Sailors pose with the USS Theodore Roosevelt after the San Diego-based aircraft carrier arrived at Naval Base Guam, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (U.S. Navy) <\/p>\n
The USS Theodore Roosevelt steamed into Guams Apra Harbor on Tuesday for a scheduled port call, where its crew may explore the island for the first time since it was sidelined there during a major COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. <\/p>\n
The aircraft carrier was joined by the guided-missile destroyer USS Daniel K. Inouye and a second destroyer, the USS Kidd, was scheduled to arrive shortly thereafter, a spokesman for Carrier Strike Group Nine, Lt. Cmdr. Ben Anderson, told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday. <\/p>\n
The ship last visited Guam in February 2021, but sailors at the time were not allowed to leave a quarantined area, he said. <\/p>\n
Theyre under no such restrictions during this port call. <\/p>\n
Sailors hold a Dont Give Up the Ship flag aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt at Naval Base Guam, June 3, 2020. (Alexander Williams\/U.S. Navy) <\/p>\n
Port visits to Guam are a regular occurrence for the U.S. Navy. While here, our Sailors look forward to interacting with the local population and enjoying a much-deserved break in operations, Anderson said. <\/p>\n
In March 2020, the Navy ordered the Theodore Roosevelt to Guam after at least 39 crewmembers tested positive for COVID-19 following a four-day stop in Vietnam and just weeks after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. <\/p>\n
The virus soon spread throughout the crew, and ultimately more than 1,150 of the ships nearly 5,000 sailors were infected, and one died. <\/p>\n
The ship remained on Guam until May that year, in a saga that saw sailors move from the ship to hotels in an attempt to stymy the virus spread. <\/p>\n
After writing a letter to his superior officers, then-commander Capt. Brett Crozier was relieved of duty by Thomas Modly, acting secretary of the Navy. Modly himself later resigned following a backlash for criticizing Crozier while addressing the carriers crew. <\/p>\n
The ships arrival on Tuesday came just a day after the Air Force launched a joint exercise, Cope North, alongside the Marine Corps and Navy that includes 1,700 U.S. personnel and 700 troops from Australia, Canada, France, South Korea and Japan. <\/p>\n
The carrier, however, will not be participating in the exercise, Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman 1st Lt. Alyssa Letts said in a text message Wednesday. <\/p>\n
The port visit is a routine operation thats part of the U.S. Navys regular presence throughout the Indo-Pacific, the strike group commander, Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, said in a statement emailed by Anderson. <\/p>\n
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USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors roam free on Guam for first time since COVID-19 outbreak - Stars and Stripes<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sailors pose with the USS Theodore Roosevelt after the San Diego-based aircraft carrier arrived at Naval Base Guam, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Continue reading