Sailors from Lemoore are aboard aircraft carrier sent to Korea region
Several hundred sailors from Lemoore Naval Air Station are aboard the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, which has been redirected toward the Korean peninsula in what has been interpreted as a show of force to North Korea.
Three Super Hornet jet fighter squadrons from the air base near Fresno are aboard the Carl Vinson, said base spokeswoman Lydia Bock.
About 700 personnel from Lemoore are on the ship.
The Navy announced Sunday that the Carl Vinson had set sail from Singapore to the north Pacific, skipping plans to go to Australia.
The ship left San Diego on Jan. 5.
The carrier leads a strike group that includes destroyers and a cruiser carrying guided missiles, a statement by the ship said.
“For more than 70 years, the U.S. Navy has maintained a persistent naval presence in the Indo-Asia Pacific,” it said. “The U.S. Navy is committed to continuing this forward presence, which is focused on stability, regional cooperation and economic prosperity for all nations.”
The statement makes no specific mention of North Korea.
Lewis Griswold: 559-441-6104, @fb_LewGriswold
This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Sailors from Lemoore are aboard aircraft carrier sent to Korea region."