USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) is an aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class supercarriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. The vessel was initially named simply as USS Eisenhower, much like the lead ship of the class Nimitz, but the name was changed to its present form on 25 May 1970. The carrier, like all others of her class, was constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia, with the same design as the lead ship, although the ship has been overhauled twice to bring her up to the standards of those constructed more recently.
 

Since commissioning, Eisenhower has participated in deployments including Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, as well as the Gulf War in the 1990s, and more recently in support of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 

Design and construction

On 29 June 1970, Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia was awarded the contract for construction. On 30 June 1975, her designation was changed from CVAN-69 to CVN-69.
 

She was laid down as hull number 599 on 15 August 1970 at Newport News shipyard at a cost of $679 million ($4.5 billion in 2007 dollars), launched 11 October 1975 after christening by Mamie Doud-Eisenhower, and commissioned 18 October 1977, Captain William E. Ramsey in command.]Since her commissioning, Eisenhower has had 13 Commanding Officers.

On commissioning, she replaced the aging World War II–era carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in the fleet.
 

2008–2009

 

A French Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft conducts touch and go landings aboard the Eisenhower during a coalition training exercise.
 

On 4 October 2008 Eisenhower sailor Robert Lemar Robinson was killed on the ship during training exercises off the coast of North Carolina. The sailor was killed after being struck by an airplane at 8:15 pm on the carrier's flight deck. 
 

On 21 February 2009, Eisenhower deployed for the Arabian Sea and environs rotating into the forward-deployed forces there. She served as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 8 commanded by Rear Admiral Kurt W. Tidd. Also embarked were Carrier Air Wing 7 and the staff of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 28. Other ships of Strike Group 8 were USS Bainbridge (DDG-96), USS Halyburton (FFG-40), USS Scranton (SSN-756), USS Vicksburg (CG-69), and USS Gettysburg (CG-64). In addition to supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the strike group conducted maritime security operations including anti-piracy operations. On 16 May, Eisenhower became the first Nimitz-class carrier to dock pierside in Manama, Bahrain. The last carrier to moor pierside in Bahrain was USS Rendova (CVE-114) in 1948. On 30 July 2009, the Eisenhower returned to Naval Station Norfolk after almost a six month deployment. 
 

2010–2011

 

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Six participate in Special Purpose Insertion Extraction (SPIE) training session with the Dwight D. Eisenhower
 

On 2 January 2010, Eisenhower again deployed to the Middle East, the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations. She served as the flagship of Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group commanded by Rear Admiral Philip S. Davidson. While in theater, the strike group provided security cooperation, forward naval presence, maritime security, and crisis response. In addition to the Ike, the strike group was made up of Carrier Air Wing 7; Commander, Destroyer Squadron 28; the guided-missile cruiser USS Hué City (CG-66); and guided-missile destroyers USS McFaul (DDG-74), USS Carney (DDG-64), and USS Farragut (DDG-99). On 28 July 2010, the Ike returned to her homeport in Norfolk.
 

The ship was placed in a planned incremental availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard through June 2011. During that time, the ship's executive officer, Captain Robert Gamberg, was relieved and removed after an investigation concluded that he had engaged in an "improper relationship". Gamberg was later cleared in January 2012 by a panel of inquiry. Although the Navy had issued a press release announcing Gamberg's relief in 2011, it did not publicly comment on his exoneration by the panel of admirals in 2012.

 

2012 Deployment

As of 20JUN2012 the Ike is on her latest deployment. She is Scheduled for an 8-10 month underway period to the 5th and 6th fleet