Navy Seaman Michaela M. Laplante, daughter of Shari Laplante of Greenville, Ill. and Guy C. Laplante, of Lisbon, along with other sailors stationed aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), departed Naval Station Norfolk, Va., marking the start of the ship’s eight- to nine-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf.

Truman, along with the other components of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG), completed a composite training unit exercise in January prior to their originally scheduled February deployment, and also a sustainment exercise and fleet synthetic training exercise in June.

The February deployment was delayed due to sequestration and the change of aircraft carrier presence requirements in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility.

The current deployment is part of an ongoing rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations (MSO) in the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operations.

Laplante is a 2009 graduate of Lisbon High School and joined the Navy in February 2013.