Editing USS George H. W. Bush (section)

===2014 deployment===
[[File:USS George Bush (CVN-77) in Strait of Gibraltar, February 2014.jpg|thumb|''George H.W. Bush'' transits the [[Straits of Gibraltar]] in February 2014]]
In late February 2014, ''George H. W. Bush'' transited the [[Strait of Gibraltar]] on the way to a stop in [[Piraeus]], Greece, for a scheduled port visit.<ref>{{cite news| title=USS George H.W. Bush arrives in Greece| url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/military/hrmilitary-blog/dp-uss-bush-arrives-in-greece,0,4403965.post| work=[[Navy Times]]| date=4 March 2014| access-date=6 March 2013| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306130127/http://www.dailypress.com/news/military/hrmilitary-blog/dp-uss-bush-arrives-in-greece,0,4403965.post| archive-date=6 March 2014}}</ref>

On 5 March 2014, ''George H. W. Bush'' arrived off southern Turkey, which is under 500 miles away from [[Crimea]], amid developing tensions over [[Ukraine]] with [[Russia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/an-american-flattop-is-just-500-miles-from-crimea-d6deeed6601c|title=An American Flattop Is Just 500 Miles From Crimea|first=War Is|last=Boring|date=10 March 2014|access-date=24 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112181642/https://medium.com/war-is-boring/an-american-flattop-is-just-500-miles-from-crimea-d6deeed6601c|archive-date=12 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On 9 March 2014, the carrier entered port in [[Antalya]], in southern [[Turkey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=79567|title=USS George H.W. Bush Arrives in Turkey|publisher=United States Navy|author=Jeffrey Madlangbayan|date=9 March 2014|access-date=13 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313054438/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=79567|archive-date=13 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some news sources had speculated that the ship's stay in the Mediterranean Sea would be extended as a result of the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]], but this proved to not be the case with [[Carrier Strike Group 2]] proceeding through the [[Suez Canal]].<ref>{{cite web|title=USS George H.W Bush departs to Mediterranean|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/uss-bush-departs-mediterranean-enters-mideast-1.273704|website=stripes.com|access-date=10 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323020525/http://www.stripes.com/news/uss-bush-departs-mediterranean-enters-mideast-1.273704|archive-date=23 March 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and USS GHW Bush (CVN-77) in the Arabian Sea in October 2014.JPG|thumb|{{USS|Carl Vinson|CVN-70|2}} (foreground) relieves ''George H. W. Bush'' as the 5th Fleet on station carrier in October 2014.]]

The carrier was transiting the Suez Canal on 18 March 2014. On 23 March {{USS|Harry S. Truman}} officially turned over the watch to ''George H. W. Bush'' in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and supporting theater security cooperation efforts.

On 14 June 2014, ''George H. W. Bush'' was ordered to the [[Persian Gulf]] to protect US interests in Iraq in light of the militant group [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]'s (ISIL) [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|offensive and takeover]] of several major cities in that country.

On 8 August 2014, two F/A-18F Super Hornets launched from the ship and dropped {{convert|500|lb|adj=on}} laser-guided bombs on an ISIL mobile artillery cannon shelling [[Peshmerga|Kurdish]] forces outside their capital city, [[Erbil]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-airstrikes-will-make-sure-isis-cant-take-erbil-iraq-from-kurds/|title=U.S. bombs ISIS fighters in Iraq|date=8 August 2014|website=CBS This Morning|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=10 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809225235/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-airstrikes-will-make-sure-isis-cant-take-erbil-iraq-from-kurds/|archive-date=9 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The mission was launched in accordance with President Obama's announcement on the evening of 7 August that the US would begin airstrikes to protect US personnel and the [[Yazidis]] in the region from ISIL attacks.

On 23 September 2014 F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Eight launched from ''George H. W. Bush'' in the Persian Gulf to strike at specific targets in [[Syria]] such as command-and-control centers, training camps, and weapons depots.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-arab-allies-launch-first-wave-of-strikes-in-syria/ |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923044720/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/09/22/us-launches-first-wave-bombing-strikes-over-syria/ |archive-date=23 September 2014 |title=US, Arab allies launch first wave of strikes in Syria |work=Fox News |access-date=23 September 2014}}</ref>

On 15 November 2014, ''George H. W. Bush'' returned to her homeport in Norfolk, Virginia after a nine-month deployment.