NORFOLK, Va. \u2014 It\u2019s rare to watch two flattops leave Naval Station Norfolk within hours of each other, unless there\u2019s a hurricane approaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But on Thursday the first out of the blocks was the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, which returned to sea for the second time in two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The crew is going out on a sustainment exercise designed to keep the warship and personnel prepared to depart quickly as the East Coast\u2019s \u201csurge\u201d carrier, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the nation\u2019s second-oldest carrier, Dwight D. Eisenhower, also got underway on its own power after nearly 19 months of repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA disciplined and thoughtful approach to the basics brought us here,\u201d said Capt. Kyle Higgins<\/a>, Ike\u2019s commanding officer, in a March 29 statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been training for this for quite some time and invested a tremendous amount of sweat along the way.”<\/p>\n\n\n\t