Associated Press State & Local Wire January 6, 2003
Carrier gets under way after resolving engineering problem
By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer
A "minor engineering problem" forced the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to depart five hours late Monday for several weeks of training that would certify it to deploy early if needed.
The carrier left Norfolk Naval Station at about 1 p.m. after repairs were made pierside.
"It was a minor engineering problem which was quickly fixed," said Mike Maus, a spokesman for the Atlantic Fleet Naval Air Force. He and other Navy officials declined to elaborate. The Navy did not say where the Roosevelt was headed. However, the Navy recently informed Puerto Rico's government in a letter that bombing exercises on the island of Vieques could start as soon as Jan. 13 and last for up to a month.
While unusual and embarrassing, the delay probably won't dramatically affect the carrier's readiness for battle because the lost day of training can be made up, said defense analyst Patrick Garrett of GlobalSecurity.org, a nonprofit military intelligence and space research organization in Alexandria.
"We're pouring millions of dollars into this ship," Garrett said. "This is a premiere ship. They're not supposed to break. There's a chief engineer that's probably lost five pounds of flesh this morning."
"If this is a one-time deal, this is going to be a blip in the history of the Theodore Roosevelt," Garrett said. "The question is, is it a one-time deal, or are they going to continue to have engineering problems during the training exercise? If they do have problems, how will that affect their ability to push out on schedule in the spring, or earlier in case of whatever?"
Once it completes the mandatory training, the Roosevelt is to assume from the USS George Washington the role of the Atlantic Fleet's "surge carrier" on call in case of an emergency. While it remains scheduled to deploy in the spring, it would be ready to leave early - for example, if needed to help fight a war with Iraq.
"Our goal during this underway period will be to provide comprehensive training to our sailors, our ships and our squadrons to ensure the highest levels of mission accomplishment and safe and effective operations in all that we do," Rear Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., commander of the Roosevelt battle group, told reporters on the pier before the engineering problem emerged.
The exercise is expected to last four to five weeks, and then the carrier is scheduled to return to Norfolk, said Capt. Richard O'Hanlon, the Roosevelt's commanding officer. But the crew is prepared for anything that might crop up, he said.
"We are ready at any time to deploy if we need to to answer the national call," O'Hanlon said. "As always, I tell the crew whenever we go to sea to have a full sea bag packed, to be ready to answer the call should it come."
The carrier first will conduct a couple of days of fleet carrier qualifications with about 75 aircraft of Carrier Air Wing Eight. Pilots keep their skills sharp when a carrier gets under way by practicing day and night landings and takeoffs from the flight deck.
The Roosevelt then will remain at sea for a Composite Training Unit Exercise with the rest of the 11-ship battle group. The other ships were to leave over the next few days, Harvey said.
The exercise was moved up two weeks so the George Washington can enter a shipyard for maintenance. As is typical when a carrier finishes a deployment, the George Washington has been on call since it returned to Norfolk Dec. 20 from a six-month cruise to the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf. Its sailors have been told to be ready to redeploy within 96 hours notice.
About 5,000 sailors, including the air wing, are aboard the Roosevelt.
The Theodore Roosevelt returned from its last deployment in March 2002. About 40 percent of its sailors are new to the crew since then, and some are heading to sea for the first time, O'Hanlon said.
The battle group also includes the guided missile cruisers USS Anzio and USS Cape St. George; the guided missile destroyers USS Arleigh Burke, USS Winston Churchill and USS Porter; the frigate USS Carr; the Spruance-class destroyer USS Stump; the fast combat support ship USNS Arctic; and two submarines that were not identified.
The Anzio and the Winston Churchill left Monday morning, on time, said Lt. Fred Kuebler, a spokesman for the Second Fleet.
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Press.
