SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – After nine months of training and practice, the USS Abraham Lincoln left NAS North Island for a routine department. The Lincoln is the centerpiece for the strike group, which comprises six ships and 75,000 Sailors and Marines.
The Navy said everyone attached to this strike group is vaccinated, so the crew didn't have to follow the COVID-19 protocols that the Navy has put in place, which included mandating testing be done two weeks before deployments, a 14-day quarantine, and another COVID-19 test before shipping out.
But, they will be keeping a close eye on those on board who may have symptoms.
"We're in compliance with both DOD and CDC guidelines," REAR ADM Jeffrey Anderson, Commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said. "If anyone expresses any type of symptoms, they will be tested, including close contacts will be tested."
Also not far from their minds, the tragedy involving the MH-60 Aircraft that went down during a training accident, killing five crew members in September. While the investigation into what caused the crash is still ongoing, the Ship's Commanding Officer says a big part of preparing for this deployment was helping the crew move forward.
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"No one is ever prepared for something like that .. but everyone deals with it their own way and process it in our own way," Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, Commanding Officer for the USS Abraham Lincoln, said.
"So we had a lot of help making sure the sailors were prepared and ready to go for the rest of the training cycle. It was a tough day that none of us will ever forget."
The Navy said they can't release details about where this deployment will take them or how long it will last, but they add they're ready to tackle any mission they are assigned.
The Abraham Lincoln Strike group's last deployment lasted for 10 months, which is to date one of the longest carrier deployments in history.
