Exercise Summer Pulse
Carrier Battle Group Immediate Senior in Command ( ISIC ) Carrier Air Wing Underway Period Theater of Operation
Kitty Hawk Rear Admiral James D. Kelly , Commander Carrier Group Five CVW-5 19 Jul . to 7 Sep U.S . Seventh Fleet
Enterprise Rear Admiral Bernard J. McCullough III , Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Twelve CVW-1 3 Jun . to 23 Jul U.S. Sixth Fleet
John F. Kennedy Rear Admiral Donald K. Bullard , Commander Carrier Group Six CVW-17 7 Jun . to 23 Dec U.S. Second / Fifth Fleets
George Washington Rear Admiral H. Denby Starling II , Commander Carrier Group Eight CVW-7 20 Jan. to 26 Jul U.S. Fifth Fleet
John C. Stennis Rear Admiral Patrick M. Walsh , Commander Carrier Group Seven CVW-14 24 May to 1 Nov U.S. Third / Seventh Fleets
Harry S. Truman Rear Admiral Michael C. Tracy , Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two CVW-3 1 Jun . to 25 Jul U.S. Sixth Fleet
Ronald Reagan Rear Admiral Robert T. Moeller , Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group One CVW-11 27 May to 23 Jul U.S. Second Fleet
Force composition -- Carrier battle groups
Summer Pulse 2004 (SP04) was the codename for a worldwide surge deployment that served as the first full-scale test of the United States Navy's then-new Fleet Response Plan (FRP). During Summer Pulse 2004, a total of seven carrier strike groups were underway at the same time in five different theaters of operations. This number of underway carrier strike groups had not been matched since the six carrier battle groups deployed during Operation Desert Storm. In addition to the carriers, the Navy also deployed 17 submarines and one submarine tender. The FRP was designed to allow the Navy to provide up to seven carrier strike groups (CSG) to support any contingency worldwide in 30 days. The plan allowed for two more CSGs to be ready within three months to reinforce or relieve the forces initially deployed. This allows for a continuous presence and the ability to swiftly respond to different crisis situations. Summer Pulse 2004 also allowed the U.S. Navy to exercise the logistics and shore infrastructure needed to execute a large-scale surge operation, as well as the operational concepts in its Sea Power 21 strategy. During Summer Pulse 2004, U.S. naval forces participated in over 13 individual military exercises involving more than 23 allies and coalition partners, as well as other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, while operating in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; the Arabian, Baltic, Mediterranean, North and Red Seas; and the Sea of Japan and Persian Gulf.