Sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) are simulating being at sea while moored at Naval Base Guam. During the simulation, or “fast cruise,” the crew will simulate normal underway conditions while testing the critical systems required to sustain the ship during its upcoming underway operations. The ship has been conducting a crew swap since April 29, rotating Sailors back on board who have completed quarantine and isolation and have received two negative COVID-19 tests. Following the recent Navy announcement that more than 2,900 Sailors have returned, the ship is one step closer to recommencing its scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Following a successful fast cruise, the ship will commence underway training and carrier qualifications to support the air wing’s return to operational readiness. During the underway, the ship will leave Sailors ashore that are not required for these evolutions. This will enable the ship to conduct training at sea while personnel left in Guam can support the recovery of the rest of the crew who remain in quarantine or isolation. During this transition, the ship will enforce strict cleaning protocols and maintain social distancing as part of the phased approach to returning the ship to operations.
After safely completing fast cruise, Theodore Roosevelt and its crew will be one step closer to going to sea to conduct carrier qualification flights for Carrier Air Wing 11. The remainder of the crew will return to the ship following the air wing integration. In addition to testing the ship’s systems, Theodore Roosevelt’s crew will also be implementing new measures to protect the crew from possible exposure to the novel coronavirus. The crew has spent the past month and a half adjusting to their normal work routine while wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is the fourth Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. She is named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States and a proponent of naval power. She is the fourth ship named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, three bearing his full name and a fourth with just his last name. Another three U.S. Navy ships have “Roosevelt” in their names in honor of members of the Roosevelt family. This carrier’s radio call sign is “Rough Rider”, the nickname of President Roosevelt’s volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish–American War. She was launched in 1984, and saw her first action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
