February 26 thru August 26, 1998 - USS John C. Stennis sails from Norfolk to San Diego to new homeport for its first deployment. During deployment, Stennis conducted over 10,000 sortie traps without any flight deck fatalities or equipment casualties. Five months of the cruise were served in the Gulf. Port visits included Jebel Ali (3x), Bahrain (2x), Perth (Australia), Hobart (Tasmania), and Hawaii.