Cash to Iran: Controversial Deal

After 240 days at sea, Carrier Truman and Carrier Air Wing 7 launched a total of 2,054 combat sorties, encompassing 20,788 flight hours. They also released 1,598 bombs on enemy targets in missions against ISIS. It's more than broken the record for strikes over the past two years for similar ships."Two thousand is a strong number — the result of months of teamwork and dedication of every sailor [aboard]," Cmdr. Darren Wilkins, Truman's air boss, told the Navy Times. "The only thing more impressive than the quantity of flights is their quality. The ship and the air wing have conducted precision combat missions in two operating areas, demonstrating our inherent flexibility and resolve."[caption id="attachment_6950" align="aligncenter" width="520"]

Source: Navy Times[/caption]“The message is that the Navy is incredibly flexible, adaptable and we’re relentless and we will find you,” said Rear Adm. Brett Batchelder. “We operated from both the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean to strike ISIS targets and we can do this anywhere in the world we choose to do it.”

Truman came home to Virginia yesterday amid cheers from friends and family after an extended deployment.During that time, they operated from 5th Fleet and the Persian Gulf, with the exception of the last two weeks. Within that time they struck ISIS targets from the eastern Mediterranean.[caption id="attachment_6953" align="aligncenter" width="520"]

Source: Navy Times[/caption]In that last two weeks, jets flew 120 combat sorties into Iraq and dropped 180 weapons on ISIS.That hasn't happened since the first few days of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Truman operated from the same location, and launched attacks that struck deep into Iraq.“The extension was a challenge, but we’re a professional fighting force and this is what we’re trained to do,” Batchelder said. “That extra month, that extra punch, it made a difference.”Capt. Ryan Scholl, Truman's commanding officer, gave a warm thank you to the entire crew. “We’re glad to be home. It was an incredible deployment — every day, 24-hours a day for eight months, we stayed ready to execute the mission,” he said. “This team made a difference from a mission standpoint, bringing solace to our coalition partners, but most importantly, helping and assisting the troops on the ground, fighting our enemy, ISIS, and driving them back into the holes where they belong.”You can read more about Carrier Truman's voyage here.