Gonzo Station


Gonzo Station was a U.S. Navy acronym for "Gulf of Oman Naval Zone of Operations" or "Gulf of Oman Northern Zone." 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 Iranian Hostage Crisis and the so-called Tanker War between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Multilple aircraft carriers, their associated air wings and carrier battle groups, and associated sea-based and land-based task forces and task groups served on Gonzo Station. The initiated the longest at-sea record for any U.S. warship since World War II by being at-sea for 93 consecutive days. It was the first on-scene carrier at the beginning of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, followed shortly thereafter by, with both carriers executing simultaneous air operations and carrier presence in the vicinity of one another off the southern coast of Iran.
, exceeded the USS Midway's record at sea days in May 1980 with 144 days at sea - for which the crew received the Navy Expeditionary Medal. In 1984 the USS Midway was on station for 111 days. Subsequent deployments by other carriers dwindled the earlier records with over 180 days, or 6 months on-station.
Several U.S. Navy carriers from both the Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet served repeated deployments to/on Gonzo Station, including the,,,,,,,, and. While replenishment ships normally rotated on and off line in order to resupply, served in formation 180 days, and USS Shasta served in formation for 78 days.
In 1980, the served 315 days of deployed sea time with a consecutive 154-day line period. This was the largest American Fleet dispatched to the Indian Ocean since World War II.