After the September 11 attacks , '' Carl Vinson '' and '' Theodore Roosevelt '' were among the first warships to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan . '' Carl Vinson '' sailed towards the Persian Gulf intending to support Operation Southern Watch in July 2001 . This changed in response to the attacks , and the ship changed course to travel towards the North Arabian Sea , where she launched the first airstrikes in support of the operation on 7 October 2001 . Following the attacks , '' John C. Stennis '' and '' George Washington '' participated in Operation Noble Eagle , carrying out homeland security operations off the West Coast of the United States . All active ships have been involved to some extent in Iraq and Afghanistan since that time . This included the invasion in 2003 , as well as providing subsequent support for Operation Iraqi Freedom since then
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier