USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) 1990 FP Cruise Jacket - Black

The 1990 deployment of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) unfolded as the world was changing faster than anyone had anticipated. Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 transformed the cruise into something more consequential than routine forward presence — American forces began massing in the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, and the carrier force was repositioned accordingly. Ike transited the Suez Canal and operated in the Red Sea as part of Operation Desert Shield, the massive coalition buildup that would precede the liberation of Kuwait. The sailors who deployed on Ike in 1990 were among the first to respond when Saddam crossed the border.