The aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrives at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, Aug. 30, 2025. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – The USS George Washington steamed into Tokyo Bay on Saturday morning, signaling the halfway point of the aircraft carrier’s annual Indo-Pacific patrol.
The carrier returned to the home of the U.S. 7th Fleet nearly three months after its June 10 departure, which kicked off its first deployment since relocating to Yokosuka in November.
The George Washington pulled quietly into its usual spot, Berth 12, where the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales had been moored for about three weeks. It left for Tokyo on Thursday.
Since its departure, the George Washington has carried out flight operations in the Philippine Sea, made port calls in Manila and Guam, and participated in the biannual Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia.
It also took part in a multicarrier drills alongside the amphibious assault ship USS America, the Prince of Wales and the Japanese flattop JS Kaga.
In July, the George Washington lost an aviation boatswain’s mate in a presumed overboard incident off Australia’s northern coast. Petty Officer 3rd Class Jose Antonio Rivera Lynch IV, 19, of Florida, was last seen aboard the carrier on July 28.
Two days later, the Navy called off a 45-hour search-and-rescue operation that covered about 2,200 square miles, with Lynch presumed lost at sea.
Aircraft carriers homeported at Yokosuka usually conduct annual deployments lasting about six months. The George Washington’s predecessor, the USS Ronald Reagan, would typically return to Yokosuka for several weeks around a patrol’s halfway point for crew rest and ship maintenance.
A 7th Fleet spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment Saturday.
AloJapan.com