Carrier Strike Group Nine

Carrier Strike Group 9
Carrier Strike Group 9 crest
Active	1 October 2004 to date.
Country	USA
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Carrier strike group
Role	Naval air/surface warfare
Part of	U.S. Third Fleet
Garrison/HQ	Naval Base San Diego, California
Nickname(s)	Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG)
Motto(s)	Defending Freedom
Engagements	Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (OEF-A) Operation New Dawn (OND)
Decorations	Humanitarian Service Medal (2005)
Website	Official Website
Commanders
Commander	Rear Admiral James S. Bynum
Chief of Staff	Captain John M. Clausen
Aircraft flown
Electronic warfare	EA-6B Prowler
Fighter	F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
Helicopter	MH-60R Seahawk MH-60S Knighthawk
Reconnaissance	E-2C Hawkeye
Transport	C-2A Greyhound

Carrier Strike Group 9 (CSG-9 or CARSTRKGRU 9) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore.

It is currently assigned to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is the group's current flagship. Other group units include Carrier Air Wing Seventeen, the Ticonderoga-class cruisers USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) and USS Cape St. George (CG-71), and Destroyer Squadron 23.

The strike group traces its history to Cruiser-Destroyer Group 3, created on 30 June 1973 by the re-designation of Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla 11. From 2004 the strike group has made multiple Middle East deployments providing air forces over Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as conducting Maritime Security Operations. The strike group received the Humanitarian Service Medal in recognition of its disaster relief efforts in Indonesia during Operation Unified Assistance in 2004–05.

USS Coontz flew the flag of the Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 11 from 1 August to 11 November 1962.

Effective 30 June 1973, Commander Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla 11 was re-designated as Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three (CCDG-3). USS Gridley was part of Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three in 1975. In 1978, the Group directed Destroyer Squadron 7, Destroyer Squadron 17, and Destroyer Squadron 27 (Naval Reserve Force), all at San Diego. On 10 December 1981, the group staff embarked on board the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-61) to prepare for its first Carrier Battle Group deployment. Since that date, deployments have been made on the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Nimitz (CVN 68), and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).