The men and women are part of the USS Ronald Reagan, one of the U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carriers from the West Coast. The ship arrived noontime at Naval Base-Guam after having its last stopover in Hong Kong about five days ago.
According to the ship’s public affairs officer, Lt. Cmdr. Kate Meadows, the USS Ronald Reagan is nearing the end of its deployment but can’t disclose its future destinations for security purposes.
The USS Ronald Reagan was commissioned in July 2003, making it the ninth Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The ship was named after the 40th U.S. president and carries the motto of “Peace through Strength,” a recurrent theme during the Reagan presidency, said Capt. Thom Burke, the commanding officer.
The USS Ronald Reagan is 1,092 feet long and 252 feet wide. According to Meadows, the ship is as long as the Empire State Building’s height.
The flight deck covers an area of 4.5 acres — equivalent to four and a half football fields.
With approximately 60 aircraft, CVW-14 is USS Ronald Reagan’s offensive capability, its informational packet stated. The air wing consists of 1,200 members and eight squadrons.
“Ronald Reagan houses over 4,400 people sandwiched between an airport that supports more than 60 combat aircraft and has two nuclear reactors that provide the ship with enough energy to power a small city,” the packet stated.
Additionally, its speed goes about over 30 knots (34.5+ mph) and costs $1 million daily to fully operate. The ship cost $4.5 billion to build.
The USS Ronald Reagan is slated to depart Tuesday evening.
Guam sailors
A few Guam sailors — Joseph Flores, Robby Canlas, Richard Sarmiento, Francis Flores, Jaybee Borja and Michael Orman — were excited to return home.
Airman Joseph Flores, who works with aviation ordnance as an Air Warfare/Surface Warfare Specialist, couldn’t wait to see his wife and son. Flores expressed his excitement as he ran through the ship’s brow — the ramp that connects the ship to the pier — and to the waiting area where family members awaited the sailors.
“The last time the Reagan stopped over Guam was in 2008,” said Flores. “So even if we’re here for just a day, we’re more than happy for the chance to see home — even for a little while.”
Flores added that although the Guam sailors were former residents of Guam, they’re all happy to see friends and family and consider it a “lucky stopover” which gives them the chance to see loved ones again.
The USS Ronald Reagan had spent nearly three months out on sea, prior to arriving in Hong Kong last week.
“We were out to sea for 80 days straight,” said Flores.
Though that stretch can seem a bit daunting, life aboard the USS Ronald Reagan isn’t completely isolating. Internet is accessible to every sailor; physicians are available, along with a 63-bed hospital; daily religious services are offered in an interdenominational chapel with three chaplains; and five gyms are spaced throughout the ship with a civilian fitness trainer.
“My experience onboard USS Ronald Reagan is something very different, yet at the same time worth experiencing,” said Flores. “Living with thousands of people in a ship is really something. And it feels great helping countries like Japan in Operation Tomodachi. It’s a rewarding feeling knowing we are helping people when in need. And also supporting our troops on the ground in the Middle East is a great feeling — that we are part of a bigger picture.”
