USS Dwight D. Eisenhower#Commanding officers

{{Main|Nimitz-class aircraft carrier}}

On 29 June 1970, Newport News Shipbuilding (then Northrop Grumman Newport News) 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 $679 million (${{Inflation|US|0.679|1970|r=1}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars), launched 11 October 1975 after christening by Mamie Doud Eisenhower, Dwight Eisenhower's widow, and commissioned 18 October 1977, Captain William E. Ramsey in command. On commissioning, she replaced the aging World War II–era carrier {{USS|Franklin D. Roosevelt||6}} in the fleet.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was initially assigned to the United States Atlantic Fleet, and, after receiving over a year of training, the ship was visited by President Jimmy Carter with his wife Rosalynn Carter, Defense Secretary Harold Brown and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzeziński. In January 1979, she sailed for her first deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. During this deployment, while off the coast of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin visited Dwight D. Eisenhower, The carrier returned to Norfolk Naval Station in July of the same year.

File:BAe Sea Harrier 800 NAS on USS Eisenhower 1984.JPEG of the Fleet Air Arm takes off from the deck of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1984.]]

Under the command of her second Commanding Officer, Captain James H. Mauldin, her second deployment occurred in 1980, when she was dispatched by President Carter to the Indian Ocean, in response to the Iran hostage crisis. She relieved sister-carrier Nimitz three days after the Iranian hostage rescue attempt. To help maintain morale, Captain Mauldin allowed the men aboard to participate in "Flight Deck Olympics". The Navy also authorized a special ration of beer, consisting of two cans per man every continuous 93 days at sea. The two beers were well refrigerated and were handed out to each crewman during "Steel Beach" breaks. It was the first U.S. Navy's six-pack cruise since World War II. Officers were flown by helicopter to British ships for their rum rations. Ike's crew was awarded with the Navy Unit Commendation ribbon and the Navy Marine Corps Expeditionary medal in 1980 for this extended cruise. During this cruise, port visits to Kenya and Australia were cancelled due to conflicts in the region. Eventually, Ike visited Singapore after which it returned to the Indian Ocean for a total of over 320 days out at sea for 1980.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ussdwight00dwig|title=USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Indian Ocean Cruise, 1980|year=1980|publisher=Walsworth Publishing Company|oclc=45626085}}

Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to the Mediterranean Sea for her third deployment, under the command of her third Captain E. W. Clexton Jr., from 5 January to 13 July 1982. During this deployment, 11 passengers and crew were lost when Mamie, her onboard logistics aircraft, crashed near Souda Bay, Crete, on 2 April. She also participated in the 24 June evacuation of the U.S. Embassy staff from Beirut, Lebanon, as that country descended into civil war.

File:F-8E(FN) catching wire on USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) 1983.JPEG of the Aéronavale traps aboard Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1983.]]

Ike embarked on her fourth deployment from 27 April to 2 December 1983. In addition to several major exercises with NATO, Egyptian and U.S. Air Force personnel and assets, she came under direct threat of attack as Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qadhafi vowed to turn the Gulf of Sidra into a "red gulf of blood" should the ship enter the zone claimed by Libya. Further tensions between Libya, Chad, Sudan, and Egypt forced Ike to be ordered to the disputed area. Between 2 and 5 August, the ship's Combat Air Patrol intercepted two MiG-23 Flogger and two Dassault-Breguet Mirage 5 aircraft headed toward the carrier in separate engagements. The Libyan aircraft immediately turned back toward their bases, ending both incidents. Diplomatic measures deflated the crisis days later. On 26 August, Ike sailed within sight of the embattled city of Beirut, Lebanon. The ship launched reconnaissance sorties in support of the U.S. Marines and other international peacekeepers coming under attack ashore. After 93 days at sea since her previous port visit, Ike visited Italy on 21 October. She once again had to make speed toward Beirut, just five days later on the 26th, because of suicide attacks that killed nearly 300 American and French troops on 23 October. Ike would remain on station until relieved by carriers {{USS|Independence|CV-62|2}} and {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|2}} in mid November.

File:USS Dwight D Eisenhower in Med 1983.jpg in the Mediterranean, 1983]]

In May and June 1984, for the 40th anniversary of D-Day, Ike was deployed to Normandy, France and Portsmouth, England. The port visit in England included a visit from Queen Elizabeth II. After her fifth deployment Dwight D. Eisenhower went into Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock in October 1985 for a major overhaul. The 18-month yard period included the addition of the Close-in Weapons System (CIWS), NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System, Naval Tactical Data System, anti-submarine warfare module, communications upgrades and rehabilitation of 1,831 berths in 25 compartments. She re-entered the fleet in April 1987.{{cite web|title=USS Dwight D. Eisenhower History|publisher=US Navy|url=http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/cvn69/Pages/History.aspx|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225045549/http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/cvn69/Pages/History.aspx|archive-date=25 December 2015|url-status=dead}}

On 29 February 1988, Ike started her sixth deployment to the Mediterranean. While returning to Norfolk, on 29 August 1988, she collided with an anchored Spanish bulk carrier, the Urduliz, while entering the harbor to dock at Norfolk Naval Station when wind and currents pushed the carrier off course, but only caused minor damage to both ships.{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/d/dwight-d-eisenhower-cvn-69/pdfs/1988.pdf |title=USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) Command History – Calendar Year 1988 |last1=Dantone |first1=J. J. |date=21 March 1989 |publisher=United States Navy|page=17 |access-date=16 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201030010/http://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/d/dwight-d-eisenhower-cvn-69/pdfs/1988.pdf |archive-date=1 February 2016 |url-status=live }} Dwight D. Eisenhower entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth, Virginia) in September 1988; she returned to the fleet in April 1989.

File:Four US Navy carriers at Norfolk Naval Station 1985.jpeg

In 1990, Dwight D. Eisenhower completed her seventh Mediterranean deployment. The deployment became a commemorative event in the worldwide "Dwight D. Eisenhower Centennial", celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late president's birth. During D-Day anniversary ceremonies off the coast of Normandy, President Eisenhower's son John Eisenhower and D-Day veterans embarked in the ship, while Carrier Air Wing Seven conducted a memorial flyover of the American cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.

In response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first carrier to conduct sustained operations in the Red Sea, and only the second nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever to transit the Suez Canal. Ike served as a ready striking force in the event Iraq invaded Saudi Arabia, and participated in maritime interception operations in support of a United Nations embargo against Iraq.

After completion of an extensive shipyard period and work-up, the carrier deployed 26 September 1991 to the Persian Gulf to continue multi-national operations with coalition forces in support of Operation Desert Storm. Ike returned to Norfolk on 2 April 1992, and, on 12 January 1993, entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul and conversion, returning to the fleet 12 November 1993.

File:USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) leaves Norfolk for Operation Uphold Democracy in 1994.JPEG in 1994.]]

In September 1994, Dwight D. Eisenhower and elements of the U.S. 10th Mountain Division first tested the concept of adaptive force packaging. The division's soldiers and equipment were loaded on board, and the ship's Army/Navy team headed for Port-au-Prince to lead Operation Uphold Democracy, the U.S.-led effort to restore the elected government of Haiti.{{cite web | title= U.S.S. Eisenhower departs for Haiti with 10th Mountain soldiers | url= https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6502654 | publisher= National Archives | date= 14 September 1994 | access-date= 14 March 2017 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170314153121/https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6502654 | archive-date= 14 March 2017 | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url= http://www.drum.army.mil/1stBCT/Pages/1stBRIGADECOMBATTEAM.aspx | title= History of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division | publisher= U.S. Army, Fort Drum | date= 2010 | access-date= 14 March 2017 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170510074846/http://www.drum.army.mil/1stBCT/Pages/1stBRIGADECOMBATTEAM.aspx | archive-date= 10 May 2017 | url-status=dead }}

One month later, in October 1994, Dwight D. Eisenhower departed for a six-month deployment which included flying missions in support of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Deny Flight. This deployment marked the first time that women had deployed as crew members of a U.S. Navy combatant. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3), and the Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 8 staff team included more than 400 women. The integration of women caused some negative headlines for the Navy. During the deployment, 15 women serving aboard had to be reassigned ashore because of pregnancy, earning the ship the nickname The Love Boat.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna33297422 |title=Navy moves to put women on submarines |date=13 October 2009 |agency=Associated Press |work=NBC News |access-date=12 January 2014 }} There was also a case of a sailor who filmed himself having sex with a female.

Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Newport News Shipbuilding on 17 July 1995 for an 18-month complex overhaul, completed on 27 January 1997. Among other upgrades, they installed a new Advanced combat direction system. The ship departed on her 10th deployment on 10 June 1998 and returned in December. In February 1999, she returned to the Norfolk Navy Shipyard for a six-month refitting and returned to the fleet in June. Upon completion in June 1999, she returned to full duty in the fleet.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

In April 1995, the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune recorded two weeks of shows from the hangar bay of the Eisenhower. {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqaVt8hXE1k&ab|title=When 'Wheel of Fortune' came to Naval Station Norfolk (1995 archive video)|date=June 2024 |publisher=WVEC-TV 13 Hampton, VA|access-date=4 February 2025}}

File:US Navy 061025-N-2835F-001 The flagship for Commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight (CCSG-8), Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), anchors off the coast of Cyprus for a port visit.jpg in the Mediterranean in 2006]]

File:Super Hornet on flight deck.jpg parked on the flight deck of Dwight D. Eisenhower, as the ship operates in the Persian Gulf, December 2006.]]

Deploying in February 2000 and returning that August on the "Millennium Cruise", for the first time Ike{{'}}s embarked aircraft dropped ordnance in combat while enforcing Operation Southern Watch's No-Fly Zone over Iraq.

On 3 October 2006 with Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7), Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to sea as flagship of RADM Allen G. Myers, commanding Carrier Strike Group Eight (CSG-8), which included guided-missile cruiser {{USS|Anzio|CG-68|2}}, guided-missile destroyers {{USS|Ramage||2}} and {{USS|Mason|DDG-87|2}}, and fast-attack submarine {{USS|Newport News|SSN-750|2}}.{{cite news|url=http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=111767&ran=211308 |title=Overhauled Eisenhower prepares for deployment after six years off |first=Jack |last=Dorsey |work=The Virginian-Pilot |date=28 September 2006 |access-date=13 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061005082632/http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=111767&ran=211308 |archive-date=5 October 2006 }} She visited Naples, Italy, and then Limassol, Cyprus, for three days in October 2006 before departing to the east. She entered the Persian Gulf in December 2006.{{cite news |url=http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aB9F0Hlr.fLA |title=Abizaid Wants Additional Navy Carrier in Persian Gulf (Update1) |last=Capaccio |first=Tony |work=Bloomberg News |date=19 December 2006 |access-date=12 January 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629235518/http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aB9F0Hlr.fLA |archive-date=29 June 2012}}

On 8 January 2007, a U.S. AC-130 gunship based out of Djibouti was dispatched to target Al-Qaeda operatives located in Somalia. Dwight D. Eisenhower was deployed in the Indian Ocean to provide air cover for the operation and, if needed, to evacuate downed airmen and other casualties.{{cite news |title=U.S. Strike in Somalia Targets Al-Qaeda Figure |newspaper=The Washington Post|date=8 January 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801822.html |access-date=12 January 2015 |first=Karen |last=DeYoung |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224025820/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801822.html |archive-date=24 February 2011 |url-status=live }} She joined other U.S. and allied vessels from Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), based out of Bahrain.{{cite web|title=Navy tries to block fleeing jihadists from Somalia|work =Air Force Times|date=3 January 2007|url=http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2458956.php|archive-url= http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20070109203212/http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2458956.php|archive-date=9 January 2007|access-date=4 January 2007}} A U.S. spokesperson did not say which particular ships comprised the cordon, but the task force included vessels from Canada, France, Germany, Pakistan, the UK and the US. Ships of CTF-150 from the U.S. Navy include the {{sclass|Arleigh Burke|destroyer|1}} Ramage and the {{sclass|Ticonderoga|cruiser|1}} {{USS|Bunker Hill|CG-52|2}}.{{cite web|title=Ramage, Bunker Hill keeping an eye on Somalia|publisher=MarineTimes.com|date=4 January 2007|url=http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2461109.php|access-date=4 January 2007}}{{dead link|date=November 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The aim of CTF-150's patrols is to "... stop SICC leaders or foreign militant supporters escaping" Somalia.{{cite news|title=Ethiopian troops to stay in Somalia weeks |date=2 January 2007 |publisher=Reuters|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-01-02T122054Z_01_L28741526_RTRUKOC_0_US-SOMALIA-CONFLICT.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070331061726/http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews |archive-date=31 March 2007 }} In March 2007, following the Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel, Dwight D. Eisenhower began battle group exercises off the Iranian coastline. The following month, in April, the ship was relieved by Nimitz.{{cite news|title=Tensions High in Persian Gulf Over British Captives|work=ABCNews.com|date=29 March 2007|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2991157|access-date=12 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023310/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2991157|archive-date=17 November 2015|url-status=live}}

File:Rafale USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.jpg fighter aircraft conducts touch and go landings aboard Dwight D. Eisenhower during a coalition training exercise.]]

File:CVN-69-SPIE-training.jpg (SPIE) training session with Dwight D. Eisenhower]]

On 4 October 2008 Dwight D. Eisenhower Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Lemar Robinson was killed aboard ship during training exercises off the coast of North Carolina. The sailor was struck and mortally wounded, by an airplane at 8:15 p.m. on the carrier's flight deck.{{cite news|last1=Wiltrout|first1=Kate|title=Navy identifies sailor hit by plane, killed on Eisenhower|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/navy-identifies-sailor-hit-plane-killed-eisenhower|work=The Virginian-Pilot|date=7 October 2008|access-date=12 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307141509/http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/navy-identifies-sailor-hit-plane-killed-eisenhower|archive-date=7 March 2015|url-status=live}}

On 21 February 2009, Dwight D. 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 was Carrier Air Wing 7 and the staff of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 28. Other ships of Strike Group 8 were {{USS|Bainbridge|DDG-96|2}}, {{USS|Halyburton|FFG-40|2}}, {{USS|Scranton|SSN-756|2}}, {{USS|Vicksburg|CG-69|2}}, and {{USS|Gettysburg|CG-64|2}}. In addition to supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the strike group conducted maritime security operations including anti-piracy operations. On 16 May, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first Nimitz-class carrier to dock pier-side in Manama, Bahrain. The last carrier to moor pierside in Bahrain was {{USS|Rendova||2}} in 1948. On 30 July 2009, Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Naval Station Norfolk after an almost six-month-long deployment.{{cite news| url=http://www.eisenhower.navy.mil/Papers/2009/February/feb22.pdfwebsite.pdf| title=Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Deploys| first=Adam| last=Prince| publisher=USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)| date=22 February 2009|access-date=23 February 2009}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

File:US Navy 110714-N-YC446-145 The aircraft carriers USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) pass as Enterprise returns to homepo.jpg, meets up with {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|2}} returning from a cruise to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf in 2011]]

On 2 January 2010, Dwight D. Eisenhower again deployed to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation in the Middle East. She served as the flagship of the 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 Ike, the strike group was made up of Carrier Air Wing 7; Commander, Destroyer Squadron 28; the guided-missile cruiser {{USS|Hué City||2}}; and guided-missile destroyers {{USS|McFaul||2}}, {{USS|Carney||2}}, and {{USS|Farragut|DDG-99|2}}.{{cite news| url=http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/01/ap_eisenhower_deployment_010210/| title=Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG deploys | agency=Associated Press| work=Navy Times | date=2 January 2010| access-date=12 January 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_ike_1229dec29,0,3795204.story| title=Eisenhower strike group deploys to Middle East for 6 months| first=Tyra| last=Vaughn| publisher=dailypress.com| date=3 January 2010|access-date=3 January 2010}} {{dead link|date=January 2015}} On 28 July 2010, Ike returned to her homeport in Norfolk.

The ship was placed in a planned incremental availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard from September 2010 through June 2011. The ship was deployed again 7 June 2012 to the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The ship returned to homeport 19 December 2012.{{cite web| url = https://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/cvn69/Pages/History.aspx| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121201043826/http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/cvn69/Pages/History.aspx| archive-date = 2012-12-01| title = USS Dwight D. Eisenhower History}} On 22 February 2013, Ike and Strike Group 8 departed for another Mediterranean and Mid-East deployment. After pulling into Marseille, France{{cite web |last=Adda |first=Karim |url=http://www.demotix.com/news/1854432/uss-eisenhower-docks-marseille#media-1854397 |title=USS Eisenhower docks in Marseille |website=Demotix |date=8 March 2013 |access-date=12 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923224329/http://www.demotix.com/news/1854432/uss-eisenhower-docks-marseille#media-1854397 |archive-date=23 September 2015}} in early March, the German {{sclass|Sachsen|frigate}} {{ship|German frigate|Hamburg||2}} became the first to fully integrate into an American strike group. Hamburg, commanded by Commander (FKpt) Ralf Kuchler (GN), remained with the strike group while it operated with the 5th fleet.{{cite web |last=Gorman |first=Timothy |title=Hamburg First German Ship to Deploy in U.S. Carrier Strike Group |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=73121 |publisher=U.S. Navy |date=3 April 2013 |access-date=12 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925012848/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=73121 |archive-date=25 September 2015 |url-status=dead }} The ship returned to homeport 3 July 2013. On 6 August the ship began an ammunition offload in preparation for an upcoming docked planned incremental availability (DPIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.{{cite web |title=Ike Begins Ammo Offload |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75813 |last=Fiallos |first=Luis |publisher=U.S. Navy |date=8 August 2013 |access-date=12 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726130717/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75813 |archive-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead }} On 26 August 2014, the ship was moved to Berth 42-43 from Dry Dock #8 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and as of 4 February 2015, the DPIA was four months behind schedule, with the ship planned to remain in the yard until at least April 2015.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} On 3 September 2015, the ship went back to sea.{{cite news |url=http://wtkr.com/2015/09/03/the-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-releases-time-lapse-video-of-the-carriers-return-to-the-sea/ |title=The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower releases time-lapse video of the carrier's return to the sea |last=Knight |first=Matt |work=NewsChannel3 |date=3 September 2015 |access-date=5 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006110332/http://wtkr.com/2015/09/03/the-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-releases-time-lapse-video-of-the-carriers-return-to-the-sea/ |archive-date=6 October 2015 |url-status=live }}

On 8 June 2016, Dwight D. Eisenhower and her Carrier Strike Group sailed the Atlantic Ocean into the U.S. 6th Fleet's area of operations (AoR) in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.{{cite news |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=95123 |title=Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Enters US 6th Fleet |date=8 June 2016 |access-date=12 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609134225/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=95123 |archive-date=9 June 2016 |url-status=dead }} On 22 November 2016, Military Times reported that since June 2016, when the ship entered the Persian Gulf after launching strikes from the eastern Mediterranean, the carrier's Captain, Paul Spedero, reported that sorties from Dwight D. Eisenhower had dropped nearly 1,100 bombs on ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. Ike returned to homeport Norfolk 30 December.{{cite web|url=http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/us-airstrikes-from-carrier-eisenhower-top-1-000-against-isis-in-iraq-and-syria|title=U.S. airstrikes from carrier Eisenhower top 1,000 against ISIS in Iraq and Syria|publisher=Militarytimes|date=22 November 2016|access-date=11 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220194705/http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/us-airstrikes-from-carrier-eisenhower-top-1-000-against-isis-in-iraq-and-syria|archive-date=20 December 2016|url-status=live}}

On 18 March 2016, while she was sailing off the coast of Virginia, eight members of her deck crew were injured when the arresting gear cables failed and "came apart", during the routine landing of an E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. Six of the injured deck crew were flown by helicopter to nearby shore-based hospitals, while the other two remained and were treated aboard ship. None of the eight suffered life-threatening injuries. The Hawkeye immediately resumed flight and landed safely at Chambers Field, Norfolk Naval Station, with no reports of injuries to her crew or damage to the aircraft.{{cite web|url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/03/18/navy-8-sailors-carrier-uss-eisenhower-hurt-landing.html|title=Navy: 8 sailors aboard carrier USS Eisenhower hurt during landing|publisher=military.com|date=10 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314184943/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/03/18/navy-8-sailors-carrier-uss-eisenhower-hurt-landing.html|archive-date=14 March 2018|url-status=live}}

In December 2016, the ship completed her 17th deployment to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-eisenhower-homecoming-1230-20161230-story.html|title=Daily Press: Family, friends greet 'Mighty Ike' sailors after busy deployment. 30 December 2016|date=30 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928200807/http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-eisenhower-homecoming-1230-20161230-story.html|archive-date=28 September 2018|url-status=live}}

On 13 January 2020, Dwight D. Eisenhower left Norfolk for her Composite Training Unit Exercise ahead of deploying. After exercising with Carrier Strike Group 10 until late February, Dwight D. Eisenhower immediately deployed to the Persian Gulf without returning to port, due to Dynamic Force Employment (DFE), a strategy to help make naval deployments less predictive.{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-carrier-deployments-unusual-start-appears-aimed-at-unpredictability-2020-2 |title=The Navy's latest aircraft carrier deployment had an unusual start as the service aims to be more unpredictable |publisher=Business Insider |date=21 February 2020 |access-date=2021-01-08}}

On 26 June 2020, the ship surpassed the {{USS|Theodore Roosevelt|CVN-71|6}}'s record of 160 consecutive days at sea without a port call by reaching its 161st day. This new mark is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ship's operational commitment to "remain clean" by avoiding any contact with ports that carried the potential of introducing the novel coronavirus into the crew.{{cite web |url=https://news.usni.org/2020/06/25/carrier-eisenhower-cruiser-break-at-sea-record-while-navy-opens-safe-haven-liberty-ports |title=Carrier Eisenhower, Cruiser Break At-Sea Record, While Navy Opens 'Safe Haven' Liberty Ports |website=USNI News |date=25 June 2020 }} On 25 and 26 July 2020, the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) co-trained with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower southeast of Crete.{{cite web |url=https://www.haf.gr/en/2020/07/co-training-of-haf-with-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-aircraft-carrier/ |title=Co-Training of HAF with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Aircraft Carrier |website=Hellenic Air Force |date=28 July 2020 }}

On 3 March 2021, Dwight D. Eisenhower{{'}}s Strike Group conducted Exercise Lightning Handshake with Royal Moroccan Navy frigate {{Ship|Moroccan frigate|Tarik Ben Ziyad||2}} and Royal Moroccan Air Force fighter jets.{{Cite web|url=https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2021/march/9787-ike-strike-group-operates-with-morocco-in-lightning-shake-exercise.html|title=Ike Strike Group Operates With Morocco In Lightning Shake Exercise|access-date=2021-03-06|website=www.navyrecognition.com|date=5 March 2021 }} On 5 March, the {{ship|Italian frigate|Luigi Rizzo|F 595|6}} underwent alongside her in the Strait of Gibraltar.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-08|title=USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Now in Mediterranean Sea after Strait of Gibraltar Transit|url=https://news.usni.org/2021/03/08/uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-now-in-mediterranean-sea-after-strait-of-gibraltar-transit|access-date=2021-03-24|website=USNI News|language=en-US}} On 2 April, Dwight D. Eisenhower, with Carrier Air Wing 3 and her Carrier Strike Group, transited the Suez Canal into the Red Sea in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2021/04/02/eisenhower-strike-group-entering-the-middle-east-after-suez-canal-transit|title=Eisenhower Strike Group Now in the Middle East After Suez Canal Transit|publisher=usni.org|date=2 April 2021|access-date=24 April 2021}}

On 14 October 2023, Lloyd Austin directed Dwight D. Eisenhower and her carrier strike group, which includes the cruiser {{USS|Philippine Sea|CG-58|2}}, and destroyers {{USS|Laboon|DDG-58|2}}, Mason and {{USS|Gravely|DDG-107|2}}, to the eastern Mediterranean in response to Israel's war with Hamas.{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/exclusive-us-send-2nd-aircraft-carrier-eastern-mediterranean/story?id=103984246 |title=Exclusive: US to send 2nd aircraft carrier to eastern Mediterranean |date=14 October 2023 |last1=Raddatz |first1=Martha |last2=Martinez |first2=Luis |publisher=ABC News |access-date=14 October 2023}} This is the second carrier strike group to be sent to the region in response to the conflict, following {{USS|Gerald R. Ford|CVN-78|2}} and her group, which was dispatched only six days earlier.{{Cite web |title=Statement From Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on U.S. Force Posture Changes in the Middle E |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3551716/statement-from-secretary-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-us-force-posture-changes-in-the/|access-date=2023-10-08 |publisher=U.S. Department of Defense |language=en-US}}

She is currently under the command of Captain Christopher "Chowdah" Hill.{{cite web |last1=Sharpe |first1=Tom |title=One US Navy captain shows how our armed services could fix their recruiting problems |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/23/us-uk-armed-forces-navy-ships-social-media-twitter-online/ |website=The Telegraph |date=23 January 2024 |access-date=5 February 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/Organization/Aircraft-Carriers/USS-Dwight-D-Eisenhower-CVN-69/Commanding-Officer/|title=Commanding Officer|website=airlant.usff.navy.mil|access-date=23 February 2024}} To boost morale Captain Hill and senior officers have instituted a philosophy on the ship called “the Way of the Warrior Sailor.”{{cite news |last1=Haboush |first1=Joseph |title=US Navy works to keep sailors' morale high amid challenging Red Sea Houthi campaign |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/03/27/US-Navy-works-to-keep-sailors-morale-high-amid-challenging-Red-Sea-Houthi-campaign |access-date=4 April 2024 |publisher=ALARABIA news |date=27 March 2024}} In his communication as a leader, Hill said he uses "rapid, relentless, repetitive, positive communication," or R3P. In doing so, Hill said he emphasizes the importance of acknowledging each sailor personally, highlighting the significance of their roles and reassuring them of their performance. "What does morale get us? Morale gets us success in battle," Hill explained to CBS 60 Minutes. "That's the ultimate goal. You know, it might allow you to do well on inspections, allow you to do well in your day-to-day activities. But ultimately, it's about combat and success … And it's working."{{cite news |last1=Farmer |first1=Britt McCandless |title=One U.S. Navy secret weapon in the Red Sea? Sailor morale |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-us-navy-secret-weapon-in-the-red-sea-sailor-morale-60-minutes/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |publisher=CBS 60 Minutes}}

{{Main|United States-Houthi conflict (2023–present)}}

On 26 December 2023, at 6:30 a.m., Dwight D. Eisenhower launched Super Hornet aircraft and, together with the destroyer Laboon, destroyed 12 attack drones, three anti-ship missiles and two ground attack cruise missiles in the southern Red Sea, fired from Yemen's Houthi rebels in an over 10 hour-action.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

On 30 December, Danish container ship {{ship||Maersk Hangzhou}} issued a distress call after coming under fire from four small ships commanded by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen. Attempts were also made to board Maersk Hangzhou by force, while a contracted security team defended the ship. Dwight D. Eisenhower and guided missile destroyer Gravely responded to a distress call from the container ship. Verbal commands were radioed to the Houthi ships, while helicopters from Dwight D. Eisenhower were dispatched. After taking small arms fire, U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire, sinking three of the four Houthi ships. There was no damage to U.S. equipment or personnel. In the process of responding to the distress call, Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Yemen.{{cite tweet |url= https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1741381969936834951 |title= Iranian-backed Houthi small boats attack merchant vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Red Sea |author= US Central Command |date= 31 December 2023 |number=1741381969936834951 |user=CENTCOM |access-date=31 May 2024}}{{cite web | last=Tanyos | first=Faris | title=Missile fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen strikes merchant vessel in Red Sea, Pentagon says | website=CBS News | date=30 December 2023 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/missile-from-houthi-controlled-yemen-strikes-merchant-vessel-red-sea-uss-gravely-shoots-down-anti-ship-missiles/ | access-date=31 December 2023}}

On 10 January 2024, the Houthis carried out more missile attacks against US and UK ships. All projectiles were shot down by Dwight D. Eisenhower and other ships.{{Cite news |last1=Wintour |first1=Patrick |last2=Sabbagh |first2=Dan |date=2024-01-10 |title=Britain warns of severe consequences after Houthi attack in Red Sea repelled |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/10/britain-warns-severe-consequences-houthi-attack-red-sea-repelled |access-date=2024-02-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |last=Sabbagh |first=Dan |date=2024-01-10 |title=Houthis call west's bluff with renewed Red Sea drone assault |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/10/houthis-call-wests-bluff-with-renewed-red-sea-drone-assault |access-date=2024-02-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} On 12 January, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Three embarked on Dwight D. Eisenhower, participated in the 2024 missile strikes in Yemen against Houthi rebels. Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired by the cruiser Philippine Sea as well as the destroyers Mason and Gravely, and the submarine {{USS|Florida|SSGN-728|2}}.{{cite news |last1=Mongilio |first1=Heather |title=Ike's Carrier Air Wing 3, USS Gravely, USS Philippine Sea and USS Mason Struck Houthi Targets |url=https://news.usni.org/2024/01/12/ikes-carrier-air-wing-3-uss-gravely-uss-philippine-sea-and-uss-mason-struck-houthi-targets |access-date=13 January 2024 |publisher=USNI News |date=12 January 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Liebermann |first1=Oren |last2=Britzky |first2=Haley |last3=Bertrand |first3=Natasha |last4=Liptak |first4=Kevin |last5=Marquardt |first5=Alex |last6=Lee |first6=MJ |last7=Hansler |first7=Jennifer |title=US and UK carry out strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/11/politics/us-strikes-houthis-yemen/index.html |access-date=13 January 2024 |publisher=CNN |date=12 January 2024}}

Dwight D. Eisenhower continued supporting Operation Prosperity Guardian and the 2024 missile strikes in Yemen until 26 April when she passed through the Suez Canal and entered the Eastern Mediterranean.{{cite news |last1=Mongilio |first1=Heather |title=Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Now in the Mediterranean Sea |url=https://news.usni.org/2024/04/26/carrier-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-now-in-the-mediterranean-sea |access-date=29 April 2024 |publisher=USNI News |date=26 April 2024}} She returned to the Red Sea in May to resume operations after a port call in Souda Bay, Crete.{{cite news |last1=Shelbourne |first1=Mallory |title=Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Back in Red Sea, Passes 200-Day Deployment Mark |url=https://news.usni.org/2024/05/06/carrier-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-back-in-red-sea-passes-200-day-deployment-mark |access-date=7 May 2024 |publisher=USNI News |date=6 May 2024}} The Yemeni Supreme Political Council stated it launched two attacks on Dwight D Eisenhower, though American officials denied this, and no evidence has surfaced of such attacks.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-houthi-rebels-us-ship-attack-gaza-b2554475.html |title=Houthis claim to have launched missile attack on US aircraft carrier in wake of US-UK strikes on Yemen |work=The Independent |last1=Butler |first1=Alexander |last2=Mathers |first2=Matt |date=31 May 2024 |access-date=31 May 2024}} Fake footage of a damaged ship were shared across social media which were further amplified by pro-Chinese and pro-Russian social media accounts.{{Cite web |last=Norton |first=Tom |date=2024-06-04 |title=Fact Check: Do photos show USS Eisenhower damage after Houthi strike? |url=https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-do-photos-show-uss-eisenhower-damage-after-houthi-strike-1908019 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=LaPorta |first1=James |last2=Delzer |first2=Erielle |date=2024-06-05 |title=Disinformation campaign uses fake footage to claim attack on USS Eisenhower - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yemen-houthi-attack-disinformation-uss-eisenhower/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}} Associated Press journalists toured the ship after the alleged attack and found no damage except a leak from a pipe in a dining room, and Captain Hill noted during the Taco Tuesday on the ship that Houthis have claimed to have sunk the ship multiple times before.{{Cite news |title=US aircraft carrier counters false Houthi claims with 'Taco Tuesdays' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-aircraft-carrier-counters-false-houthi-claims-taco-111174379 |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=ABC News |language=en |agency=AP |date=June 17, 2024}}

On 14 July 2024, Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a nine-month combat deployment. Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 3 expended nearly 60 air-to-air missiles and 420 air-to-surface weapons during the deployment.{{cite news |title=Unprecedented: Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Returns From Combat Deployment |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/07/unprecedented-dwight-d-eisenhower-carrier-strike-group-returns-from-combat-deployment/ |access-date=16 July 2024 |publisher=Naval News |date=14 July 2024}}

File:A U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22 unloads ammunition onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Atlantic Ocean 130806-N-FI568-009.jpg helicopter unloads ammunition onto the flight deck of Dwight D. Eisenhower.]]

• March 1978 to July 1978 - Post Shakedown Availability
• January 1981 to May 1981 - Selected Restricted Availability
• August 1982 to October 1982 - Selected Restricted Availability
• October 1985 to April 1987 - Complex Overhaul - forward port sponson added; Mk-25 BPDM replaced with Mk-29; 3 CIWS added; SPS-49 search radar replaces SPS-43.
• October 1988 to March 1989 - Selected Restricted Availability
• October 1990 to January 1991 - Selected Restricted Availability
• January 1993 to November 1993 - Selected Restricted Availability
• October 1995 to January 1997 - Complex Overhaul - aft boarding dock added.
• February 1999 to June 1999 - Planned Incremental Availability
• May 2001 to March 2005 - Refueling and Complex Overhaul - bridle catcher removed; top two levels of island replaced; new antenna mast; new radar tower; 2 RAM replace 1 CIWS/1 Mk-29 at forward port sponson/aft starboard sponson; 2 CIWS at island/stern removed.
• January 2008 to July 2008 - Planned Incremental Availability
• September 2010 to June 2011 - Planned Incremental Availability
• September 2013 to May 2015 - Planned Incremental Availability - 2 CIWS added; one on newly installed forward starboard sponson, one on newly installed aft port sponson.
• August 2017 to November 2018 - Planned Incremental Availability
• September 2021 to October 2022 - Planned Incremental Availability{{cite web|url=https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article/2756622/nnsy-welcomes-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-for-planned-incremental-availability|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926055858/https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article/2756622/nnsy-welcomes-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-for-planned-incremental-availability/|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 September 2021|title=NNSY WELCOMES USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER FOR PLANNED INCREMENTAL AVAILABILITY|publisher=airlant.usff.navy.mil|date=30 August 2021|access-date=10 December 2021}}

Dwight D. Eisenhower is scheduled to be replaced around 2029 by the new {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-80}}, a {{sclass|Gerald R. Ford|aircraft carrier|0}} carrier, that as of fall 2018, is in the steel cutting and fabrication stages of construction.{{cite web|url=https://wtkr.com/2017/08/21/first-cut-of-steel-to-kick-off-construction-of-the-aircraft-carrier-enterprise-at-newport-news-shipbuilding/|title=First cut of steel kicks off construction of the aircraft carrier Enterprise at Newport News Shipbuilding|publisher=wktr.com|date=21 August 2017|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919094607/https://wtkr.com/2017/08/21/first-cut-of-steel-to-kick-off-construction-of-the-aircraft-carrier-enterprise-at-newport-news-shipbuilding/|archive-date=19 September 2018|url-status=live}} The exact date of the ship's inactivation and decommissioning will likely depend on many factors, including Defense Department funding considerations.{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS20643.pdf|publisher=Congressional Research Service|title=Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress|first=Ronald|last=O'Rourke|access-date=12 January 2015|date=26 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602163338/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS20643.pdf|archive-date=2 June 2013|url-status=live}}

{{As of|2023}}, the Navy is considering extending the service life of Dwight D. Eisenhower.{{cite news|url= https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2023/10/26/us-navy-mulls-timing-of-new-double-carrier-award-amid-enterprise-delay/ |title=US Navy mulls timing of new double-carrier award amid Enterprise delay |publisher=DefenseNews |date=2023-10-26 |access-date=2023-10-27}}

Dwight D. Eisenhower has earned a number of awards, including the Battle "E" in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2012 and 2022 as the most battle efficient carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1999, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

Ike and her crew have been awarded:{{cite web|url=https://www.hullnumber.com/CVN-69|title=USS Dwight D. Eisenhower|website=hullnumber.com|date=2023|access-date=4 July 2023}}{{better source needed|date=July 2023}}

• List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
• List of aircraft carriers (worldwide)
• U.S. Navy Numbered Fleets
• Carrier Strike Group
• Carrier air wing

{{Clear}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/dwight-d-eisenhower-cvn-69.html}}

{{Commons category|USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)}}

• {{Official web site|https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn69/}} ([https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn69/ Old archived version])
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160105005526/http://www.navy.mil/local/story_archive.asp?id=8 USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) Story Archive]—U.S. Navy
• [http://www.janes.com/defence/news/jni/jni070110_1_n.shtml "Eisenhower bolsters US security presence off Somalia]—Jane's Navy International, January 2007
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140517083612/http://ikebites.com/ Dwight D. Eisenhower Sea Stories home page]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080611054659/http://www.cvn69.com/ Dwight D. Eisenhower Reunion −2008 home page]
• [http://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn69.html USS Dwight D. Eisenhower webpage]
• [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/aircraft_carriers/uss_dwight_d_eisenhower_cvn_69_page_1.htm Maritimequest USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69 Photo Gallery]
• [http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn69history.htm USS Dwight D. Eisenhower history at U.S. Carriers]
• [https://archive.today/20150119005928/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/command-operations-reports/ships/d/dwight-d-eisenhowever-cvn-69-i.html USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) command histories]—Naval History & Heritage Command

{{Nimitz class aircraft carrier}}

{{Nuclear surface ships}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dwight D. Eisenhower (Cvn-69)}}

Category:1975 ships

Category:Aircraft carriers of the United States

Category:Cold War aircraft carriers of the United States

Category:Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

Category:Nuclear-powered ships of the United States Navy

Category:Ships built in Newport News, Virginia