US 2nd Fleet assumes control of first forces at sea after 2018 reestablishment

US Navy Vice Adm. Andrew “Woody” Lewis, the US 2nd Fleet (C2F) Commander, embarked the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), marking the first time the fleet has executed command and control over forces at sea.

Lewis was aboard the carrier from January 31 through February 1.

Under Lewis’s command, C2F will lead the Carrier Strike Group’s Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), ultimately charged with recommending certification of combat ready naval forces to deploy for maritime employment and operations around the globe.

C2F’s participation in Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12’s COMPTUEX is a milestone on the new fleet’s path to initial operating capability. C2F watchstanders will learn and train with CSG-4 and U.S. Fleet Forces in order to qualify the first watchstanders for the fleet’s maritime operations center.

“It is important to plug into this COMPTUEX as your fleet commander for a few reasons: building my team’s watch stander proficiency, integrating with Carrier Strike Group 4 and U.S. Fleet Forces command, and advocating for the other numbered fleet commanders during the training cycle,” said Lewis.

During his visit, Lewis met with warfare commanders and CSG-4 leadership and trainers to discuss COMPTUEX progression.

“COMPTUEX is by far and away the most challenging training we do,” said Lewis. “But it is so important that we challenge ourselves in a secure environment where we are able to manage risk in order to train at the highest level.”

Since completing the ship’s refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) in spring of 2017, Abraham Lincoln has successfully completed a spectrum of operations, assessments and evaluations to prepare her for COMPTUEX, to include humanitarian relief efforts in the after-math of Hurricane Irma, the Board of Inspection and Survey, Tailored Ship’s Training Availability/Final Evaluation Period, Operational Test-1 for the F-35C Lightning II squadron, and material and maintenance management inspection.

All of the evaluations and combat mission scenarios throughout each of the testing phases have prepared the CSG-12 team for the challenge of COMPTUEX and subsequently entering the sustainment phase, during which it could deploy at any time.

As the security environment around the world’s ocean continues to be more dynamic and increasingly complex, the US 2nd Fleet represents the Navy’s dedication to security and stability in the Atlantic Ocean and around the globe.