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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books USS Ronald Reagan's COs Accidents aboard the Ship About the Ship's Coat of Arms History Deployments of USS Ronald Reagan Homeports of USS Ronald Reagan About the Ship's Name Construction Gallery Image Gallery to end of page |  |
USS RONALD REAGAN is the 9th NIMITZ - class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: December 8, 1994 |
| Keel laid: February 12, 1998 | |
| Launched: March 5, 2001 | |
| Commissioned: July 12, 2003 | |
| 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: three | |
| 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: two | |
| Homeport: Bremerton, Wash. |
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 RONALD REAGAN. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS RONALD REAGAN Cruise Books:
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS RONALD REAGAN's Commanding Officers:
| Period | Name |
|---|---|
| November 2000 - August 2003 | Captain John W. Goodwin, USN |
| August 2003 - November 17, 2005 | Captain James A. Symonds, USN |
| November 17, 2005 - May 2, 2008 | Captain Terry B. Kraft, USN |
| May 2, 2008 - August 12, 2010 | Captain Kenneth J. Norton, USN |
| August 12, 2010 - August 13, 2013 | Captain Thom W. Burke, USN |
| August 13, 2013 - April 12, 2016 | Captain Christopher E. Bolt, USN |
| April 12, 2016 - September 10, 2018 | Captain Michael P. Donnelly, USN |
| September 10, 2018 - October 1, 2020 | Captain Patrick J. Hannifin, USN |
| October 1, 2020 - October 7, 2022 | Captain Frederic C. Goldhammer, USN |
| October 7, 2022 - October 4, 2024 | Captain Daryle D. Cardone, USN |
| October 4, 2024 - present | Captain Dale M. Gregory, Jr., USN |
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Accidents aboard USS RONALD REAGAN:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| January 17, 2005 | An MM1 dies from 2nd and 3rd degree burns to 70-percent of his body sustained during steam-valve maintenance. | |
| January 28, 2006 | 120 miles southeast of Brisbane, Australia | An F/A-18C assigned to VFA-25 crashes while attempting to land aboard RONALD REAGAN. The pilot safely ejects and is recovered. No injuries are reported. |
back to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Ship's Coat of Arms:
The design of the USS RONALD REAGAN's seal was created entirely by her plankowner crew with historical assistance provided by staff members at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in Simi Valley, California. Every aspect of the seal has relevance to the President, who, as Mr. Lou Cannon states, "dreamt big dreams and gave back to the world the America he had inside of him."
The red border rings the ship's seal much like the distinctive red rim defines the White House china designed for, and used by, the President and First Lady during their White House years.
Four gold stars represent his 40th presidency and President Reagan's four pillars of Freedom - the timeless principles he championed: preserving individual liberty; promoting economic opportunity; advancing global democracy around the world; and instilling national pride. These four pillars guided the President throughout his years of public life and form the core of his lasting legacy.
"Peace Through Strength," was a recurring theme of the President's life in public service. America won The Cold War on this doctrine. The President spoke of its significance in his Radio Address to the Nation on September 24, 1988 when he said: "One thing is certain. if we're to continue to advance world peace and human freedom, America must remain strong. if we have learned anything these last eight years, it's that peace through strength works."
The aircraft carrier, cutting a powerful swath through the sea, is positioned by the west coast representing his two terms as Governor of California and the ship's homeport in the Pacific Fleet. The three aircraft symbolize the three major military operations the President directed during his tenure: Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada/1983); Operation El Dorado Canyon (Libya/1986); and Operation Praying Mantis (Iran/1988). Aircraft carriers played a significant role in these operations.
Colors of red, white and blue dominate the seal reflecting the American flag.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS RONALD REAGAN History:
USS RONALD REAGAN was commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk on 12 July 2003 and spent the next year completing post-delivery trials and flight-deck certifications. In late May 2004 she departed the US East Coast for her homeport change to San Diego, transiting around South America with port calls that included Rio de Janeiro, Valparaiso, and Callao before arriving at Naval Air Station North Island on 23 July 2004. These events closed the ship's new-construction phase and set conditions for her first West Coast training cycle.
Following local workups in 2004-2005, RONALD REAGAN entered her first major deployment window. From 4 January to 6 July 2006 she executed her maiden deployment, ranging from the Western Pacific to the Persian Gulf in support of ongoing US Central Command tasking. En route and on return she combined carrier qualifications with theater engagement and liberty periods. Typical stops included Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong, Apra Harbor (Guam), Busan, Sasebo, Port Klang, and Singapore before resuming San Diego operations. A short-notice "surge" followed from 27 January to 20 April 2007 to cover carrier presence in the Western Pacific while USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) underwent maintenance in Japan.
RONALD REAGAN's 2008 deployment (19 May-25 November) again focused on the Western Pacific and the North Arabian Sea. Midway through, the strike group assisted Philippine authorities after Typhoon Fengshen, using embarked helicopters to deliver relief to affected areas. Port activity that deployment included a June entry to Hong Kong and a late-deployment logistics and liberty stop at Pearl Harbor in November.
From 28 May to 21 October 2009 the carrier deployed with Carrier Air Wing 14 to the 7th and 5th Fleet areas of operation, flying sustained sorties for Operation Enduring Freedom from the North Arabian Sea. The cruise bookends included the familiar Western Pacific port pattern and a return to San Diego in October.
A six-month Planned Incremental Availability concluded in May 2010 at North Island - managed by Norfolk Naval Shipyard as an off-site package - after which RONALD REAGAN re-entered the training pipeline. In March-May 2011 the ship diverted to northeastern Japan for Operation Tomodachi after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, serving as an offshore aviation and logistics platform while operating with Japan Self-Defense Forces and US joint units. Later in 2011 she resumed routine Western Pacific operations, including a mid-August port call at Hong Kong, before returning stateside.
From January 2012 the carrier shifted temporarily to Bremerton for a docking availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, completing an extended DPIA period before returning to San Diego on 21 March 2013 to restart workups. The maintenance blocked in a range of combat-system and habitability improvements typical of a mid-life yard package.
In 2015 the Navy reassigned RONALD REAGAN to Forward-Deployed Naval Forces Japan. She departed San Diego on 31 August and arrived at Yokosuka on 1 October to relieve USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) as the 7th Fleet carrier. The forward-deployment model changed her rhythm to annual patrols with mid-patrol breaks and short availabilities in Yokosuka.
Across 2016-2019, the ship's patrols emphasized high-tempo operations in the Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and waters south of Japan, interleaving bilateral and multilateral exercises with JMSDF and regional partners. Examples include a mid-patrol return to Yokosuka on 26 July 2016 after 53 days at sea; participation in Talisman Saber 2017 off Australia with a post-exercise port visit to Brisbane (late July 2017); and recurring Annual Exercise (ANNUALEX) serials with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
In 2021, the RONALD REAGAN Carrier Strike Group shifted to US 5th Fleet from late June through the fall to support Afghanistan drawdown operations. CVW-5 flew armed overwatch and other tasking associated with Operations Freedom's Sentinel and Allies Refuge. The strike group returned to Yokosuka on 16 October 2021 after a five-month deployment spanning both 5th and 7th Fleets.
During the 2022-2023 cycle the carrier resumed Indo-Pacific patrols under 7th Fleet, combining regional exercises with theater engagement. Notable port calls included Da Nang, Vietnam (25 June 2023), a fall 2023 visit to the Republic of Korea (12 October), and Manila, Philippines (28 October), alongside at-sea events with allied navies.
In 2024 the Navy executed the planned hull-swap that returned USS GEORGE WASHINGTON to Japan. RONALD REAGAN departed Yokosuka for the last time in mid-May, arrived San Diego on 23 July to complete turnover, and then headed to Puget Sound for a docking availability. By April 2025 the ship was in dry dock at Bremerton for a maintenance period projected to run roughly seventeen months, placing her on a stateside training and modernization track through 2026.
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Homeports of USS RONALD REAGAN:
| Period | Homeport |
|---|---|
| commissioned at Norfolk, Va. | |
| 2003 - 2004 | Norfolk, Va. |
| 2004 - 2012 | San Diego, Calif. |
| 2012 - 2013 | Bremerton, Wash. |
| 2013 - 2015 | San Diego, Calif. |
| 2015 - 2024 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| 2024 - present | Bremerton, Wash. |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS RONALD REAGAN Construction Gallery:
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS RONALD REAGAN Image Gallery:
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The photos below were taken by me and show the RONALD REAGAN at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif., on March 23, 2010.
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The photo below was taken by Shiu On Yee and shows the RONALD REAGAN anchored at Hong Kong. The carrier visited Hong Kong from August 12-15, 2011.
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The photos below were taken by me and show the RONALD REAGAN at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2011.
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The photos below were taken by me on May 12, 2012, and show the RONALD REAGAN undergoing her 12-month Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.
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The photos below were taken by Henry Schnutz on August 27, 2013, and show the RONALD REAGAN at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
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The photos below were taken by me and show USS RONALD REAGAN arriving at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., from Yokosuka, Japan, on July 23, 2024. While in San Diego, USS RONALD REAGAN will conduct a hull swap with USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) which arrived at North Island from Norfolk, Va., on July 10, 2024. GEORGE WASHINGTON is going to replace the RONALD REAGAN in Yokosuka while the latter will move to Bremerton, Wash., for overhaul.
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The photos below were taken by me and show USS RONALD REAGAN and USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., on July 26, 2024. While in San Diego, USS RONALD REAGAN will conduct a hull swap with USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) which arrived at North Island from Norfolk, Va., on July 10, 2024. GEORGE WASHINGTON is going to replace the RONALD REAGAN in Yokosuka while the latter will move to Bremerton, Wash., for overhaul.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS RONALD REAGAN at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., on October 15, 2024.
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