US aircraft carrier resumes South China Sea operations

MANILA, Philippines — A US Navy carrier strike group led by USS Carl Vinson left Manila Bay yesterday to resume freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea.

From Manila Bay, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier would make a port call at former US base Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam.

A former US foe, Vietnam is openly contesting China’s rapid militarization of the region.

Beijing’s military buildup in the South China Sea has prompted other maritime states in the region to expand their presence in areas they claim as their own. 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which many of the claimant countries are members, has not been united enough to stop Beijing’s expansionism.  

More than four decades after the Vietnam War, USS Carl Vinson is slated to drop anchor at Hanoi’s southern seaport of Cam Ranh either late this month or early next month, according to Reuters.

More than 5,500 sailors from Carl Vinson and guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy arrived on Friday to visit local attractions and participate in community service projects.

Crewmembers assisted residents of Quezon City by helping clear debris at a site for low-income housing.

“Community service projects like these help build relationships,” said Cmdr. Jamie Stall-Ryan, Carl Vinson’s lead chaplain.

“It shows that sailors are not just in town to have fun. We’re here to partner with the Philippine people and support them,” he said.

Sailors also helped pack 3,300 boxes of relief supplies that will help feed 16,000 residents from Albay province displaced by the recent eruption of Mount Mayon.

“I feel like I’m involved in making the world a better place,” said Seaman Shemroy Kellman from Carl Vinson’s Deck department.

The strike group will continue operating in the Indo-Pacific region as part of a regularly scheduled deployment focused on working with partners and allies, promoting freedom of the seas and enhancing regional security, the US embassy said.

The strike group also includes Carrier Air Wing 2, USS Wayne E. Meyer and guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain.

The Carl Vinson is operating in the Indo-Pacific region conducting maritime operations, promoting freedom of navigation and working with partners and allies to enhance regional security and stability. It is based in San Diego, California. - Pia Lee-Brago

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