Despite finishing deployment, the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group will remain at sea in the western Atlantic, safe from the reaches of COVID-19 and ready for action, the Navy announced.
“The ship is entering a period in which it needs to be ready to respond and deploy at any time,” Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander U.S. 2nd Fleet said in a statement. “Normally we can do that pierside, but in the face of COVID-19, we need to protect our most valuable asset, our people, by keeping the ship out to sea.”
“We recognize that these are unique circumstances and the responsible thing to do is to ensure we are able to answer our nation’s call while ensuring the health and safety of our Sailors. We thank you for your continued love and support as we remain focused on this important mission.”
The Navy said that it will continue to monitor what it describes as a “dynamic situation” and to provide an update in three weeks for sailors and loved ones ashore.
Carrier strike groups are a key part of U.S. power projection.
On Monday, the Navy announced that a sailor assigned to the virus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt had died, four days after he was found unresponsive and was admitted to intensive care.
The carrier is currently sidelined from its mission in the Pacific while the nuclear carrier is systematically evacuated and cleaned after an outbreak of COVID-19 on board.
The death of the crew member marks the first death of military personnel on active duty from the CCP virus.
A dramatic memo from the captain to the leadership about the outbreak was leaked to the press, sparking a series of controversial events which saw the dismissal of the captain, and the resignation of Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly.
Pentagon leaders say that despite the carrier being out of action, in aggregate the readiness of the military remains undiminished by the pandemic, although they admitted that it could degrade in the coming months.
