[5] On 13 September 1962, Rear Admiral Ralph L. Shifley, Commander, Carrier Division Seven, embarked aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) for her first Pacific deployment.

[6] In the last days of April 1975 the Enterprise and USS Coral Sea attack carrier groups stood off South Vietnam covering Operation Frequent Wind, the final evacuation of Americans and associated Vietnamese from the doomed country.

[9] On 2 July 1985, a group change of command ceremony was held on Kitty Hawk's flight deck, and Read Admiral Stan Arthur hauled down his flag.

On 24 July 1985, Kitty Hawk, with Rear Admiral Brooks, Commander Destroyer Squadron 13, and Carrier Air Wing 9 embarked, departed San Diego to commence its fifteenth Western Pacific deployment.

Kitty Hawk conducted Exercise Busy Observer, with USAF B-52s simulating Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 Bear D aircraft on 29 July.

Carrier Group Seven, led by Rear Admiral Lyle Bien aboard Nimitz, crossed the Pacific Ocean from 2 to 20 December 1995 headed for Hong Kong.

[16] Early the next year, as part of the U.S. response to the developing Third Taiwan Straits Crisis, the group transited at high speed from the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea.

[18] On 26 February 1998, Carrier Group Seven departed Naval Station Norfolk, the commander and staff embarked aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), which was making her maiden deployment.

[23] Since 1956, aircraft carriers assigned to the group and division not already mentioned have included Midway, Coral Sea, Kitty Hawk, Saratoga, Constellation, Enterprise, and America.

On 17 October 2005, the group departed Naval Base San Diego, California to begin its pre-deployment Composite Training Unit Exercise.

[29] During this exercise, later reports indicate the leased Swedish AIP attack submarine HSwMS Gotland managed to penetrate the defences of the group and 'sink' the Ronald Reagan.

On 9 November 2006, Carrier Strike Group Seven departed San Diego to sustain multi-ship warfare skills through carrying out Joint Task Force Exercise 07-1 (JTFEX 07-1).

JTFEX 07-1 was not a normal pre-deployment exercise; it aimed to sustain multi-ship warfighting skills in the event either strike group had to make an unexpected deployment.

On 7 April 2007, Reagan concluded its three-day munitions offload to the Military Sealift Command ammunition ship Flint, signifying the end of its Seventh Fleet deployment.

[40] On 31 October 2007, Ronald Reagan returned to North Island, following two days of sea trials to evaluate its material readiness to rejoin the fleet.

On 9 November 2007, Reagan returned to Naval Air Station North Island, California, after completing its flight deck certification.

[43][44] During the exercises, during the early morning hours of 15 December 2007, Ronald Reagan responded to a medical emergency aboard the Bermuda-flagged cruise ship Dawn Princess off the coast of southern Baja California, Mexico.

[50] The group's helicopters made 19 relief sorties to deliver food and bottled water to areas most affected by Typhoon Fengshen, and C-2 Greyhounds from the Reagan flew in additional supplies.

After bringing a mud-damaged fuel pump aboard the ship for repair, the team returned to Iloilo City's Barotac Viejo Hospital and restored electrical power.

During its relief mission, the strike group flew 332 sorties over eight consecutive days delivering more than 235,000 kg of fresh water, rice, and medical supplies to typhoon victims in Panay.

[50] Soon afterwards, USS Howard was detached to take part on the fourth annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise which began in Singapore on 18 August 2008.

[56] For example, during July 2009, the Thatch was assigned by Commander, Task Group Iraqi Maritime (CTG-IM) to serve as a picket ship patrolling the Al Basrah Oil Terminal in the northern Persian Gulf.

During the in-port phase of RIMPAC, officers and crew of the 14 participating navies interacted in receptions, meetings, and athletic events.

[62] During RIMPAC 2010, naval personnel from Singapore, Japan, Australia, Chile, Peru, and Colombia directed combat exercises while aboard the Reagan.

On 14 November, the Ronald Reagan and its embarked carrier air wing completed its COMPTUEX successfully, and it returned to port on 17 December 2010.

On 2 February 2011, the group departed NAS North Island for its Joint Task Force Exercise final deployment preparations.

[67] On 9 May 2011, the group entered the U.S. Fifth Fleet area, and its air wing began to launch combat sorties against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Ronald Reagan served as a platform for refueling Japan Self Defense Force and other helicopters involved in rescue and recovery efforts ashore (pictured).

Ten days later, on 23 March 2011, the Reagan conducted a fresh water washdown on its flight deck and embarked aircraft, to remove any traces of radioactive contamination.

[citation needed] On 4 April 2011, Carrier Strike Group Seven concluded its involvement in Operation Tomodachi after being thanked by Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and U.S. ambassador to Japan John Roos during a visit to the Reagan.