The First Female Commander of a U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group

Nora W. Tyson is the first woman to command a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier task group after assuming command of Carrier Strike Group Two on July 29, 2010. U.S. Navy carrier strike groups are employed in a variety of roles, all of which involve gaining and maintaining sea control - "A Global Force for Good." According to The Official Website of the United States Navy

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Rear Adm. Tyson graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in English. She attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., receiving her commission in the U.S. Navy in December of that year. Tyson reported for flight training in Pensacola, Fla., after serving a brief tour ashore in Washington. She earned her wings as a naval flight officer in 1983. She served three tours in Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 4 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md., and Tinker Air Force Base, in Oklahoma, including one as commanding officer. She also commanded the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), leading the Navy's contributions to disaster relief efforts on the U.S. Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and deploying twice to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Other tours at sea included duty as assistant operations officer aboard the training aircraft carrier, USS Lexington (AVT 16), and as navigator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). Ashore, she served as Airborne Communications Officer Course instructor and officer in charge at Naval Air Maintenance Training Detachment 1079, NAS Patuxent River, Md. She has also completed tours on the Joint Staff as a political-military planner in the Asia-Pacific Division of the Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate; as executive assistant for the assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; as director of staff for commander, Naval Forces Europe/commander 6th Fleet, and as executive assistant for the Chief of Naval Operations. Her most recent assignment was as commander, Logistics Group, Western Pacific/commander, Task Force 73. Tyson earned a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Affairs from the U.S. Naval War College in 1995.

The flagship of Carrier Strike Group Two is the USS George HW Bush , which returned from a 7-month deployment on 10 Dec 2011 to the cheers and tears of family and friends worldwide, thanks to LiveStream, which allowed those unable to attend the homecomeing in person to watch from computers. Prior to World War I, women in the Navy were usually nurses. The Naval Reserve Act of 1916 allowed the first femail sailors who served in clerical positions in addition to nursing and pharmaceutical positions. They also served as photographers, radio operators, torpedo assemblers and a variety of other positions. All of these positions were abandoned by the women at the end of the war when they were released from active duty. WAVES, Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service was the women's auxiliary generated by the need for additional personnel during World War II. The trend of having women in the Navy primarily during war times continued until the early 1970s. Women began flying for the Navy and were finally allowed to advance as commissioned officers. The Department of the Navy announced authorization of a policy change allowing women to begin serving onboard Navy submarines in mid-2010. Rear Admiral Tyson, I applaud your accomplishments.

Welcome home Sailors of the USS Geoge HW Bush!

Saturday 10 November 2011 10 a.m. the USS George H.W. Bush returns to homeport in Norfolk, VA. The Navy LiveStream Channel takes family and friends who cannot attend the joyous reunion in person with them through technology.

usnavy on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

U.S. Fleet Forces Command has officially announced the USS Bush's homecoming

Pilot Online's Kate Wiltrout reported:

Saturday will be joyful for thousands of local families welcoming home sailors from a seven-month deployment.

The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, destroyers Truxtun and Mitscher and cruiser Anzio are scheduled to return to Norfolk on Saturday, the Navy announced Monday. The carrier strike group, which includes nearly 6,000 sailors, departed May 10.

It was the first deployment for the Bush, skippered by Capt. Brian Luther. And it was also the first time that a woman, Rear Adm. Nora Tyson, commanded a carrier strike group.

The ships and nine squadrons of aircraft that make up Carrier Air Wing Eight supported U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and conducted security operations in the Mediterranean and Arabian seas, the Navy said in a news release.

About 150 aviators are to fly in to Oceana Naval Air Station and Norfolk Naval Station on Wednesday. The fifth ship in the strike group, the cruiser Gettysburg, is scheduled to return to Mayport, Fla., on Thursday.

The first comment on the story:

Welcome Home
Submitted by RicM25798 on Tue, 12/06/2011 at 7:51 am.
A hero's welcome to the Bush Strike Group. What better way to celebrate the holidays.
P.S. - clean and functioning toilets await you!

The Daily Press also reported on the ship's return.

Nearly 6,000 sailors from the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group are scheduled to return to Naval Station Norfolk Saturday after a seven month deployment, where they supported troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Returning to Norfolk will be group's flagship, the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), plus the guided-missile destroyers USS Truxtun and USS Mitscher, and the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio.

The homecoming will mark the completion of the maiden deployment for the Bush, the newest addition to America's carrier fleet.
The USS Gettysburg, another ship in the strike group, will return to homeport in Mayport, Fla. on Thursday.

Separately, 150 aviators from Carrier Air Wing 8 who were deployed aboard the Bush will return to Hampton Roads on Wednesday, the Navy announced.

A total of 44 F/A 18 Hornets and Super Hornets will land at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. Four E-2C Hawkeyes, three C-2A Greyhounds and eight MH-60S Knight Hawks are due at Norfolk Naval Station's Chambers Field.

For more news of the armed forces, visit hrmilitary.com, home of Hampton Roads Recon, the Daily Press military blog.

Again, the first comment refers to the unfortunate fact that the "perfect system" is flawed.

luigi1 at 7:48 PM December 05, 2011
they'll be here as soon as they can dump the waste from the toilets, unless they are to clogged.

To some, the situation with the heads is a laughing matter. That's because they have never worn Real Bellbottoms or a Dixie Cup!

More than ever, I am proud to call myself a Navy Mom. I know the deployment has not been an easy one for any ONE on the ship, due, partly to the flaws in the VHCT system. Deployments are not pleasure cruises. Sailors expect some hardships, but the officers and enlisted personnel alike have endured much unease as a result of the system failure and some as a result of the press brought about from my blog. I would not change how I have conducted myself, however there could have been different ways to handle the situation - there are always many ways to deal with problems.

One reason I am proud my son joined the Navy is that it does its best to take care of it's men and women, as a whole.

The official website of the United States Navy even issued "a standard operating procedure that can help keep the holidays merry and light." For the returning sailors and for all of us, this is good advice.

"The holidays can be a hectic time for many," said Lt. Cmdr. Bonnie Chavez, Navy Behavioral Health Program director. "A lack of money, a lack of time, and the hype and commercialism of the season causes increased stress."

Surveys indicate people in the United States are more likely to feel their stress increase rather than decreases during the holidays, according to Chavez, who offers this advice:

* Take advantage of leave periods and relax for a few days by doing something you enjoy. Holiday stand-down periods provide flexibility for much needed rest to recover from the demands of Navy life.
* Be a good listener. Holidays are short and demands from friends and family for your attention will be high so try to give the gift of good company.
* Keep to your shopping budget. When it comes to holiday gift-giving, find creative ways to save money and remain in your budget. Racking up credit-card debt over the holidays may only cause further stress when the bills come due.
* Plan ahead and allow for plenty of time for holiday travel. Expect lines and delays in airports as the number of travelers swell. Prepare your car for road trips and know you'll be sharing the highway with higher numbers of travelers. Getting plenty of rest can make the journey less stressful and help you arrive safely.
* When tensions begin to rise, pause, take a deep breath, reflect and evaluate if the source of tension is really something that should be causing stress.
* The holidays are a time of excitement and exhaustion for young children. Overtired, over stimulated children are ripe for a stress inducing meltdown. Plan accordingly to anticipate disruptions in children's routines and exercise patience. The holidays are supposed to be merry.
* If deployment or geographic separation will keep you away from family and friends, plan your own observance upon your return or for a future date.

Chavez reminds Sailors to look out for their shipmates, too. Deployments, work-ups and separations are simply a fact of Navy life, and Sailors are good at welcoming shipmates into their homes and including them in celebrations.

"Don't underestimate the positive difference you can make by taking a little extra time to care," said Chavez. "The things you do every day to make connections, to encourage, and show people how they are valued and belong, can help in small but important ways for the people around you."

I've been fortunate enough to see a homecoming ship make that final turn before docking. It is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive sights. Parents, sweethearts, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and children will all be there, some waving flags, some holding flowers, but all with arms waiting for hugs they have missed for more than half a year. I will have to wait a little longer for my hug. I won't be able to be there to welcome the sailors home - some of them might not be too eager to see the Blogging Mommy, anyway - but I will be watching the live stream and I will be looking out for my own.