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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books COs of USS Theodore Roosevelt USS Theodore Roosevelt History Patch Gallery Deployments of USS Theodore Roosevelt Homeports of USS Theodore Roosevelt About the Ship's Namesake Accidents aboard the Ship Image Gallery to end of pageUSS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)
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USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT is the fourth ship in the NIMITZ - class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers and the fourth ship in the Navy named after former US President Theodore Roosevelt.
| General Characteristics: | Keel Laid: Oct. 31, 1981 |
| Launched: Aug. 27, 1984 | |
| Commissioned: Oct. 25, 1986 | |
| Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va. | |
| Propulsion system: two nuclear reactors | |
| Main Engines: four | |
| Propellers: four | |
| Blades on each Propeller: five | |
| Aircraft elevators: four | |
| Catapults: four | |
| Arresting gear cables: four | |
| Length, overall: 1,092 feet (332,85 meters) | |
| Flight Deck Width: 257 feet (78,34 meters) | |
| Area of flight deck: about 4,5 acres | |
| Beam: 134 feet (40,84 meters) | |
| Draft: 38,4 feet (11,7 meters) | |
| Displacement: approx. 100,000 tons full load | |
| Speed: 30+ knots | |
| Planes: approx. 85 | |
| Crew: Ship: approx. 3,200 Air Wing: 2,480 | |
| Armament: three | |
| Homeport: San Diego, Calif. |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
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to see which USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Cruise Books:
- Commissioning Cruise Book 1986-87
- Mediterranean Cruise Book 1988-89
- Operation Desert Storm Cruise Book 1990-91
- Mediterranean Cruise Book 1993
- Mediterranean Cruise Book 1995
- Mediterranean Cruise Book 1996-97
- Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 1999
- Operation Enduring Freedom Cruise Book 2001-02
- Operation Iraqi Freedom Cruise Book 2003
- Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2005-06
- Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2008-09
- World Cruise Book 2015
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS THEODORE ROOSEVELT's Commanding Officers:
| Period | Name |
|---|---|
| October 25, 1986 - October 3, 1987 | Captain Paul W. Parcells, USN |
| October 3, 1987 - June 9, 1990 | Captain Dayton W. Ritt, USN |
| June 9, 1990 - August 27, 1992 | Captain Charles S. Abbot, USN |
| August 27, 1992 - July 8, 1994 | Captain Stanley W. Bryant, USN |
| July 8, 1994 - November 1, 1996 | Captain Ronald L. Christenson, USN |
| November 1, 1996 - September 22, 1998 | Captain David Architzel, USN |
| September 22, 1998 - March 22, 2001 | Captain David R. Bryant, USN |
| March 22, 2001 - June 25, 2003 | Captain Richard J. O’Hanlon, USN |
| June 25, 2003 - June 9, 2005 | Captain John Green, USN |
| June 9, 2005 - January 11, 2008 | Captain John R. Haley, USN |
| January 11, 2008 - July 28, 2010 | Captain Charles Ladd Wheeler, USN |
| July 28, 2010 - February 28, 2013 | Captain William J. Hart, USN |
| February 28, 2013 - July 21, 2015 | Captain Daniel C. Grieco, USN |
| July 21, 2015 - July 27, 2017 | Captain Craig A. Clapperton, USN |
| July 27, 2017 - November 1, 2019 | Captain Carlos A. Sardiello II, USN |
| November 1, 2019 - April 2, 2020 | Captain Brett E. Crozier, USN |
| April 2, 2020 - April 6, 2020 | Captain Daniel J. Keeler, USN |
| April 6, 2020 - July 31, 2020 | Captain Carlos A. Sardiello II, USN |
| July 31, 2020 - October 28, 2022 | Captain Eric J. Anduze, USN |
| October 28, 2022 - present | Captain Brian T. Schrum, USN |
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Patch Gallery:
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS THEODORE ROOSEVELT History:
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT joined the fleet on 25 October 1986 after construction at Newport News Shipbuilding, followed by shock trials and the usual work-ups. Her maiden deployment ran 30 December 1988-30 June 1989 in the Mediterranean with Carrier Air Wing EIGHT, establishing the basic rhythm of flight operations, allied exercises, and short liberty calls that would characterize her early years.
The carrier's first combat deployment began as she sailed on 28 December 1990 for Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Entering the Red Sea and then the Gulf in January 1991, the air wing flew intensive strike, escort, and surveillance sorties over Iraq and Kuwait until the cease-fire on 28 February, followed by participation in Operation Provide Comfort over northern Iraq. That 189-day deployment ended with her return to Norfolk on 28 June 1991. After a short yard period and training, she deployed again on 11 March-8 September 1993, initially to the Adriatic for NATO's Deny Flight over Bosnia, then was redirected through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea for Southern Watch no-fly enforcement over Iraq - an early example of how carriers were used to bridge theaters and missions during the 1990s.
During 1994-95 the ship cycled through upkeep and a Selected Restricted Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, then sailed again in March-September 1995. That cruise combined Southern Watch tasking with maritime embargo operations (Sharp Guard) and the late-summer transition from Deny Flight to Deliberate Force, when NATO expanded air operations against Bosnian Serb targets. Returning to Norfolk that autumn, the battle group received recognition for its Bosnia portfolio. On 14 October 1996, while operating off the US East Coast, the carrier collided with the cruiser USS LEYTE GULF (CG 55). Both ships were repaired, and THEODORE ROOSEVELT subsequently deployed 25 November 1996-22 May 1997 to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf for renewed Southern Watch duty. A one-year extended dry-dock and SRA followed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard beginning 8 July 1997, resetting hull and combat systems before the next deployment.
From 26 March to 24 September 1999, THEODORE ROOSEVELT and CVW-8 were committed to Operation Allied Force over Kosovo and Serbia from the Ionian Sea, then shifted back to Southern Watch before returning to homeport. After a six-month maintenance period in 2000, the ship sailed again on 19 September 2001 in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. From mid-October 2001 into February 2002 she supported Operation Enduring Freedom from the North Arabian Sea and recorded 160 consecutive days at sea before a short Bahrain call and transit home in March. The pace continued into 2003: a rapid Mediterranean surge put the air wing over Iraq in March-May during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, followed by additional maintenance and upgrades at Norfolk Naval Shipyard through December 2004.
The 2005-06 deployment (1 September-11 March) returned the ship to the Gulf for OIF, notable as the final combat cruise for the F-14 Tomcat before its retirement. Port visits included Palma de Mallorca and Naples en route and multiple logistics/crew-rest periods in Jebel Ali and Bahrain. After a planned incremental availability in 2007, the carrier deployed again 8 September 2008-18 April 2009, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan. That cruise included a rare 4 October 2008 visit to Cape Town, South Africa, and multiple port calls in the UAE during the holiday period. She then entered her mid-life Refueling and Complex Overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding from August 2009 to late August 2013, culminating in sea trials and redelivery on 29 August 2013.
Post-RCOH work-ups led to an around-the-world deployment from 11 March to 23 November 2015 that also shifted the ship's homeport from Norfolk to San Diego. The strike group spent more than six months in Fifth Fleet supporting Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS, then continued west into Seventh Fleet. En route the ship made documented calls in Portsmouth (UK), Bahrain, the UAE and Singapore, then crossed the Pacific to arrive at Naval Air Station North Island on 23 November. This cruise demonstrated the "three-fleets" model - training and interoperability in Sixth Fleet, sustained combat/sea control in Fifth Fleet, and presence operations in Seventh Fleet - compressed into a single deployment.
From late 2017 into 2018, THEODORE ROOSEVELT deployed from San Diego with Carrier Strike Group Nine, operating first in Fifth Fleet and then returning to Seventh Fleet for exercises and engagements. She moored at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, on 2 April 2018 during that phase. After sustainment, she began a WestPac in early 2020 that included a five-day port visit to Da Nang, Vietnam, 5-9 March, marking 25 years of US-Vietnam relations. Within weeks, an onboard COVID-19 outbreak forced the ship to divert to Guam (arriving in late March 2020) for an extended quarantine, crew redistribution ashore, and a measured return to sea. One sailor died of complications, and Navy leadership changes followed after the commanding officer's removal and subsequent investigations. THEODORE ROOSEVELT completed another Indo-Pacific deployment from 23 December 2020 to 25 May 2021, participating in Northern Edge 2021 in the Gulf of Alaska before returning to San Diego.
To enable F-35C–related and other upgrades, the Navy shifted her homeport to Bremerton for a docking planned incremental availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, announced 29 June 2021 and commencing that September. She conducted sea trials in March 2023 and returned to her San Diego routine thereafter. THEODORE ROOSEVELT deployed again in January 2024. On 19 March she recorded her 250,000th arrested landing, then in late June was directed from the Pacific to the Middle East to reinforce presence. While crossing the Indian Ocean, the strike group executed combined activities with the Indian Navy on 12 July. After operating across Seventh, Fifth and back into Third Fleet, she returned to San Diego on 15 October 2024.
In early 2025, the ship entered a planned incremental maintenance period at Naval Air Station North Island. By mid-July she was back at sea for local exercises and readiness events under Third Fleet control, with additional underway periods in early August and a return to port later that month.
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Homeports of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT:
| Period | Homeport |
|---|---|
| commissioned at Norfolk, Va. | |
| 1986 - 2015 | Norfolk, Va. |
| 2015 - 2021 | San Diego, Calif. |
| 2021 - 2023 | Bremerton, Wash. |
| 2023 - present | San Diego, Calif. |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageA special view of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT:
back to top go to the end of the pageAccidents aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| between 1986 - 1989 | During this period of time, THEODORE ROOSEVELT had a helo crash on deck, a helo crash in the water and the crew had to catch an S-3 in the barricade. ( Information by Darren Sapp, Yellow Shirt aboard CVN 71 ) | |
| approx. 1987 | AN Kraus, a plane captain with the E-2C squadron, was chalking and chaining a C-2 Cod. He walked into the propeller and lost his head and shoulder. The crew spent the next 30 minutes cleaning up the flight deck so planes could land since the carrier was in blue water ops. ( Information by Darren Sapp, Yellow Shirt aboard CVN 71 ) | |
| approx. 1987 | Caribbean | A squadron sailor carrying a SINS cable walked behind an A-6 performing a maintenance turn and was blown off the deck in the Caribbean Sea. He was never seen again. ( Information by Darren Sapp, Yellow Shirt aboard CVN 71 ) |
| February 20, 1991 | Arabian Gulf | During Operation Desert Storm, John Bridges, a Greenshirt, was sucked into an A-6E's engine while preparing the jet for take-off. Although the plane was lready on the catapult and the engines were running, Bridget was able to crawl out of the engine but collapsed on the flight deck. His only injuries were some scratches. He survived because of his protective suit which destroyed and stopped the engine. After the accident John Bridget left the Navy. There are two videos of the accident available: Clip #1 Clip #2 |
| October 14, 1996 | off North Carolina | During a training exercise the guided missile cruiser LEYTE GULF (CG 55) crashed into the carrier. The collision ripped open the front of the LEYTE GULF and heavily damaged the rear of THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The collision caused $9 million in damages to the cruiser and $7 million to the carrier. |
| March 8, 2002 | Mediterranean | A US Navy officer temporarily assigned aboard THEODORE ROOSEVELT was reported missing March 8, 2002. After being listed as missing, a search-and-rescue operation including two helicopters from HS-11 embarked aboard the carrier as well as one helicopter from HSL-42 embarked aboard USS VELLA GULF (CG 72) was implemented. 24 hours later, the search was terminated without success. On the morning of March 13, the Egyptian navy reported finding a body in the water near Port Sayeed Lighthouse that had identification matching the missing officer. The officer, temporarily assigned in THEODORE ROOSEVELT, was a crewmember aboard VELLA GULF homeported in Norfolk, Va. At the time of the incident, THEODORE ROOSEVELT was transiting the Mediterranean Sea on its way back to Naval Station Norfolk at the end of its 6-month deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. |
| January 26, 2003 | 60 miles east of Puerto Rico | While on approach for a landing aboard THEODORE ROOSEVELT an F-14 of VF-213 crashed just after 4:30 p.m. Within 15 minutes, both the pilot and radar intercept officer were recovered safely by a search and rescue team from Helicopter Support Squadron 3. The THEODORE ROOSEVELT Battle Group was conducting training exercises as part of a Composite Training Unit Exercise. |
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USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Image Gallery:
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