View source for Gonzo Station

{{Refimprove|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= Gulf of Oman Naval Zone of Operations
|image= Inofficial U.S. Navy Gonzo Station emblem, in 1985.png
|caption=
|dates=1979-1990
|country={{flagu|United States|size=23px}}
|branch={{naval|United States|size=23px}}
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|command_structure= [[United States Fifth Fleet|Commander, Middle East Force]]
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}}

'''Gonzo Station''' was a [[U.S. Navy]] acronym for "'''''Gulf of Oman Naval Zone of Operations'''''" or "'''''Gulf of Oman Northern Zone'''''."<ref>"Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History," Symonds, Craig L., Oxford Univ Press; New York, NY; c2005, p.275</ref> It was used to designate an area of carrier-based naval operations by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[U.S. Marine Corps]] in the [[Indian Ocean]] during the 1979–1981 [[Iran hostage crisis|Iranian Hostage Crisis]] and the "[[Tanker War]]" between the United States and the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]].{{cn|date=March 2022}}

== Carriers deployed ==
Multiple [[aircraft carrier]]s, their associated air wings and carrier battle groups, and associated sea-based and land-based task forces and task groups served on Gonzo Station. {{USS|Ranger|CV-61}}, {{USS |Midway|CV-41}} and {{USS|Constellation|CV-64}} were some of the first carriers on Gonzo Station who were at sea for 110 days or more, the longest at-sea record for a conventional US Navy carrier.{{cn|date=March 2022}}
 
''Ranger'' was the first on-scene carrier at the beginning of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, followed shortly after by {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63}}, with both carriers executing simultaneous air operations and carrier presence in the vicinity of one another off the southern coast of Iran.{{cn|date=March 2022}}

{{USS|Nimitz|CV-68}} exceeded ''Midway''{{'}}s record at sea in May 1980 with 144 days at sea. In 1984 ''Midway'' was on station for 111 days. Subsequent deployments by other carriers, such as {{USS|America|CV-66}} and ''Kitty Hawk'', dwarfed the earlier records with over 180 days at sea, or six months on-station.{{cn|date=March 2022}}

Several U.S. Navy carriers from both the Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet served repeated deployments on Gonzo Station, including ''Ranger'', ''Midway'', {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65}}, ''America'', {{USS|Independence|CV-62}}, ''Kitty Hawk'', ''Constellation'', {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43}}, ''Nimitz'' and {{USS|Dwight D. Eisenhower|CVN-69}}. While replenishment ships normally rotated on and off the line in order to resupply, {{USS|Roanoke|AOR-7}} served in formation for 180 days, and {{USS|Shasta|AE-33}} served in formation for 78 days.{{cn|date=March 2022}}

In 1980, the ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'' served 315 days of deployed sea time with a consecutive 154-day line period. This was the largest deployment of US Navy ships to the Indian Ocean since World War II.{{cn|date=March 2022}}

==See also==
* [[Operation Eagle Claw]]
* [[Operation Earnest Will]]
* [[Operation Prime Chance]]
* [[Yankee station]]
* [[Gonzo (Muppet)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:United States Navy]]

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