The USS Truman and its strike group are in the Atlantic Ocean, headed back to Norfolk after a deployment filled with engagements and mishaps.
The carrier left Norfolk last September. It was seen heading past the Strait of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic late last week as it makes its way back to Hampton Roads. The carrier stopped briefly in the Mediterranean Sea to take part in the NATO exercise, Neptune Strike.
USS Truman and its crew of 5,000 sailors is expected to arrive home in less than two weeks.
The carrier and its strike group spent most of their time in the Red Sea, where they engaged with Houthi rebels in Yemen, as part of an operation to keep international shipping open in the region.
Since December, the carrier has lost three F/A 18s in separate incidents. In December, a pilot ejected after being accidentally targeted by a missile fired from the Norfolk-based cruiser USS Gettysburg. In April, another fighter was lost when the plane slid out of the hangar bay along with a tow vehicle. A week later, a third fighter jet went overboard while attempting to land when the arresting system failed.
No one was seriously injured in any of the accidents and few details have been released.
The USS Truman also collided with a merchant vessel near Egypt in February. The Navy fired Capt. Dave Snowden following the incident. He was replaced by Capt. Chris Hill, who commanded USS Eisenhower during its nine month deployment, which also included extended confrontations with Houthi Rebels in Yemen.
Through most of its time in the region, the Truman strike group conducted an intense bombardment, which targeted Houthi positions and killed dozens of civilians in Yemen.
The carrier left the Red Sea after President Donald Trump announced the United States reached a ceasefire with the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Since the ceasefire, the group has turned toward firing directly at Israel.
