Carl Vinson Strike Group deploys to Western Pacific

LEMOORE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The USS Carl Vinson Strike Group took off for a regularly scheduled deployment Friday morning.

Among its 6,000 sailors are hundreds from the Lemoore Naval Air Station.

This deployment marks the second time the Carl Vinson Strike Group will operate throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Family and friends watched as the carrier took off and it was a bittersweet moment for those on board and on land.

The strike group is traveling with a missile cruiser and guided-missile destroyers. It's last deployment to the Indo-Pacific region wrapped up last June.

According to officials from NAS Lemoore, this deployment is roughly scheduled to be three months long.