Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Feb. 19-20, during the final stage of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12’s composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX).

Moran visited the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group to observe COMPTUEX and speak with Sailors in the strike group as they work toward certification to deploy later this year.

COMPTUEX enables a strike group to prepare for and conduct global operations, establish lasting command and control, and demonstrate dedication and commitment to becoming the strongest warfighting force for the Navy and the nation.

The visit aligns with Moran’s responsibilities to assess readiness, confidence and safe operations, and to evaluate how well the Navy's commitment to changing the way it trains to become more effective and competitive. While on board, he focused on attaining feedback from Sailors at every level during the exercise to see what the Navy can do to better train as warfighters while maintaining safety as a top priority.

“The C2X for the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group was one of the most complex and integrated training environments we’ve conducted to date,” Moran said. “It was an impressive orchestration of a multi-domain challenge for everyone in the strike group - not only was it good to see how leaders, operators and maintainers dealt with this complexity, but to also see our incredible teams working together to learn how to win in a high-end fight. It was truly impressive.”

While aboard Abraham Lincoln, Moran visited Sailors in engineering, aircraft maintenance and operations work centers. He also spent time on the ship’s bridge and flight deck, observing the launching and recovery of aircraft. Additionally, the VCNO spent a few hours visiting the strike group’s air defense platform Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

“We talked about repair and all the service we provide to the ship and to the carrier strike group,” said Hull Technician 1st Class Tim Jakubisin. “It’s not every day that someone that high up comes down to your shop. He seemed very interested in what we had to talk about, and we had a very normal and casual conversation.”

“It was an honor to meet and speak with the VCNO,” said Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Asaad Plummer. “He was very personable, and he really took the time to listen to us and made me feel like my voice was heard.”

Moran’s visit during COMPTUEX comes at a time when CSG 12 is working to demonstrate its readiness across every warfare area through simulated and live events as a single combat-ready force. Participating units must show that they are capable of operating as a “team-of-teams,” combining advanced surface, air and systems assets to create and sustain operational capability.

CSG 12 is comprised of Abraham Lincoln, Carrier Air Wing 7, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 and the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez (F 104). It is a multinational, multi-platform unit of ships, aircraft and more than 6,000 Sailors who are ready to respond wherever and whenever required through a variety of mission sets.

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