USS George Washington (CVN-73) is a United States Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the sixth carrier in the and the fourth US Navy ship with that name, after George Washington, Founding Father, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States. The contract for George Washington was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding on 27 December 1982. Her keel was laid on 25 August 1986, she was christened on 21 July 1990 by First Lady Barbara Bush, and the vessel was commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk on 4 July 1992.
In 2008, USS George Washington became the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier to be forward-deployed at naval base Yokosuka, Japan.
The carrier underwent her four-year Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) beginning in August 2017. After refueling was completed additional repairs were found to be needed and the overhaul was extended. The ship was returned to service in May 2023.
Description George Washington (commonly known as GW) is long, wide and high. The super carrier can accommodate approximately 90 aircraft and has a flight deck in size, using four elevators that are each to move planes between the Flight deck and the hangar bay. With a combat load, GW displaces almost and can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers. Her four distilling units can make 400,000 U.S. gallons (1,500,000 L) of potable water a day; the food service divisions serve 18,000 meals per day. There are over 2,500 compartments on board requiring 2,520 refrigeration tons (8.6 MW) of air conditioning capacity (enough to cool over 2,000 homes). The warship uses two Mark II stockless anchors that weigh 30 tons each, with each link of the anchor chain weighing . It is currently equipped with two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and two Sea Sparrow SAM launchers. One CIWS and one Sea Sparrow mount were removed to make way for two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, installed during the 2005 Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA).
Propulsion The ship can reach speeds of over and is powered by two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors and has four 5-bladed propellers of each. The George Washington can travel more than before needing refueling.
History
1993–2000 George Washington career began with her Shakedown cruise and maiden voyage with CVW-7. In 1994, the ship took up station in the Adriatic in support of Operation Deny Flight and Operation Sharp Guard.
After transiting the Suez Canal, George Washington with CVW-7 embarked took up station in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Vigilant Warrior, the US response to Iraqi troop repositioning near the border with Kuwait. The crisis abated when the Iraqi troops withdrew in October.
In 1996, George Washington and CVW-7 returned to Bosnia in support of Operation Joint Endeavour, a peace enforcement mission in Bosnia.
Later that year, CVW-1 was reassigned to George Washington. After a port visit to Haifa, Israel in November, the carrier battle group was ordered to the Persian Gulf in response to Saddam Hussein's barring UN weapon inspectors from carrying out their assigned tasks. As the crisis grew George Washington joined and to prepare for a bombing campaign against Iraq called Operation Desert Thunder. The crisis abated when Saddam agreed to let the United Nations continue the inspections.
In Autumn 1999, George Washington deployed again to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq, launching its first airstrikes over Iraq.
2001–2006 George Washington was deployed to protect New York City after the September 11 attacks.
In June 2002, George Washington was deployed to the North Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf and participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, supporting coalition forces in Afghanistan, and Operation Southern Watch.
On 20 February 2004, on a sixth deployment, George Washington entered the Gulf of Aden, and a week later, was conducting operations in the Persian Gulf. George Washington air wing participated in strikes over Fallujah between 28 April – 29 April during Operation Vigilant Resolve.
On 28 January 2005, she entered the shipyard for Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA). Many of the ship's systems were upgraded and maintenance was done to the hull. Her four jet blast deflectors were removed and upgraded to handle the increased heat generated by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. One defensive Phalanx CIWS mount and one Sea Sparrow launcher were replaced by two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers. During the 11 months she was drydocked, the crew contributed 20,000 hours of volunteer community service to the city of Newport News, Virginia. The work was completed on schedule, and George Washington returned to her home port of Norfolk on 17 December 2005.
On 1 December 2005, the United States Navy announced that George Washington would replace as the forward-deployed carrier at the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, becoming the first nuclear-powered surface warship permanently stationed outside the continental U.S. In an attempt to explain the carrier's mission to the Japanese public, the U.S. Navy printed a manga about life aboard GW, titled "CVN-73".
George Washington and CVW-17 left Norfolk on 4 April for a scheduled two-month deployment to operate as part of SOUTHCOM's "Partnership of the Americas". This deployment included counter-drug operations in the Caribbean Sea, crew exchanges and exercises with Latin American and South American navies, and port visits for the carrier and strike group, which consisted of the cruiser , the destroyer , and the frigate . The first of these port visits took place from 14 to 17 April in St. Maarten, and Antigua from 15 to 18 May. She returned to Norfolk on 24 May.
2008 fire and 2009
On 7 April 2008, George Washington, with CVW-17 and Carrier Strike Group 8 embarked, departed Norfolk en route to Yokosuka, Japan to replace Kitty Hawk, taking a route around South America as she is too large for the Panama Canal; she took part there in the Gringo-Gaucho maneuvers with Argentine Naval Aviation. After the planned turnover with Kitty Hawk at NS Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, CVW-17 and Carrier Strike Group Eight were to return to their home ports in the U.S. to be replaced by Carrier Air Wing 5, based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, and Carrier Strike Group Five based at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan.
During the South American transit, the George Washington Battle Group participated in U.S. Southern Command exercises Partnership of the Americas and Unitas, a joint military exercise between the United States, Brazilian and Argentine navies. On 22 April 2008, George Washington arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for her first port visit to that country. The ship traversed the Strait of Magellan on 9–10 May.
On 22 May 2008, while the ship was off the Pacific Coast of South America, a fire broke out and injured 37 sailors, with no fatalities, in an incident described by the Navy as "serious". According to a statement from Naval Air Forces' public affairs office, the fire broke out in the ship's air-conditioning and refrigeration space and an auxiliary boiler room. The fire spread via a cableway and ventilation ducting and caused extreme temperatures in some parts of the ship. It took over twelve hours for the crew to contain and extinguish the fire, one of the largest non-combat fires aboard a U.S. Naval vessel since the devastating fire on board in 1967.
On 27 May, George Washington stopped at Naval Air Station North Island (NAS North Island) in San Diego, California for repairs. On 20 June the Navy announced that the damage from the fire was more serious than previously thought, and that repairs would take at least until August and would cost $70 million. As a consequence, Kitty Hawk was retained in Hawaii during June and July to replace George Washington in the RIMPAC 2008 exercises, with the planned turnover to take place in San Diego instead of Hawaii.
A Navy investigation found that the "entirely preventable" fire had been caused by unauthorized smoking in a room where of flammable refrigerant compressor oil was improperly stored. The room was near the aft auxiliary boiler. The ship's damage control team took nearly eight hours to discover the source of the smoke and flames. By that time, the fire had spread to eight decks and 80 compartments, and destroyed miles of electrical and fiber-optic cables. The damage control department had been found deficient in three inspections between June 2007 and April 2008. Although the carrier's commanding officer started a program to remedy the team's training and performance in the month before the fire, the report found those efforts to have been insufficient. Admiral Robert F. Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, noted in his investigation, "It is apparent from this extensive study that there were numerous processes and procedures related to fire prevention and readiness and training that were not properly functioning. The extent of damage could have been reduced had numerous longstanding firefighting and firefighting management deficiencies been corrected." Willard added that "Many crew members ... displayed courage and resolve in fighting the fires."
On 30 July 2008, Willard announced that Captain David C. Dykhoff had been relieved of his duties as Commanding Officer citing "a loss of confidence in his ability to command and his failure to meet mission requirements and readiness standards." Executive Officer Captain David M. Dober was also relieved for "substandard performance." Six other sailors were disciplined with non-judicial punishment. Four sailors were found guilty of violating a lawful order and hiding hazardous materials in direct violation of safety regulations. The Navy's Pacific Fleet refused to name the enlisted sailors disciplined. Two non-commissioned officers were found guilty of negligence and dereliction of duty for not properly supervising the workspace. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal was awarded to Senior Chief Petty Officer Keith Hendrickson for leading a team that rescued four shipmates trapped by the fire deep in the interior of the ship.
On 21 August, under new skipper Captain J.R. Haley and executive officer Captain Karl O. Thomas, George Washington departed NAS North Island for Japan, with Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW 5) embarked. The carrier arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on 25 September 2008, where she was met by several hundred local supporters and protesters.
In June 2009, the Navy revealed that 15 of the carrier's sailors were being expelled from the service for use of illegal designer drugs. On 2 July 2009, George Washington, accompanied by , anchored on the Gage Roads of Perth. Her crew visited Fremantle and Perth. Local brothels recruited extra staff to cope with the increase in business. Crew members volunteered to complete community projects including cleaning, maintenance, and painting at organizations including PMH, a Salvation Army rehabilitation center, Perth Zoo and Cohunu Koala Park. In mid-July the ship took part in Exercise Talisman Saber off the coast of Australia's Northern Territory.
From 2 to 6 August 2009, George Washington made a port call in Singapore where sailors were granted rest and recreation leave and participated in community relations projects such as painting and landscaping at a local community center, children's center, special education school and an association for the disabled.
The ship made a 4-day goodwill visit to Manila Bay, Philippines, anchoring off historic Corregidor Island from 11 to 15 August 2009.