COMPTUEX was evaluated by Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific, and this exercise was designed to test the strike group's ability to operate in complex, hostile environments as a single unit.
On 11 April 2008, the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) departed Naval Air Station San Diego, California, to begin Joint Task Force Exercise 08-5 (JTFEX 08-5) off the coast of Southern California.