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TR Celebrates 17th Birthday

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS031030-10

Release Date: 10/30/2003 12:44:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class (SW) Kathryn Whittenberger, USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs

ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (NNS) -- The ship that has gone to war more than any other Nimitz-class carrier celebrated its 17th birthday Oct. 16, with a cake-cutting ceremony and early liberty call.

"This ship has completed eight deployments, six of which involved combat," said Capt. Johnny Green, TR's commanding officer. "It's prepared to go into combat again if called, because this is the best damn crew that's ever manned a ship in the 228 years of the Navy."

The ship was actually commissioned Oct. 25, 1986, but the party was held early so the crew wouldn't have to come in over the weekend just to eat cake, added Green.

"I really enjoyed the ceremony," said Photographer's Mate Airman Jacob Fadley. "It made me realize why everyone on the waterfront respects TR."

To celebrate the history behind TR and the future that lies ahead, TR's oldest Sailor, Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Robert Barlow, a plankowner who is in his third tour aboard TR, and TR's youngest Sailor, Airman Recruit James Mcleod, cut the cake after a round of three cheers for TR the Man, TR the Ship and TR the Crew.

"I want everyone who's served aboard this ship to remember that because they were prepared to go into harm's way, they didn't always have to," said Green, "and I hope that along the way they had fun."

The ship's history includes participating in Operation Desert Storm, flying 4,209 sorties, dropping 4,843,233 pounds of ordnance; Operation Provide Comfort; Operation Southern Watch and Operation Deny Flight, flying 9,948 sorties; Operation Deliberate Force; Operation Allied Force and Operation Noble Anvil; Allied Force, flying 3,400 sorties and dropping 800 tons of ordnance; Southern Watch, flying 2,400 sorties and dropping 30 tons of ordnance; Operation Enduring Freedom, a deployment that broke the Navy record for consecutive days at sea without a port call, as well as records for ordnance dropped and replenishments at sea completed; and Operation Iraqi Freedom, flying 1,703 sorties and dropping over a million pounds of ordnance.