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On January 21, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his second inaugural address on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The speech, titled “The Price of Peace,” reflected the atmosphere of the Cold War strategic environment and the inherent danger of competition between two nuclear-armed superpowers. Despite this, he provided a clear vision for the nation—and the world. “We look upon this shaken earth, and we declare our firm and fixed purpose—the building of a peace with justice in a world where moral law prevails,” Eisenhower stated. “The building of such a peace is a bold and solemn purpose. To proclaim it is easy. To serve it will be hard. And to attain it, we must be aware of its full meaning—and ready to pay its full price.”#_edn1
The crew of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) has always understood the price required to pursue its namesake’s vision. As the ship extends its service life beyond 50 years and trains to confront today’s operational demands and challenges, President Eisenhower’s words remain true. The ship is currently undergoing the hard work necessary to ensure it is prepared to preserve peace—and combat those who threaten it—for years to come. Originally commissioned on October 8, 1977, the Eisenhower, or IKE as it is known throughout the Fleet, has continuously added new platforms and weapons that empowered it to accomplish the ship’s assigned missions over the last 48 years. From the Eisenhower’s first deployments with embarked air wings composed of Vietnam-era A-6 Intruders as well as the then-new F-14 Tomcats to the F/A-18 Super Hornets of Carrier Air Wing Three today, the aircraft taking off from IKE’s flight deck have evolved tremendously throughout this time. Internally, the Eisenhower has added modern radar, sonar, communication, and weapons capabilities such as the CIWS, NATO Sea Sparrow, and RAM missile systems to the ship’s aging hull to maintain the ship’s self-defense.#_edn2
These internal and external changes have permitted IKE to remain at the leading edge of the Fleet around the globe for half a century and allows it to remain a valuable asset to U.S. national security today. On the IKE’s past deployment, which began in October, 2023, the ship sailed in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Prosperity Garden to protect U.S. security and economic interests in the Mediterranean and Middle East. As a result, the Navy awarded the sailors of the Eisenhower strike group the Combat Action Ribbon for their support of strikes against the Houthi militant group in Yemen as the flag ship of Carrier Strike Group 2.#_edn3
In March, 2024 the Navy announced that the Eisenhower would continue to serve beyond its expected service-life, extending its decommissioning date until at least 2029.#_edn4 This will require IKE and its crew to once again incorporate new technology and tactics as they prepare for future deployments. In support of this, the Eisenhower is currently completing a planned maintenance availability period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard which will enable it to return to sea equipped to conduct any mission it is tasked.
As part of this maintenance period, IKE is completing needed repairs and refurbishment of critical ship systems to include its nuclear reactors, aircraft launching catapult system, and crew living spaces. Equally important are the training and qualifications earned by the ship’s crew during this period, better preparing them for upcoming missions. Each day as hundreds of contractors complete necessary work aboard the ship, sailors meet them at the brow, departing for specialized schools and training to ensure they are ready for any test during the Eisenhower’s next deployments. Over 1,000 IKE sailors have completed over 50,000 hours of off-ship training during this maintenance period. Additionally, critical watch standers have continued to progress in their individual qualifications through temporary assignment to ships around the world. They have returned to the Eisenhower with valuable experience and lessons learned, which ensure the ship will be effective beginning with its first day at sea next spring.
The crew is focused on this goal, taking advantage of each day to ensure the ship is ready for sea trials, workups, and deployment. “Our mission is very clear: to fight and win when our nation calls,” said Capt. Shane Marchesi, commanding officer of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. “Every day in the shipyard we are sharpening our edge, building discipline, honing our skills and improving our ship. The IKE team is proving that when we invest in ourselves today, we’ll be able to answer tomorrow’s fight with intensity and excellence.”
The Eisenhower will return to the Fleet at a time when operational demands are as challenging as at any time during its history. IKE’s relief from its past deployment—the USS Harry S. Truman strike group—continued the U.S. Navy’s strikes against the Houthis while its West Coast counterparts—the USS Nimitz and USS Carl Vinson strike groups—supported American missions throughout the Middle East in response to Iran this past summer. Although no longer operating in the Cold War strategic environment of its commissioning, the Eisenhower must continue to cooperate with partners from the Baltic Sea to the eastern Mediterranean as they strengthen NATO’s capacity to defend Europe. Like the rest of the Fleet, IKE sailors must be capable of competing with any potential adversary that may seek to challenge maritime security and freedom of navigation around the globe with a focus on the demanding 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet operating areas.
President Eisenhower concluded his second inaugural address with a striking image of America’s role in global affairs. “May the light of freedom, coming to all darkened lands, flame brightly—until at last the darkness is no more.”#_edn5 The U.S. Navy has played a pivotal role in pursuing this goal. Over the last 48 years, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the sailors aboard it have traveled around the globe—at times of peace and war—to represent that light to all they work with and support. As the crew of the IKE prepares to once again return to the Fleet, they are excited to continue this proud tradition and are prepared to pay the price necessary to preserve peace wherever it is threatened.
This article was written and submitted to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public Affairs by U.S. Navy Lt. Nicholas Hermberg.
#_ednref1 Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Second Inaugural Address,” January 21, 1957, The American Presidency Project, the University of California at Santa Barbara, accessed August 27, 2025, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/second-inaugural-address. #_ednref2 “Command History,” USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic, accessed August 27, 2025, https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/Organization/Aircraft-Carriers/USS-Dwight-D-Eisenhower-CVN-69/Command-History/. #_ednref3 Diana Stancy, “Ike CSG crew receives Combat Action Ribbon for Red Sea fight,” July 5, 2024, The NavyTimes, accessed September 8, 2025, https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/07/05/ike-csg-crew-receives-combat-action-ribbon-for-red-sea-fight/. [\[iv]](#_ednref4) Gary Warner, “USS Eisenhower, second-oldest aircraft carrier in Navy fleet, to stay in service into 2030s,” March 14th, 2024, Stars and Stripes, accessed August 27, 2025, https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2024-03-13/eisenhower-aircraft-carriers-navy-13310197.html. [\[v]](#_ednref5) Eisenhower, “Second Inaugural Address.”
| Date Taken: | 02.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.25.2026 11:23 |
| Story ID: | 558840 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
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