The Carl Vinson is named after a Congressman from Georgia in recognition for his contributions to the US Navy. After launching in 1980, it was deployed in Operation Desert Strike, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Enduring Freedom. It has also been involved in a number of notable events. The body of Osama bin Laden was disposed of in 2011 from the deck of the Carl Vinson, and that same year, on Veterans Day, it played host to the first NCAA basketball game on an aircraft carrier, between North Carolina and Michigan State.

• Type: Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier
•  Length: 1,092 ft 
• Displacement: 101,300 long tons 
• Beam: 252 ft 
• Launched: March 15, 1980