Marine Detachment USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

The Marine Detachment (MARDET) aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68) was established to provide shipboard security, ceremonial duties, and limited operational support as part of the ship’s crew. Traditionally, MARDETs have played crucial roles on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, ensuring the safety of nuclear weapons, enforcing discipline, and augmenting the ship's defense in emergencies. The Nimitz MARDET participated in numerous deployments, including operations in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean, supporting both combat and humanitarian missions from the ship’s commissioning in 1975 until the early 1990s. The unit was disbanded in 1998 when the Navy ended the longstanding practice of assigning Marine Detachments to its surface ships.