Bush Carrier Strike Group starts its long trip home

By: David B. Larter

The carrier George H.W. Bush and her escorts are officially on the back-end of their deployment to the Middle East and Europe after breaking off from the fight with the Islamic State group earlier in the week.

The ships transited the Straits of Hormuz out of the Persian Gulf Thursday after conducting 813 combat sorties and dropping 943 munitions during its patrol, according to Navy numbers.

The Bush deployed in January and is slated to be back in August after a seven-month deployment, barring any emergencies. The Bush may continue strikes on Islamic State targets from the Eastern Mediterranean, as it did in February on its way to the Gulf. Last June, the carrier Truman carried out the first air strikes from the Med against the Islamic State.

The strike group is made up of ships from Norfolk and Mayport, Florida. Embarked on Bush is Carrier Air Wing Eight and Destroyer Squadron 22 staffs. Her escorts are the destroyers Laboon and Truxtun, and the Florida-based cruisers Philippine Sea and Hue City.

The head of Naval Air Forces Atlantic visited Bush over the weekend and praised the crew’s work on the deployment thus far.

“This is an impressive team with an impressive crew, air wing, destroyer squadron, the whole nine yards,” said Rear Adm. Bruce Lindsey. “You guys have been doing the business very, very effectively and will continue to do so.”