UPDATE: The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson was rerouted Wednesday in anticipation of humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti, according to Navy officials. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they had no information on other ships or units that could be headed to the area. Watch ABC News video here. Vinson and its crew of approximately 3,200 sailors left Norfolk on Tuesday en route to their new homeport in San Diego. The carrier was joined by Carrier Air Wing 17 and the cruisers Lake Champlain and Bunker Hill. As flagship of the newly established Carrier Strike Group 1, Vinson was to provide maritime security as it circumnavigates South America and provide humanitarian assistance or disaster relief, if required. A magnitude-7.0 quake devastated the impoverished nation Tuesday afternoon, leveling thousands of structures and leaving an untold number trapped in the ruins. Death tolls are expected in the thousands, and International Red Cross spokesman Paul Conneally said 3 million people, one-third of Haiti’s population, may need emergency aid. NORFOLK The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson is to leave Norfolk on Tuesday for its new homeport of San Diego, the Navy said Friday. The carrier recently completed a midlife overhaul and refueling of the ship’s nuclear reactors at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News. The 43-month overhaul was finished in July. Aircraft carriers are built to last 50 years and must undergo such an overhaul midlife. The Carl Vinson was commissioned in 1982. Also heading to San Diego with the carrier strike group are Carrier Air Wing 17, Destroyer Squadron 1 and the guided missile cruiser Bunker Hill. The vessels will sail around South America and will conduct exercises with naval vessels from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, the Navy said. The ship has a crew of about 3,200 and is commanded by Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey.
