USS Carl Vinson returns to San Diego

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – After a nine-month deployment, the sailors and helicopter crews of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group returned home to San Diego Thursday.

The Vinson – along with the USS Bunker Hill and guided-missile destroyers Dewey, Gridley and Sterett – were deployed from San Diego in August to help with strikes on Islamic State targets in the Middle East.

According to the Navy, the aircraft aboard the Vinson conducted more than 2,300 combat missions and dropped 869 precision guided bombs during those missions.

“The successful completion of such a lengthy deployment is a testament to the high quality of men and women who volunteer to serve in our United States Navy,” said Rear Adm. Chris Grady, commander of the Carl Vinson strike group.

The Vinson, on its way home, also rescued a man stranded on his sailboat for more than 30 days during a trans-Pacific trip. The rescue itself too place roughly 400 miles off the coast of Hawaii.