She also provided a "Forward...from the Sea" presence, conducting flight operations in support of Operations Deny Flight and Sharp Guard over the skies of Bosnia and the Adriatic. Deny Flight evolved into Operation Deliberate Force, as CVW-8 aircraft led NATO strikes against strategic Bosnian Serb targets in Bosnia-Herzegovina. During the carrier's transit home, Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton came aboard and awarded the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group the Navy Unit Commendation for its Bosnia operations.
In 1996, TR received her third consecutive Golden Anchor Award and the Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet's first Security Excellence Award. CVW-3 joined the carrier in May 1996 prior to her port visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia. On Nov. 1, 1996, Capt. David Architzel became the sixth commanding officer, and the ship deployed for her fifth deployment on Nov. 25, 1996, conducting operations in the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch.
After a one-year Extended Docking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) in February 1998, TR received her fifth consecutive Golden Anchor Award.
In September 1998, Capt. David Bryant became Theodore Roosevelt's seventh commanding officer.
Theodore Roosevelt began her sixth deployment on Mar. 26, 1999, with CVW-8. They were immediately called to duty in the Ionian Sea to support NATO's Operations Allied Force and Noble Anvil. The aircraft of CVW-8 conducted air strikes for two months over Kosovo against the Serbians, expending more than 800 tons of ordnance. After the peace accord was signed in June 1999, Theodore Roosevelt and CVW-8 spent the remaining two months of the deployment conducting operations in the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. TR received the following awards for exemplary service during her sixth deployment: Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, Armed Forces Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal, and the Kosovo Campaign Medal.
The carrier returned to her homeport in September 1999, and in January 2000 transited to Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a six-month Planned Incremental Availability. In July 2000, she left Norfolk Naval Shipyard and returned to the Norfolk Naval Station. In September 2000, she received her seventh Golden Anchor Award for excellence in retention. In March of 2001, she began work-ups with Carrier Air Wing One for her scheduled seventh deployment in the fall of 2001.
In March of 2001, Capt. Richard J. O'Hanlon became Theodore Roosevelt's eighth commanding officer.
Effective date: 25 April 2001
-USN-
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