Ronald Reagan, Lake Champlain Arrive in Korea for Port Visit

Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CCSG) 7, Rear Adm. Charles Martoglio, thanks a local child after receiving a lei from a local area child during a port visit to Busan, Republic of Korea. The Ronald Reagan is visiting Busan in conjunction with Exercise Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration/Foal Eagle (RSOI/FE) 2007. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is underway on a surge deployment in support of U.S. military operations in the Western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist Joseph M. Buliavac

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea, on March. 22 for a scheduled port visit in conjunction with Exercise Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration/Foal Eagle (RSOI/FE) 2007. During the visit, Sailors will have a chance to participate in friendship building activities, meet local citizens, experience local customs and traditions, and enjoy the many recreational activities offered in Busan. The deployment of Ronald Reagan demonstrates the U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the Pacific region. While in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility, the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (RRCSG) will participate in RSOI/FE 07. RSOI/FE 07 is a scheduled combined/joint exercise conducted annually involving forces from both the United States and the Republic of Korea. RSOI/FE 07 is designed to provide training for forces in the various aspects of RSOI as well as focusing on rear area security and sustainment operations.

The exercise demonstrates U.S. commitment to the Republic of Korea/U.S. alliance and enhances combat readiness of the countries supporting forces through combined and joint training. The RRCSG is commanded by Rear Adm. Charles W. Martoglio. Homeported in San Diego, Ronald Reagan is the Navy’s newest Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. “We are pleased to visit Busan, Korea,” said Martoglio. “Korea is a country rich with culture and tradition and it will be a welcome port visit for our Sailors. We are also looking forward to working with the Republic of Korea Navy during Exercise Foal Eagle 2007.” While in Busan, 150 crew members will take part in six community relations projects to include assisting at children’s orphanages and rehabilitation centers, as well as working with mentally challenged adults. “It has been a very busy deployment since we departed in January,” said Capt. Terry B. Kraft, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer. “We are very much looking forward to experiencing Korea during the very first Ronald Reagan port call in this beautiful country.”

Operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, the U.S. 7th Fleet is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with approximately 50 ships, 120 aircraft and 20,000 Sailors and Marines assigned at any given time. Ronald Reagan was commissioned in July, 2003, making it the ninth and newest Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The ship is named after the 40th U.S. president, and carries the motto of “Peace through Strength,” a recurrent theme during the Reagan presidency. The RRCSG departed San Diego on Jan. 27 in order to fill the role of USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), the Navy’s only permanently forward deployed aircraft carrier, as it undergoes scheduled maintenance in Yokoska, Japan.

From USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs