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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books In the News History Notes of Interest Deployments of USS George Washington Patch Gallery About the Name "George Washington" Accidents aboard the Ship Image Gallery to end of page |  |  |
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON is the sixth ship in the NIMITZ - class of aircraft carriers and the fourth ship in the Navy to bear the name. On April 7, 2008, the GEORGE WASHINGTON left Norfolk, Va. en route to Yokosuka, Japan, to relieve the USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) making her the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be forward deployed.
| General Characteristics: | Keel Laid: August 25, 1986 |
| Launched: July 21, 1990 | |
| Commissioned: July 4, 1992 | |
| Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News; Va. | |
| Propulsion system: two nuclear reactors | |
| Main Engines: four | |
| Propellers: four | |
| Blades on each Propeller: five | |
| Aircraft elevators: four | |
| Catapults: four | |
| Arresting gear cables: four | |
| Length, overall: 1,092 feet (332.85 meters) | |
| Flight Deck Width: 257 feet (78.34 meters) | |
| Area of flight deck: about 4,5 acres | |
| Beam: 134 feet (40.84 meters) | |
| Draft: 38,4 feet (11.7 meters) | |
| Displacement: approx. 100,000 tons full load | |
| Speed: 30+ knots | |
| Planes: approx. 85 | |
| Crew: Ship: approx. 3,200 Air Wing: 2,480 | |
| Armament: two Mk-57 Mod 3 Sea Sparrow launchers, three | |
| Homeport: Norfolk, Va. |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS GEORGE WASHINGTON. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS GEORGE WASHINGTON Cruise Books:
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS GEORGE WASHINGTON in the News:
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| Notes of Interest: | In an average year the Medical Department... |   |
| ...sees 10,822 sick call patients | ||
| ...does 256 flight physicals | ||
| ...completes 1,599 physical exams | ||
| ...performs 103 surgeries | ||
| ...processes 3,097 x-rays | ||
| ...does 38,276 lab procedures | ||
| ...fills 16,811 prescriptions | ||
| ...gives 11,385 immunizations | ||
| In an average month the dentist sees 500 patients requiring 200 exams, 150 cleanings, 53 tooth extractions, 10 crowns, and 75 fillings. | ||
back to top go to the end of the pageHistory of USS GEORGE WASHINGTON:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 27, 1982 | Ship was ordered |
| August 25, 1986 | Keel of GEORGE WASHINGTON was laid |
| July 21, 1990 | Launched |
| July 4, 1992 | Commissioning |
| May 20, 1994 | Left Norfolk, Va., on its maiden deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf |
| November 17, 1994 | Returned home to Norfolk, Va. |
| January 26, 1996 - July 23, 1996 | Second deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf |
| October 3, 1997 - April 3, 1998 | Third deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf |
| May 11, 1998 - March 17, 1999 | Ten month overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard |
| June 21, 2000 - December 19, 2000 | Fourth deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf |
| January 22, 2001 - January 30, 2001 | Local operations off the east coast |
| February 2001 - July 26, 2001 | 6-month maintenance and upgrade program at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard |
| August 14, 2001 - August 27, 2001 | Local operations off the east coast |
| September 12, 2001 - September 15, 2001 | Provided air defense for NYC following the terrorist attacks on September 11. |
| November 4, 2001 - November 15, 2001 | Carrier qualifications off the east coast |
| May 2002 | Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 02-2 |
| June 20, 2002 - December 20, 2002 | Fifth deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf, participated in Operation Enduring Freedom |
| January 24, 2003 - February 5, 2003 | Carrier qualifications in the WestLant |
| February 25, 2003 - August 15, 2003 | Six-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard |
| January 20 - July 26, 2004 | Sixth deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf. |
| January 25, 2005 - December 17, 2005 | Dry-Docked Planned Incremental Availability at Newport News, Va. |
| April 4, 2006 - May 24, 2006 | Caribbean Cruise |
| September 28, 2006 - August 27, 2007 | Drydock Planned Incremental Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in preparation for the homeport change to Yokosuka, Japan. |
| April 7, 2008 - | Left Norfolk en route to Yokosuka, Japan |
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS GEORGE WASHINGTON Patch Gallery:
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back to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Carrier’s Name, about President George Washington:
George Washington was born 22 February 1732 in Westmoreland County, Va. He was commissioned in the Virginia Militia in 1753, rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel the next year, and fought brilliantly in the French and Indian War. Entering the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1759, Washington was an early advocate of independence. In 1775 he was appointed Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, and demonstrated a profound appreciation of sea power as well as great military genius. After years of hardship and arduous struggle, he finally won a decisive victory at Yorktown. In directing Allied movements during this campaign, one of the great strategic operations of our history, Washington brilliantly employed the French Navy to cut off Lord Cornwallis from help by sea. He had sought a decisive combined operation like this for years, for he wrote "In any operations, and under all circumstances a decisive Naval superiority is to be considered as a fundamental principle and the focus upon which every hope of success must ultimately depend."
The Treaty of Paris recognized American independence 20 January 1783. After attending the Annapolis Convention of 1786 and presiding over the Continental Convention of 1787, Washington was unanimously elected first President under the new Constitution and inaugurated 30 April 1789. His two terms in office laid the foundations for strong government under the Constitution. Returning to his home at Mount Vernon in 1797, Washington was recalled briefly to command the American army when war with France threatened in 1798. He died at Mount Vernon 14 December 1799.
back to top go to the end of the pageAccidents aboard USS GEORGE WASHINGTON:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| July 11, 1994 | Adriatic Sea | While operating in support of Operation Deny Flight black smoke is reported in one of GW's laundries. Fire crews quickly find out that the smoke is pumped into the space through the ship's ventilation system. Because of the unknown location of the fire the crew is ordered to general quarters and all inbound aircraft are diverted to shore bases in Italy. Shortly thereafter, flames are sighted on the aft starboard sponson and a fuel fire is located nearby. It takes almost one hour to extinguish the fire causing damage that is repaired by the crew in the following weeks and during a port visit to Jebel Ali, U.A.E. |
| February 7, 1998 | Persian Gulf | Two The 2 F/A-18s were from VMFA-251, killed was Lt. Col. Henry G. VanWinkle, 41, of Kirkwood, N.Y. The other aviator, Maj. Cary D. Venden, of Conroe, Texas. |
| February 4, 2002 | off North Carolina | A two-day search for a missing crewmember was called-off February 6, 2002. The missing sailor, Seaman Apprentice David Wilse Parkhurst, 19, of Rogersville, Mo., was reported missing late February 4, and an extensive search involving GEORGE WASHINGTON's |
| November 3, 2002 | near Bari, Italy, Aegean Sea | An |
| September 11, 2003 | off Virginia | Five crew members are injured and later medically evacuated from the GEORGE WASHINGTON following a mishap during an arrested landing by an F/A-18 from VFA-106. The aircraft crashed into the water, and the pilot safely ejected and was immediately recovered. The injured personnel included crew members from VAW-120, VFA-106 and from the crew of GEORGE WASHINGTON. The ship was conducting carrier qualifications operations off the coast of Virginia at the time of the incident. The ship got underway Sept. 9 for Fleet Replacement Squadron carrier qualifications. |
| November 21, 2003 | western Atlantic | Airman David M. Wilson was killed at approximately 4 a.m. EST, when the aircraft tow tractor he was operating was involved in an accident in the ship's hangar bay, during which he sustained severe head injuries. No other personnel were injured. |
| May 22, 2008 | southeastern Pacific | At approximately 7:50 a.m. local time, a fire was detected in the vicinity of the aft air conditioning and refrigeration space and auxiliary boiler room. The fire spread to several spaces via a cableway and caused extreme heat in some of the ship spaces, but it was contained and extinguished by the crew without any serious injuries to personnel. It took several hours to completely contain and extinguish the fire. USS GEORGE WASHINGTON had been conducting a routine replenishment at sea with USS CROMMELIN (FFG 37) when smoke was observed and an emergency breakaway was initiated. Twenty-three sailors were treated for heat stress and one sailor was treated for first degree burns. The ship's crew was at general quarters for approximately 12 hours. |
| Undated | A flight deck greenshirt is injured when he is hit by the wing of a T-45. Click here to watch a clip of the accident. .mpg file, 5.5 MB |
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS GEORGE WASHINGTON Image Gallery:
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The photos below were taken by Ian Johnson and show the GEORGE WASHINGTON arriving at Fremantle, Australia, on her first visit to Australia, on July 2, 2009. The third photo shows the carrier during sunset on July 4, 2009.
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The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee and show the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON during her port visit to Hong Kong July 10-15, 2012. On July 14, while the ship was anchored in Victoria Harbour, AN Rafael Martinez assigned to VFA-102 died after falling overboard onto a service barge.
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The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee and show the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON during her port visit to Hong Kong November 8-12, 2013. The port visit was cut short when the GEORGE WASHINGTON and her strike group were ordered to proceed to the Philippines to provide disaster relief in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.
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The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee and show the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON during her port visit to Hong Kong June 16-20, 2014.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 9, 2023.
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