The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier George Washington docked in Japan on Saturday after spending several months at sea as part of an Indo-Pacific patrol, a Navy spokesperson confirmed.
The carrier departed from its homeport of Yokosuka Naval Base on June 10 for its first deployment after relocating to Japan in November following nearly 10 years away.
The George Washington — which is the premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group — called Yokosuka its home from 2008 to 2015 before it embarked on an extended hiatus for its Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) maintenance period.
During its recent patrol, the George Washington conducted flight operations in the Philippine Sea, visited Manila and Guam for a scheduled port-visits and took part in the Talisman Sabre exercise off the coast of Australia.
The carrier encountered unforeseen hardship during the deployment when, in late July, a George Washington sailor was reported missing as it transited the Timor Sea.
The U.S. Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadrons 77 and 51, cruiser Robert Smalls, destroyer Shoup and a fixed-wing aircraft attached to Carrier Air Wing 5 conducted search and rescue efforts.
However, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Launch/Recovery Equipment) Airman Jose Antonio Rivera Lynch IV was eventually assumed overboard and recovery attempts were called off.
The George Washington Carrier Strike Group includes the carrier George Washington, Carrier Air Wing 5 (which includes the first F-35C Lightning II squadron to join forward-deployed naval forces in Japan) and Destroyer Squadron 15.
In 2024, the George Washington replaced the carrier Ronald Reagan so that the latter could receive its own maintenance work in Bremerton, Washington.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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