AUGUST 12, 2025 – Two months after returning from an eight-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) demonstrated its sustained readiness with a five-day ammunition offload while underway in the Atlantic Ocean.
The evolution showcased Truman’s operational proficiency and the Navy’s greatest competitive advantage—its people. Sailors from Truman’s Weapons, Air, and Deck Departments, among others, worked alongside the “Dragonslayers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 11 to transfer 1,307 tons of conventional munitions to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) and the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5) during vertical and connected replenishment operations Aug. 3-8.
“Our Weapons Department Sailors put in long, demanding hours to make this evolution a success—but they weren’t alone,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jason O’Neal, Truman’s Weapons Officer. “The bridge teams kept us steady, Deck Department ensured safe and efficient movements of cargo, Air Department kept the flight deck running smoothly, and the ‘Slayers’ of HSC-11 delivered every time. Many other departments worked behind the scenes to keep us safe, on time, and mission-focused. This was a true whole-ship effort.”
HSC 11 was one of nine embarked squadrons assigned to the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group’s Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, which logged more than 25,000 flight hours during the strike group’s 2024-2025 deployment. Bush is the tenth and final Nimitz-class carrier, while Peary, assigned to Military Sealift Command, has long supported Truman with agile logistics and strategic sealift around the world.
On the flight deck—4.5 acres of steel that generated more than 13,000 deployed sorties in support of NATO exercises and combat operations in the Red Sea—Weapons Department Sailors meticulously secured pallets of ammunition to helicopters, ensuring the continuous, safe movement of ordnance throughout each day of operations.
“This was my first ammo offload, and it was a lot of work,” said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Eduardo Manzanares, of Raleigh, North Carolina. “What we do matters, and I’m proud of our team for getting it done safely.”
Ammunition offloads are standard following deployments and before maintenance periods. In 2024, Truman supported a multi-ship offload with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12), completing more than 1,700 ordnance transfers.
“We faced adversity, but we pulled through and completed the evolution successfully,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class James Greene, of Raleigh, North Carolina G-5 division. “It shows the professionalism and determination of this ship and its Sailors.”
The successful completion of Truman’s ammunition offload marks another milestone in the ship’s focus on sustained operational proficiency as it prepares for its next phase in the maintenance cycle. Since commissioning on July 25, 1998, Truman has completed 10 deployments and continues to demonstrate that America maintains the most capable and lethal naval force in the world.
USS Harry S. Truman, the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Strike Group, is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Carrier Strike Groups remain the cornerstone of the Navy’s forward presence through sea control and power projection.
For more information, visit Truman’s social media at facebook.com/CVN75, on Instagram @harrystruman75, or check out its DVIDS page at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN75.
From USS Harry S. Truman Public Affairs