AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN-74) TO CHANGE HOMEPORT

US Department of Defense

The Department of the Navy is changing the homeport assignment for its newest operational Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) from Norfolk, Va. to San Diego, Calif. The homeport transfer will take place in Feb. 1998, when the carrier departs Norfolk and begins its first six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. USS John C. Stennis will arrive in San Diego at the conclusion of this deployment.

USS John C. Stennis is the eighth nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the seventh of the Nimitz class. Since its commissioning on Dec. 9, 1995 in Norfolk, Va., USS John C. Stennis has steamed more than 30,000 miles, qualified 1433 pilots from 30 different squadrons and was the platform used to perform the initial carrier qualifications for the newest Navy strike/fighter the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.

USS John C. Stennis has a crew of 3088 with a salary of approximately $126,426,096. The aircraft carrier carries a complement of 80 aircraft, covering a full range of aviation warfare - from strike/attack, reconnaissance, undersea warfare and electronic warfare. Aircraft include the F/A-18 "Hornet" strike/fighter, F-14 "Tomcat" strike/fighter, EA-6B "Prowler" electronic warfare, S-3 "Viking" anti-submarine warfare, ES-3 "Shadow" electronic surveillance, E-2 "Hawkeye" airborne early warning, C-2 "Greyhound" carrier onboard delivery and the multi-role SH-60 "Seahawk" helicopter.

The carrier was named for the late Mississippi senator, John C. Stennis, who served for 41 years under eight different presidents, from President Harry Truman through President Ronald Reagan. For his consistent support of a strong naval force, the senator earned the reputation as the "Father of America's Modern Navy."

USS John C. Stennis is commanded by Capt. Douglas Roulstone, USN.