Latest news with #USSHarryS.Truman
Politico
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
US builds up military presence in Middle East
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier rerouted from the South China Sea to the Middle East on Monday, a move that will put two U.S. aircraft carriers in the region as the conflict worsens between Israel and Iran. Dozens of Air Force refueling aircraft also left their U.S. bases this weekend in a new deployment to Europe, a preventative measure to support any operations in the Middle East, according to two defense officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal operations. The Trump administration is beefing up its assets in the region as Israel and Iran continue to lob rounds of missiles and airstrikes at each other, with concerns in the region that this will lead to a wider war. The Nimitz will join the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group, which has sailed in the Arabian Sea since the spring. That aircraft carrier partnered with the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group to hit Houthi targets in Yemen and protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Nimitz could reach the Middle East later this week, the second defense official said, giving the U.S. two aircraft carriers in the region for the second time this year. But this also pulls a carrier away from the Pacific just as the administration says it wants to strengthen efforts to deter China. The Pentagon last week ordered two destroyers in the Mediterranean to move closer to Israel to assist in protecting U.S. assets in the region. Israel also has used American air defenses to knock down Iranian drones and missiles targeting Israeli civilian infrastructure. Last year, the U.S. sent several Patriot air defense batteries to the Middle East, including two pulled from the Indo-Pacific. Last October, the U.S. also deployed a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, along with around 100 soldiers, to Israel to help intercept missiles fired by Iran and its proxies.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
USS Gettysburg returns to Naval Station Norfolk after 8-month deployment
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – After an 8-month deployment, USS Gettysburg, part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, has returned to its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk. Bittersweet homecoming for USS Harry S. Truman The Ticonderoga class cruiser departed in September 2024, traveling to Europe and the Middle East to conduct combat operations in the Red Sea, as well as exercises with NATO allies. 'It was amazing in a lot of ways. We learned a lot. We have a lot to share with the fleet based off our experience in the Red Sea in particular, but the feeling to be home as well, it's amazing,' said Captain John Lucas, Commanding Officer of USS Gettysburg. Retired naval aviator shares insight on 'friendly fire' incident in the Red Sea The ship was in headlines back in December following an instance of friendly fire, shooting down a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet over the Red Sea. 'It's under investigation, those results have not been revealed yet to the public. I can tell you again, we took on a lot of lessons from that event,' said Captain Lucas. After the deployment was extended twice, families of the roughly 330 returning sailors gathered along the pier at Naval Station Norfolk to welcome their loved ones home. 'It's a very long time. We're kind of used to it. We have another child in the military, so we've been down this road. But this is her first time having been gone so this long, so it was tough. We're going to take her home and whatever she wants to do is what she wants to do. It's her break, with us along for the ride,' said Carrie Ayd, mother of returning sailor. Captain Lucas said while the Navy is retiring certain cruisers, he's not certain what the future holds for USS Gettysburg, but said he and his crew will be ready when called upon. 'I think we're all ready for a nice long winter nap in the summer. All I can tell you is my job and this crew's job is going to be to be ready to go again when called upon, whenever that might be. I'm excited to maintain and be a part of the team for as long as they'll have me,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
06-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Navy sailor's dog was given away while he served. Social media led to a reunion
Navy sailor's dog was given away while he served. Social media led to a reunion Show Caption Hide Caption Brave military duo reunites for best reason After being deployed in South Korea, retired military working dog Akim found his forever home in Kirtland AFB with handler Senior Airman Jenna Canada. Militarykind, USA TODAY When Paulo Silva returned home from Navy combat deployment in the Middle East, he discovered his beloved dog Archie was gone. What happened next shows how social media can be a positive, unifying force. Archie, a 5-year-old golden retriever had been entrusted to a relative in New Jersey, while Silva was serving an eight-month stint aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. 'A family member that was well-trusted felt they had no choice but to give away my dog,' Silva, who lives in Virginia and enlisted in the Navy in 2014, told the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. 'At no point was I told about it and I had asked time and time again about him. I was told he was having good days and bad days, but he was hanging in there." The relative gave Archie away, Silva said, because "they said my dog wasn't settling in too well – that he was having problems staying at the house. But I've had numerous people look after my dog before, with no issue.' Silva's dismay grew to heartbreak when he asked the relative for Archie's whereabouts. 'They refused to give me the contact information of the person who has my dog,' Silva said. So he turned to Facebook, posting a plea for help. 'This dog isn't just a pet to me," Silva wrote. "He is my heart, my companion, and a piece of my soul that helped carry me through some of the hardest times in my life." More: Pet health care prices are so high that most owners are skipping treatments Within a day, he said, crowdsourcing helped him find Archie. The sad story now has a happy ending. 'I'm very happy to share that Archie has safely returned to me,' Silva wrote. 'I want to sincerely thank the family who has been caring for him during this time. Your kindness, care, and love for Archie have not gone unnoticed, and I am deeply grateful for everything you've done. I appreciate the time and effort you've given to ensure his well-being.' Silva said to show his appreciation, he connected the family to a golden retriever breeder, which has offered to donate a puppy to the family. "I can't thank them enough for being so supportive in this situation," Silva said in a follow-up interview on June 5. On Facebook, he implored the public to stop blaming the family who had cared for the dog after an initial misunderstanding about whether they would return Archie. "The family is not at fault, and I believe we can all agree that it's time to put this chapter behind us for the sake of everyone involved, especially Archie," Silva said. Silva said he's "speechless" by the "overwhelming" amount of support he's gotten throughout the ordeal. 'Thank you to everyone who has shown support throughout this situation,' he posted on Facebook. 'I am incredibly grateful for the love and care our community has shown, and I'm happy to bring Archie home where he belongs.' Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore's interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@
New York Post
05-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Navy sailor returns home from deployment to find out family gave his dog away — before he tracks down pooch: ‘Isn't just a pet'
A US Navy sailor returned home from an eight-month deployment to the Middle East only to find out that his beloved dog had been given away by a family member who had agreed to care for the pooch. Paulo Silva's homecoming celebration was short-lived when he learned that his 5-year-old golden retriever, Archie, was gone. 'While I was away, something happened that I was completely unaware of and never would have agreed to—my dog was given away without my knowledge or consent,' Silva wrote in a now-revised Facebook post. 5 Navy sailor Paulo Silva says his dog Archie was given up by the family he tasked on watching him while he was deployed to the Middle East. Paulo Silva Facebook Silva, a Freehold, NJ native who lives in Virginia, described Archie as his companion. The two had experienced everything together until the dog was brought to Toms River, NJ, just before the sailor's deployment last October. 'This dog isn't just a pet to me. He is my heart, my companion, and a piece of my soul that helped carry me through some of the hardest times in my life,' he said. Silva described his bond with Archie as 'irreplaceable,' having been through everything together. 'I love this dog more than words can express—more than life itself. Silva had been aboard the USS Harry S. Truman during the aircraft carrier's 251-day mission to the Middle East, where it was attacked by the Iranian-backed terror group Houthis and fired over 1.1. million pounds of ordnance, the Navy Times reported. 5 Archie a 5-year-old golden retriever was last known to be in Toms River, NJ. Paulo Silva Facebook 5 Silva described his bond with Archie as 'irreplaceable,' having been through everything together. Paulo Silva Facebook Silva says he routinely checked in with family during his deployment, but was never told Archie was having trouble settling into the new environment. 'They said my dog wasn't settling in too well – that he was having problems staying at the house. But I've had numerous people look after my dog before, with no issue,' Silva told the Asbury Park Press. The relative allegedly told Silva they 'had no choice' but to give the dog away. Silva, who returned home on June 1, set out to look for Achie and pleaded for social media to help locate the man who took in the dog. 'I'm reaching out publicly not out of anger, but out of heartbreak. I am respectfully asking you to please consider returning my dog to me,' he wrote. 'I am pleading with you, not just as a veteran, but as someone who lost something deeply precious to them without any choice or voice in the matter.' 5 Silva was deployed on the USS Harry S. Truman during the aircraft carrier's 251-day mission to the Middle East. Paulo Silva Facebook Silva – with the help of Toms River and Monmouth County police, a veterans group and Facebook –located his dog on Wednesday afternoon. 'I'm very happy to share that Archie has safely returned to me. I want to sincerely thank the family who has been caring for him during this time,' Silva wrote in an update. The grateful sailor helped connect the family with a golden retriever breeder who offered to donate a puppy for helping Silva reunite with Archie. 5 Archie was reunited with Silva after the dog search campaign. Paulo Silva Facebook 'I'm completely overwhelmed (in the best way) by the love and support you've all shown about my Archie Barchie being returned,' Silva wrote. He shared a picture of a happy Archie with his tongue out at their reunification. In an update Wednesday afternoon, Silva called for civility from his supporters who had allegedly targeted the family that gave Archie away. 'I want to respectfully ask that everyone stop any further harassment, threats, or negative actions directed at the family,' Silva wrote. 'This situation has been difficult for all involved, and it's important that we move forward with kindness, understanding, and respect.' 'The family is not at fault, and I believe we can all agree that it's time to put this chapter behind us for the sake of everyone involved, especially Archie,' he concluded.
Mint
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
How the Houthis rattled the US Navy—and transformed maritime war
The evening of May 6, an F/A-18 Super Hornet was coming in for a landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. An onboard mechanism to slow down the fighter jet failed, and the $67 million aircraft slid off the carrier's runway and into the water. It was the third fighter jet that the Truman had lost in less than five months, and came hours after President Trump surprised Pentagon officials with the announcement that the U.S. had reached a truce with the Houthis in Yemen. The Truman had arrived at the Red Sea in December 2024 to battle the Iran-aligned militants—joining a campaign filled with heavy exchanges and close calls that strained the U.S. Navy. Officials are now dissecting how a scrappy adversary was able to test the world's most capable surface fleet. The Houthis proved to be a surprisingly difficult foe, engaging the Navy in its fiercest battles since World War II despite fighting from primitive quarters and caves in one of the world's poorest countries. The Houthis benefited from the proliferation of cheap missile and drone technology from Iran. They fired antiship ballistic missiles, the first-ever combat use of the Cold War-era weapon, and they innovated how they deployed their weaponry. The latest technologies have transformed maritime warfare, much the way they have rewritten the script for land wars in Ukraine—forcing militaries to adapt in real time. The U.S. is developing fresh ways to intercept the newest drones and missiles but still relies largely on expensive defense systems. Some 30 vessels participated in combat operations in the Red Sea from late 2023 through this year, around 10% of the Navy's total commissioned fleet. In that time, the U.S. rained down at least $1.5 billion worth of munitions on the Houthis, a U.S. official said. The Navy was able to destroy much of the Houthis' arsenal—but it has yet to achieve the strategic goal of restoring shipping through the Red Sea, and the Houthis continue to regularly fire missiles at Israel. Military and congressional leaders who have begun scrutinizing the campaign for lessons worry about the strain of such grueling deployments on overall force readiness. The Pentagon is also investigating the lost planes and a separate at-sea collision—incidents that all involved the Truman strike group—with results expected in the coming months. Central Command—also known as Centcom, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East—declined to comment on ongoing investigations or on the campaign's performance and impact. The effects of the deployment will be felt for years. It drew resources from efforts in Asia to deter China and pushed back maintenance schedules for carriers. That could create critical gaps in the second half of the decade, when the giant warships will have no choice but to dock for service. Despite the wear and tear, Navy officials said the fight with the Houthis offered invaluable combat experience, and the Red Sea conflict is viewed inside the Pentagon as a warm-up for a potential 'high-end" conflict with China. The Houthis have gained considerable power since the group—combatants in Yemen's long-running civil war—conquered much of the country a decade ago. They later fought off a campaign led by Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to roll them back. At the start of the war in Gaza, the Houthis, who chant 'death to America, death to Israel" and cast themselves as defenders of the Palestinians, began attacking Israeli cities as well as ships transiting the Red Sea. The USS Carney destroyer was in the Red Sea when the Houthis launched their first barrage of drones and missiles on Oct. 19, 2023, catching the sailors aboard off guard. By the end of the 10-hour engagement, the crew had endured the most intense combat a U.S. Navy warship had seen in the better part of a century, shooting down more than a dozen drones and four fast-flying cruise missiles. With the Houthis pledging to intensify attacks, U.S. military officials scrambled to solve a logistical problem: Destroyers like the Carney were out of the fight for as long as two weeks as they traveled to and from the Mediterranean to rearm, and nearby countries were wary of themselves becoming Houthi targets. The Pentagon eventually secured access to what one official called a 'game-changing" port in the Red Sea that allowed warships to reload without leaving the theater. In December of that year, Biden cobbled together a multinational coalition to protect one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and then launched a U.S.-led campaign of airstrikes. For much of the campaign, the Pentagon kept two carrier groups in the region, each comprising at least five ships and around 7,000 sailors. Throughout 2024, the Houthis launched dozens of attacks on commercial shipping, and the U.S. struck back in Yemen to prevent imminent attacks or degrade the militants' arsenal. In February, a British-owned bulk carrier was struck and later sank with its cargo of fertilizer. Three people were killed on board a Barbados-flagged ship after it was struck in March. Two more ships were abandoned in June after being struck by Houthi missiles. The pace of operations took a toll on sailors, who were constantly within range of the Houthis and needed to remain vigilant around the clock. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier made just one short port call during seven months of fighting. On a particularly busy day last November, Navy ships defeated at least eight one-way attack drones, five antiship ballistic missiles and four antiship cruise missiles launched by the Houthis, without incurring any injuries or damage. At a recent naval symposium, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of U.S. military command in the Middle East, described one night late last year on the USS Stockdale. As the destroyer sailed through a chokepoint in the southern Red Sea, the crew switched off the lights, charted a zigzag course and braced for attack. Just past midnight, the Houthis launched four ballistic missiles. The 509-foot destroyer accelerated and fired surface-to-air missiles in defense. One Houthi missile, traveling at nearly 4,000 miles an hour, was so close when it was intercepted that falling debris had to be shot down as well. Ten minutes later, the Houthis fired an antiship cruise missile, which was taken out by fighter jets from a nearby aircraft carrier. Jets downed another cruise missile and multiple drones loaded with explosives, while the carrier struck Houthi targets inside Yemen. Around 2 a.m., another Houthi drone was picked up flying low and slow directly at the Stockdale. The only option was to open fire with an automatic artillery gun mounted on the deck. When the drone dropped into the sea, the crew erupted in cheers and high-fives. The battlefield favored the militants. In the Red Sea's confined waters, barely 200 miles at the widest point, large ships have limited ability to maneuver and spend long periods in view of the coastline, where Houthi spotters can help target ships. Crews usually only picked up drone and missile launches a minute or two before impact and had to decide how to respond within about 15 seconds. They intercepted hundreds of attacks by the Houthis. 'You make it a sitting duck out there and within range of Houthi weapons," Bryan Clark, a former Navy strategist and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said of deploying a carrier to the area. The Navy is used to operating in a similar environment in the Persian Gulf, where the Iranians are at close range. But militias like the Houthis are harder to deter than a regular government—and such groups have become more dangerous with the proliferation of antiship ballistic missiles and attack drones. 'We used to be able to operate close to shore like this, because the expectation was that adversaries would not attack a carrier out of concern for the repercussions," Clark said. Sailors often had radar systems tuned to high sensitivity to give them time to intercept drones and missiles. Reviewing and refining radar settings to avoid picking up false positives while still spotting threats at a useful range was one of the most difficult tasks and a key source of stress for shipboard operators, according to an officer who spent six months in the Red Sea. The USS Truman's three lost fighter jets are now under investigation by the Pentagon. 'It's unprecedented," said a Navy official. 'Perhaps it's just pure coincidence or bad luck—or there are some underlying issues." Two Navy SEALs, or sea-air-land special-operations forces, were lost at sea early last year while boarding a boat at night that officials said was carrying ballistic and cruise missile components from Iran to Yemen. One of the SEALs fell into the water while trying to climb into the boat and the other one jumped in after him. The Navy searched for them for 10 days before declaring them dead. The fatalities occurred off the coast of Somalia in the Arabian Sea, hundreds of miles from Yemen's shores. 'Over the past year, the Navy has operated under intense and sustained combat conditions in the Red Sea—the most active maritime conflict zone in a generation," Rep. Ken Calvert (R., Calif.), who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on defense, said at a hearing on May 14. 'But this persistent operational tempo comes at a cost. Ships and crews are being pushed hard, deployments are being extended, and readiness for other global contingencies is being strained." While the Houthis never successfully hit a U.S. vessel, they did get better at tracking moving targets. Early on, the Houthis would often fire one or two missiles and drones at a time at relatively high altitude, which the Navy was capable of intercepting, Navy officials said. Later, the militants launched attacks at night and sent projectiles skimming just above the waves, making them harder to trace. They also mixed up missile and drone strikes in changing patterns. The Houthis were also able to down more than a dozen U.S. Reaper drones, each worth around $30 million. When the Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping in 2023, senior officials at Centcom wanted to act aggressively to degrade their capabilities, according to a U.S. official, but the Biden administration was wary of escalation. By the time strikes were approved, the Houthis had changed tactics or moved their assets, and U.S. officials often found their planning and intelligence outdated, the official said. After Trump took office, he gave Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of Centcom, authority to approve strikes, enabling the U.S. to act more quickly on targeting intelligence for missile launchers and drones. Centcom declined to comment on presidential decisions. The U.S. poured resources into the effort in mid-March, launching an operation dubbed Rough Rider, including a second U.S. aircraft carrier, half a dozen B-2 bombers, a squadron of advanced F-35 fighters and a host of destroyers armed with guided missiles. An area hit by a U.S. airstrike in San'a, Yemen, in March. After 53 days of bombardment, the Houthis were battered but not broken. U.S. airstrikes killed hundreds of fighters, including several senior officials, and destroyed a critical fuel port and large stocks of weapons and war materiel. The Houthis failed to hit any U.S. ships. Hundreds of Yemeni civilian casualties were reported after the U.S. intensified strikes, according to the Yemen Data Project, an independent monitoring group. Centcom said it was conducting an inquiry into the claims of civilian casualties in Yemen. A week before the truce was announced, an officer familiar with Houthi operations expressed amazement at the militants' resolve and ability to adapt. 'Their missiles are getting more advanced, which is crazy," he said. 'So far the U.S. Navy is batting a thousand [on interceptions], and I expect that to continue, but for how long?" Ultimately, Trump settled for a cease-fire on the most basic terms: The Houthis would stop shooting at American ships, and the U.S. would pause its bombing. As the Truman transited the Suez Canal and steamed out of the Mediterranean, the Houthis kept lobbing ballistic missiles at Israel. Write to Stephen Kalin at and Shelby Holliday at
