USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Pacific Ocean —
Sailors, Marines and their guests marked the importance of naval aviation here May 3, remembering more than 107 years of innovation and achievement.
The ship is on its way to its home port at Naval Air Station North Island, California, after a seven-month deployment. More than 600 family members and friends embarked aboard the Theodore Roosevelt for a “Tiger Cruise” during a port call to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, April 27-May 1.
Navy Capt. Carlos Sardiello, the commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and Navy Capt. Gus Ford, the commander of Carrier Air Wing 17, spoke of how naval aviation relates to navies, both past and present, during the celebration hosted by the ship's Naval Heritage Committee in the hangar bay.
“Aircraft carriers have come a long way,” Sardiello said. “The USS Pennsylvania started with a wooden deck with sandbags for arresting gear. Here we are a little over a century later with a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.”
The captain emphasized the necessity of today's aircraft and aircraft carriers in operations around the world.
“The importance of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to our nation's defense lies in the fact that it is the only platform that can deliver air power from the sea in a sustainable fashion,” he said.
Family Support
It's important for the Navy that embarked families and guests of the sailors and…
