Michael deployed last week for his second deployment aboard the USS Eisenhower.
Below is the press release from the USS Eisenhower and a picture of LCDR Brian Graves, of VAQ-140, taking off of the USS Eisenhower.
(The fog you see off the water is because the water is about 30 degrees warmer than the air.)
From USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public Affairs
USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, At Sea (NNS) -- The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployed Jan. 2 for a six-month deployment in support of 5th and 6th Fleet operations.
IKE CSG is made up of Commander, CSG 8; the aircraft carrier IKE, homeported in Norfolk, Va.; Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW) 7; Commander, Destroyer Squadron 28; the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74), homeported in Norfolk; and the Mayport, Fla.-based ships, guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) and guided-missile destroyers USS Carney (DDG 64) and USS Farragut (DDG 99).
IKE CSG missions focus heavily on maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts that help establish conditions for regional stability.
"I'm extremely proud of the men and women of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group," said Rear Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of IKE CSG. "They've exceeded all expectations in a very short amount of turnaround time. We are ready to go over the horizon and support the troops on the ground in Afghanistan, support the nation's Maritime Strategy, and protect our nation's interests."
The deployment is part of an on-going rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations in international waters around the globe.
IKE CSG consists of approximately 6,000 Sailors who, over the last four months, have successfully completed refresher training and certifications to ensure they operate effectively and safely together. "IKE returned from a successful combat deployment last summer. We spent most of November (2009) at sea training during a challenging Composite Training Unit Exercise, and we spent December (2009) making sure the ship, our Sailors and our families are ready for this deployment. This is an amazing ship, but what's even more amazing are the young Americans who bring it to life," said Capt. Dee Mewbourne, IKE's commanding officer.
