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USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)

USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT is the fourth ship in the NIMITZ - class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The carrier already participated in several wars and operations: The Gulf War in 1991, Operation Allied Force in 1999, Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001/2002 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

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 Mk 29 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers, three 20mm Phalanx CIWS Mk 15
Homeport: Bremerton, Wash.


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Crew 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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USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Cruise Books:


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USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT's Commanding Officers:


PeriodName
October 25, 1986 - October 3, 1987Captain Paul W. Parcells, USN
October 3, 1987 - June 9, 1990Captain Dayton W. Ritt, USN
June 9, 1990 - August 27, 1992Captain Charles S. Abbot, USN
August 27, 1992 - July 8, 1994Captain Stanley W. Bryant, USN
July 8, 1994 - November 1, 1996Captain Ronald L. Christenson, USN
November 1, 1996 - September 22, 1998Captain David Architzel, USN
September 22, 1998 - March 22, 2001Captain David R. Bryant, USN
March 22, 2001 - June 25, 2003Captain Richard J. O’Hanlon, USN
June 25, 2003 - June 9, 2005Captain John Green, USN
June 9, 2005 - January 11, 2008Captain John R. Haley, USN
January 11, 2008 - July 28, 2010Captain Charles Ladd Wheeler, USN
July 28, 2010 - February 28, 2013Captain William J. Hart, USN
February 28, 2013 - presentCaptain Daniel C. Grieco, USN


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Notes of Interest:


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USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Patch Gallery: (3 more patches on the CVN 71 history page)

Operation Allied Force and Noble AnvilWar Cruise '99War Cruise '99Med '99CVW
Operation Enduring FreedomOperation Enduring FreedomClick here for more THEODORE ROOSEVELT Patches.


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A special view of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT:


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Accidents aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT:

DateWhereEvents
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. 1987CaribbeanA 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, 1991Arabian 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, 1996off North CarolinaDuring 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, 2002MediterraneanA 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, 200360 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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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., during her Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH). The photos were taken from the James River Bridge on October 30, 2010.



The photos below were taken by me on May 6, 2012, and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., during her Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH).



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning on October 23, 2014, and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Naval Base Norfolk, Va.



The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif., on January 9, 2016 - 1 1/2 months after arriving at San Diego for the first time after completing an 8 1/2 months deployment. The cruise started on March 11 at her old homeport of Norfolk, Va., and took the carrier around the world to San Diego.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., on April 18, 2016



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