The Carl Vinson Strike Group left Naval Station San Diego Jan. 4 and 5 for a scheduled six-month deployment to the Western Pacific. The contingent of more than 6,000 sailors and Marines will support U.S. 3rd Fleet operations in the Indo-Pacific region. Besides the carrier Vinson, assets include Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, guided-missile cruiser Lake Champlain, and guided-missile destroyers Wayne E. Meyer and Michael Murphy, from Destroyer Squadron 1.