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Chapter Text

The Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty (also known as the Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Team) and the Human/Autobot Cooperation Act were a American/British/Autobot military unit and treaty respectively that were pushed through by the President of the United States (POTUS), U.S Secretary of Defense (SecDef) John Keller and the British Prime Minister shortly after the Battle of Mission City, which caused the death of 129 civilians (seven of whom were British citizens), along with Sector Seven being terminated due to their gross incompetence and inability to contain the situation.

Keller had quickly petitioned that this new unit be placed under the command of both Captain William Lennox of the U.S Army's 75th Ranger Regiment and Optimus Prime, whom both were to report specifically to U.S Marine Corps General Chris Morshower, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, who in return reported directly to SecDef.

NEST was built around Lennox and his surviving men of the Qatar Ranger Team who fought alongside the Autobots at Mission City:

Technical Sergeant Robert Epps (U.S Air Force Combat Controller)

Sergeant Brian Burke (Army Ranger)

Corporal Jake Eckerson (Army Ranger)

Private First Class Patrick 'Don' Donnelly (Army Ranger)

Private First Class Michael Tanaka (Army Ranger)

They had also recruited heavily from the United Kingdom's Special Air Service or SAS, the U.S Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, Green Berets and Delta Force. In total, they had 800 new applicants recruited from the SAS, Army Rangers, Green Berets and Delta Force. All of the soldiers had a common interest in believing that they weren't alone in the universe.

Optimus Prime, Jazz (who came to Earth a few days after the Battle of Mission City), Ironhide, Ratchet and Bumblebee were the first Autobots to join NEST, although 'Bee would stay with Sam to watch over his human charge.

After meeting the Autobots, the new NEST applicants were sent into a brutal training regime, which caused 157 to wash out. Then came the interrogations, in which another 232 to wash out, leaving only 411 left of the original 800 applicants. Among those who managed to pass were:

First Lieutenant Mike Graham (SAS)

Sergeant First Class Roy Perkins (Green Beret)

Sergeant Aaron Mongo (Delta Force)

Sergeant Mikal Hooch (Green Beret)

Corporal Josh Stone (Army Ranger)

Corporal Marc Larson (Army Ranger)

Private First Class 'Hardcore' Eddie Speight (Green Beret)

Since NEST couldn't risk any leakage of their existence yet, the 389 applicants who washed out were sworn to secrecy as they left the Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia or Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, where NEST was stationed at, with heavy hearts; but with resolute, as they had meet aliens and had a chance to work alongside them but had failed the 'job interview'. What each washed out applicant didn't know was that they were being paid a generous sum for participating and a note that NEST may be in touch.

The men who were chosen to fly the Ospreys, Black Hawks and operate the UAVs for NEST were recruited heavily from the U.S Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the 'Night Stalkers'. Also, the Night Stalkers who were trained in piloting either the Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) or the Integrated Defensive Armed Penetrator (IDAP) variants of the MH-60 Black Hawk had to be painstakingly retrained in using the legendary AH-64 Apache.

The crews manning the C-17s were carefully handpicked from the U.S Air Force's airlift squadrons.

The technicians and mechanics for NEST were recruited from both the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and the United Kingdom's Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW). Like all NEST applicants, they too were sworn to secrecy.

The Human/Autobot Cooperation Act was a secret agreement made by the Autobots, the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In return for providing intelligence, personnel and protection from the Decepticons, the U.S and the U.K would grant the Autobots safe haven but said group wouldn't give them access to advanced weaponry, since Optimus was well aware of humanity's history of warfare and that such an act would do more harm than good.

Also, the Human/Autobot Cooperation Act would allow NEST to use already established military bases in Argentina/Argentine Republic, Australia/Commonwealth of Australia, Canada, China/People's Republic of China, Egypt/Arab Republic of Egypt, France/French Republic, Germany/Federal Republic of Germany, Italy/Italian Republic, Japan, Peru/Republic of Peru, South Africa/Republic of South Africa and Zambia/Republic of Zambia as staging areas in order to counter Decepticon incursions, and thus not violating each country's sovereignty.

The black-colored NEST Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is the outfit that all NEST members wear. On the upper left sleeve of the NEST BDU is either an American or British flag patch to show any NEST soldier his nationality, and underneath the flag patch is the NEST patch, showing that the soldier is part of NEST. On the upper right sleeve of the NEST BDU would show which unit that a NEST soldier was part of before he was recruited into NEST.

Energon Detectors are used by NEST soldiers to help them locate Decepticons or Cybertronian-related tech.

By 2011, the standard sidearm for each NEST soldier is the 3rd Generation Glock 21 Pistol.

By 2011, the primary firearms used by the NEST soldiers are:

M4A1 Assault Carbine with underslung Knight's Armament Company (KAC) M203A1 Grenade Launcher

Colt Model 933 Assault Carbine

Remington ACR Assault Carbine

SCAR-L CQC Assault Rifle

LaRue Tactical OBR 7.62 Sniper Rifle

M249E3 Paratrooper Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW)/M249 Para SAW

For heavier firepower, they also can carry the M136 AT4-CS (Confined Space) Rocket Launcher that is armed with either 84mm HEDP (High-Explosive Dual-Purpose) or HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) rounds.

The radios that the NEST ground troops were using by 2011 are:

AN/PRC-153(V)3 Integrated Intra-Squad Radio (IISR)

AN/PRC-152A Falcon III Multiband Handheld Radio

AN/PRC-117G Falcon III Multiband Manpack Radio

Other equipment that the NEST soldiers were using by 2011 are:

AN/PEQ-2A ITPIAL (Infrared Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Light) Designator

AN/PEQ-1B SOFLAM (Special Operations Forces Laser Acquisition Marker)

M84 Flashbang Grenade

The ground vehicles used by NEST are:

2008 Hummer HX Concept

2009 Hummer H3T Standard Crew Cab Pickup Truck

The aircraft and drones that NEST is using by 2011 are:

C-17A Globemaster III

AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter

MQ-1C Grey Eagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

MH-60M Black Hawk SpecOps Utility Helicopter

CV-22B Osprey SpecOps Tiltrotor Transport

Any Decepticons or hostile AllSpark Mutations that have been offlined by NEST are to be dumped into the Laurentian Abyss (where the corpses of Megatron, Blackout, Brawl, Bonecrusher and Frenzy are located) off the coast of eastern Canada.

Any NEST soldier who's been KIA is to be buried with full military honors and full benefits are paid to their families. Also, any Autobots who were KIA are to be given proper burials-at-sea, using custom-made shipping containers as coffins.

When NEST was formed, it first began taking out hostile AllSpark Mutations (except for Rewind, Salvage, Longarm and Landmine) that were accidentally created by the Cube during the Battle of Mission City and managed to flee either to San Francisco, Zambia, Peru, Australia and Italy without members of the public witnessing the secret war.

NEST's victories were tempered with the ultimate sacrifice when the group suffered their first casualties in 2008, when two American NEST soldiers from the Green Berets were killed in action while trying to take out two Decepticon Protoforms who made landfall in Florida.

In early 2009, NEST received a much-needed boost when the second wave of Autobots (consisting of Sideswipe, Arcee, Chromia, Elita-One, Jolt, Skids and Mudflap) came to Earth.

In the summer of that year, NEST had detected the Decepticons, Sideways and the Demolitions Expert, Crankshaft, at an abandoned steelworks complex in Shanghai, China. Major Lennox, Master Sergeant Epps, Staff Sergeant Burke, Sergeant Eckerson, Corporal Donnelly, Corporal Tanaka, Mongo, Stone, Hooch, Graham, Marc, Perkins, Eddie, thirty other NEST soldiers, Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Skids, Mudflap, along with two MH-60M Black Hawks and a single AH-64D Apache Longbow for close air support, arrived in Shanghai with a cover story provided by the Chinese Government that they were cleaning up a major toxic spill that occurred near the abandoned steelworks complex.

Sideways managed to escape, while Crankshaft was taken down, but not before killing three NEST soldiers (two British (SAS) and one American (Army Ranger)) and wrecking a significant portion of the abandoned steelworks complex. Before offlining, his last words that he said to the group was: "This isn't your planet to rule. The Fallen shall rise again and he will have his revenge."

Returning to their base at Diego Garcia, Lennox and Optimus met National Security Advisor Theodore Galloway, whom POTUS had appointed as liaison. Before that, everyone on base, including Secretary Keller and General Morshower, hated the bespectacled man on sight for both his arrogance and stupidity, along with not knowing when to keep his mouth shut when talking about very sensitive info during a video conference; which was how Soundwave was able to find the locations of both Megatron's corpse and the AllSpark shard (which was recovered from Megatron's corpse shortly after the Battle of Mission City and was currently being held inside an underground electromagnetic vault at Diego Garcia).

The Decepticon Communications Officer then dispatched Scorponok to steal the fragment and then meet up with Flatline, the Decepticon Chief Medical Officer/Master Surgeon, in the Laurentian Abyss who then used the shard to revive their leader. The newly-reborn Megatron, along with Flatline, then used the remaining power inside the AllSpark fragment to revive Blackout, Frenzy, Brawl and Bonecrusher.

Despite detecting Megatron, Starscream and Grindor in New Jersey, NEST arrived too late to prevent the three 'Cons from putting Optimus into emergency stasis lock while trying to protect Sam, who subconsciously knew where to find the Matrix of Leadership.

Unable to find the boy on their own, the 'Cons kidnapped Sam's parents, who were on vacation in Paris, France. Then the Fallen sent a transmission to Earth's leaders, threatening to destroy their major cities if they don't hand Sam over.

As NEST and the rest of the Autobots (Jazz, Ironhide, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Arcee, Chromia, Elita and Jolt) watched as Optimus' emergency stasis-locked frame was gently put down on the tarmac at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, Keller arrived with an armed escort and told the group that Galloway (who still managed to keep his job as National Security Advisor to the President) had been relieved of his position as liaison due to his anti-Autobot attitude, and that NEST has been placed on standby until further orders.

When Sam learned what he was carrying from Jetfire, a former Decepticon who had been sent by the Fallen to find the Matrix, he theorized that the Matrix might be able to bring Optimus out of emergency stasis lock. Sam set out with his girlfriend Mikaela Banes, his college roommate Leo Spitz, former Sector Seven agent Seymour Simmons, along with Bumblebee, the Chevy Twins (which was the nickname given to Skids and Mudflap due to their alt-modes) and Wheelie.

Also, Sam had Simmons contact Lennox and arrange for Optimus Prime's emergency stasis-locked frame to be brought to the Gulf of Aqaba, which held a clue to where the Matrix of Leadership was hidden.

Lennox, meanwhile, managed to get the info to Morshower, who, along with Keller, managed to arrange both the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group and the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (carrying the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)) from the U.S 6th Fleet to be positioned accordingly with approval from both POTUS and the Egyptian President. Sam eventually managed to find the Tomb of the Primes in Petra, Jordan/Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, but the Matrix of Leadership seemingly crumbled into dust. The young man continued his belief that the Matrix could still work and gathered up the dust before rejoining his companions.

Meanwhile, Lennox, Epps, Graham, Burke, Donnelly, Tanaka, Eckerson, Mongo, Stone, Hooch, Marc, Eddie, Perkins, Jazz, Ironhide, Ratchet, Arcee, Chromia, Elita, Sideswipe, Jolt and 150 other NEST soldiers were all airdropped into the Gulf and landed in an abandoned village near the Pyramids of Giza. Once they set up, Starscream performed a flyby and released an EMP pulse that disabled all communications, while Soundwave quickly jammed any military satellites that were above the region. Once that was done, Megatron ordered Starscream, Bonecrusher, Grindor, Long Haul, Mixmaster, Scrapper, Rampage (who was holding Sam's parents hostage) and Scorponok to attack, with thirteen Decepticon Protoforms landing nearby to engage NEST as well.

Suspecting that something was wrong, Morshower ordered an MQ-1C Grey Eagle UAV to be deployed into the region to observe what was going on, while Keller contacted both his Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts to request assistance in confirming visuals. Once the UAV had reached the village and confirmed of the battle that was happening there, Keller ordered both the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group to provide close air support and the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group to begin landing the 22nd MEU's 1st Battalion/6th Marines onto the beaches in order to reinforce NEST and the Autobots, while Morshower sent any available CENTCOM (United States Central Command) air units to the area.

On the ground, NEST and the Autobots, along with the 1st Battalion/6th Marines and elements from Jordan's 101st Special Battalion, fought a desperate struggle to hold off the Decepticons until Sam arrived with the Matrix of Leadership. Once again in contact with the Pentagon, Epps ordered in an airstrike from a B-1B Lancer of the 28th Bomb Wing which dropped its payload of twenty-four 2,000-pound GBU-31(V)1/B JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions) onto the Decepticons, destroying most of them.

Starscream, Grindor, Bonecrusher, Scorponok, Long Haul, Mixmaster, Rampage (who lost his hostages), Scrapper and Megatron barely survived the airstrike, with the Decepticon Leader nearly killing Sam, but the young man was able to bring Optimus out of emergency stasis lock by using the Matrix of Leadership. With the Autobot Leader functioning again, NEST, the Marines and the Jordanians watched as Ratchet and Jolt helped Optimus combined with Jetfire and subsequently defeated the Fallen.

The Battle of Giza had cost the lives of thirty NEST soldiers, thirteen Marines and fourteen Jordanians, while leaving another 120 wounded.

Shortly after the battle, Burke, Donnelly, Tanaka, Eckerson, Stone, Hooch, Mongo, Eddie and Marc transferred to the U.S Army Reserve, while Epps transferred to the U.S Air Force Reserve, this left Perkins as the senior-ranking ground combat NCO in NEST. Arcee was then designated as Mikaela's Autobot guardian.

In early 2010, NEST's base of operations was moved to the old building that belongs to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, located near the outer reaches of downtown Washington D.C.

Of the 2,000 new recruits who applied for NEST that year, only 1,744 managed to pass through both the brutal training and the interrogations. Among those who passed were:

Staff Sergeant Brandon J. Khendsovan (Green Beret)

Corporal Marcus 'Baby Face' Zimmerman (Army Ranger)

Unfortunately, when Khendsovan applied into NEST, he couldn't fit in due to not seeing any significant distinction between the Autobots and Decepticons. When NEST was decommissioned and Cemetery Wind was formed and recruited him, Khendsovan was more than happy to supply intel on the Autobots to the rogue CIA paramilitary black ops unit in exchange for money and the opportunity to cut loose with his own Cemetery Wind team.

In May 2010, Charlotte Mearing, the Director of National Intelligence, became the new liaison between NEST and the U.S Government. Although Mearing wasn't a bureaucrat or anti-Autobot like Galloway is, but she had a thing for being in control, with everyone following her rules and sometimes impatient. One of the rules she set up when she became liaison was to restrict the Autobots (including Bumblebee, Arcee, Ironhide and Chromia) from civilian interactions, but left both Wheelie and Brains in Sam and Mikaela's care.

In May 2011, the Xantium, which carried the third wave of Autobots (consisting of Mirage, Wheeljack, Leadfoot, Roadbuster, Topspin and Steeljaw), landed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, where Epps was stationed.

After NEST was decommissioned three months after the Battle of Chicago and their treaty with the Autobots dissolved, Lennox was given a desk job at the Pentagon, while Graham was attached to the British Embassy at Washington D.C, and Perkins and Zimmerman transferred to the U.S Army Reserve.

Following the restoration of Cybertron in 2017, the Transformers Reaction Force or TRF was shut down and NEST was recommissioned. The former TRF soldiers that were allowed into NEST were those who were former American or British military personnel, like Santiago Santos, who hunted down and eliminated or captured Decepticons only. Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia was once again used as NEST's main base of operations.

Autobot City II was built by using the uninhabited isles west of Diego Garcia as a foundation to build it, which became the main Autobot settlement on Earth.

Near the end of 2017, 3,500 new recruits were applied for NEST, but only 2,575 managed to pass through both the brutal training and the interrogations. But was different about this one was that NEST had now begun recruiting Air Force Combat Controllers. Among those who passed were:

Major Nolan Reynolds (Green Beret)

First Lieutenant Nicholas 'Nick' W. Tosetti (Delta Force)

Warrant Officer One Vanessa Figueroa (Army Ranger)

Staff Sergeant Elizabeth 'Betty' M. Altheimer (Air Force Combat Controller)

Staff Sergeant Carlton 'Carl' A. Cahnay (Army Ranger)

Staff Sergeant Christophe 'Chris' Jasper Nolazco (Delta Force)

Sergeant Zachary 'Zach' Deetz (Green Beret)

Sergeant Travis Rearick (Green Beret)

Corporal Jake 'Jay' Henderson (Army Ranger)

Private First Class Clifford 'Cliff' E. Deadman (Army Ranger)

At the start of 2018, NEST received two new additions to its arsenal. They were:

60mm M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System (LWCMS)

FIM-92J Stinger Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS)

Also, at the start of April of 2018, NEST, along with Wheeljack and Blaster, the Autobot Communications Officer, developed a series of communication devices for NEST ground troops to communicate better with their Autobot allies and the militaries of various different countries. These are:

NEST Mark 1 Integrated Intra-Tactical Radio (IITR)

NEST Mark 1 Multiband Handheld Radio (MHR)

NEST Mark 1 Multiband Manpack Radio (MMR)

NEST Mark 1 Enhanced Multiband Manpack SatCom Terminal (EMMSCT)

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A Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are the smallest Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF) in the U.S Fleet Marine Forces (FMF). Each MEU is an expeditionary quick reaction force, deployed and ready for immediate response to any crisis, whether it be natural disasters or combat missions. An MEU is composed of: a reinforced Marine infantry battalion (designated as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT)) as the ground combat element (GCE), a reinforced Marine composite squadron forming the aviation combat element (ACE), a reinforced combat logistics battalion providing the logistics combat element (LCE) and a company-size command element (CE) serving as the MEU headquarters group. The MEU's total troop strength is about 2,200 members.

The ground combat element (GCE) is based on the Battalion Landing Team, a Marine infantry battalion reinforced with an artillery battery, an amphibious assault vehicle platoon, a combat engineer platoon, a light armored reconnaissance company, a tank platoon and a reconnaissance platoon. The total strength is approximately 1,100 members, including Navy sailors.

The reconnaissance platoon provides the basic element for the U.S Marine Corps' Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF). This force consists of four elements. The assault platoon (which is a direct action platoon augmented from Marine Force Reconnaissance or Marine Force Recon), security (a selected Marine infantry platoon from the Battalion Landing Team), reconnaissance and surveillance assets, and a headquarters section. The total strength is approximately 350 members, including Navy sailors.

The aviation combat element (ACE) is a USMC composite squadron (reinforced) composed of either a Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron or a Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron augmented with detachments of heavy, light and attack helicopters, one detachment of amphibious flight deck-capable jets and a Marine air control group detachment with tactical air command, air traffic control, direct air support, anti-aircraft assets, as well as wing headquarters, wing communications and wing support squadron personnel. The total strength is approximately 600 members. By 2009, squadrons who operate the MV-22B Osprey Tiltrotor Transport are designated as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadrons (VMM), while those who operate the CH-53E Super Stallion Heavy-Lift Helicopter are designated as Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadrons (HMH). When assigned to an MEU (11th, 13th, 15th, 22nd, 24th, 26th and 31st), the detachments of the various other squadrons are combined with either the MV-22B or CH-53E squadron to create a reinforced, composite squadron. The reinforced squadron is designated as VMM-XXX (REIN) for MV-22Bs or HMH-XXX (REIN) for CH-53Es, where the Xs are the squadron's number. As such, the various aircraft will don the tail codes and markers of the VMM or HMH squadron, though will usually keep their own squadron tail art.

The logistics combat element (LCE) is based on the MEU's reinforced combat logistics battalion (CLB). It contains all the logistics specialists and equipment necessary for the MEU to support and sustain itself for up to fifteen days in an austere expeditionary environment. It includes service support (postal and disbursing), medical, dental, intermediate maintenance, intermediate supply (consumables and secondary reparables), transportation (distribution and landing support), explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), utilities production and distribution, bulk fuels, internal communications and various other technical experts. The total strength is approximately 300 members, including Navy sailors.

The command element (CE), which includes the MEU's commanding officer (who holds the rank of Colonel) and his/her supporting staff, provides command and control over the other three elements. It includes specialized detachments for air naval gunfire liaison, reconnaissance, surveillance, specialized communications, radio reconnaissance, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering, counterintelligence, law enforcement and public affair missions. The total strength is approximately about 200 members, including Navy sailors.

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An Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) of the United States Navy consists of a naval element-a group of warships known as an amphibious task force (ATF) and a landing force (consisting of a Marine Expeditionary Unit and occasionally U.S Army soldiers), in total about 5,000 people. Together, these elements and supporting units are trained, organized and equipped to perform amphibious operations.

Between 2009 and 2017, an Amphibious Ready Group consists of:

One amphibious assault ship; either a Tarawa or a Flight 0 America-Class Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA), or the Wasp-Class Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD): the primary landing ship, resembling a small aircraft carrier, designed to transport troops into the war zone by air using transport helicopters. In a secondary role, these ships perform sea control and limited power projection missions using the Marine Expeditionary Unit's six AV-8B Harrier II Pluses and Navy airborne assets, including the MH-60S Seahawk Utility Maritime Helicopter.

One amphibious transport dock ship; a Flight I San Antonio-Class Landing Platform Dock (LPD): a warship that transports troops into the war zone by sea, primarily using conventional landing craft such as the Landing Craft Utility (LCU-1466/1610/1627) and hovercraft like the LCAC-1 (Landing Craft Air Cushion), although they also have the capability of operating helicopters and tiltrotors from their flight decks as well.

And finally, one Landing Ship Dock (LSD); either a Harpers Ferry or a Whidbey Island-Class: a warship supporting amphibious operations including landings onto hostile shores via conventional landing craft, LCACs and helicopters.

Amphibious Ready Groups are often referred to by the LHD or the LHA they're associated with (e.g., Wasp/Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group).

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A Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is an operational formation of the United States Navy. It is composed of 7,500 personnel, an aircraft carrier, at least one guided missile cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least two guided missile destroyers or guided missile frigates, and a carrier air wing of sixty-five to seventy aircraft. On occasions, a Carrier Strike Group would also include submarines, attached logistics ships and a supply ship.

Carrier Strike Groups comprise a principal element of U.S power projection; a single supercarrier holds enough firepower to rival the air forces of entire nations. Previously referred to as Carrier Battle Groups (which is a term still used by other nations), they are often referred to by the aircraft carrier they are associated with (e.g., Enterprise Carrier Strike Group).

Between 2009 and 2017, a typical U.S Navy Carrier Strike Group consists of:

One aircraft carrier (either the Nimitz/Theodore Roosevelt/Ronald Regan-Subclasses or the Gerald R. Ford-Class), which is the centerpiece of the Carrier Strike Group and also serves as the flagship for the CSG's commanding officer and his/her respective staff. The aircraft carrier is commanded by an aviation community naval officer holding the rank of Captain.

A carrier air wing (CVW) is typically made up of nine squadrons. Carrier air wings are commanded by a separate aviation community naval officer who also holds the rank of Captain (or occasionally a Colonel from the United States Marine Corps).

One or two of the Ticonderoga-Class Guided Missile Cruisers, multi-mission surface combatants equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles for long-range strike capability, each commanded by a surface community naval officer holding the rank of Captain.

A destroyer squadron commanded by a surface community naval officer holding the rank of Captain who commands the escort destroyers, with two to three of the Flight I/Flight II/Flight IIA/Flight IIA: Restart/Flight IIA: Technology Insertion Arleigh Burke-Class Guided Missile Destroyers, multi-mission surface combatants that are used primarily for both anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW), but they also carry Tomahawk cruise missiles for long-range strike capability. A guided missile destroyer is commanded by a surface community naval officer holding the rank of Commander.

Up to two nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (Flight I/Flight II with VLS/Flight III 688i (Improved) Los Angeles-Class/Seawolf-Class/Virginia-Class Block I/II/IIIs), used to screen the CSG against hostile submarines and surface ships, but they also carry Tomahawk cruise missiles for long-range strike capability. These would be commanded by a submarine community naval officer holding the rank of Commander, who are called 'Captain' on the sub due to their role.

And finally, a single Supply-Class Fast Combat Support Ship to provide logistic support.