The aircraft carrier Nimitz wrapped up a seven-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific Wednesday, arriving in San Diego ahead of its return to homeport in Bremerton, Washington.
The carrier and its strike group headed to the U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleet area of operations in December to conduct deterrence and presence operations, multinational exercises, integrated multi-domain training, long-range maritime strike exercises; anti-submarine warfare, information warfare operations and air defense operations. The strike group also completed formation maneuvering and refueling-at-sea operations.
The carrier also achieved a significant milestone for the Navy, completing its 350,000th arrested landing in April — a record.
“For seven months, the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group demonstrated our ironclad commitment to partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Rear Adm. Jennifer Couture, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, in a Navy news release.
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“During this deployment, Sailors of every rank and rate displayed a vigorous work ethic and a humble devotion to duty and I want to thank them and their families for their sacrifice,” Couture said. “I am humbled to serve alongside determined professionals and observe their excellence at every level. Our strike group returns home stronger, smarter and more resilient than ever before.”
The Nimitz strike group included the cruiser Bunker Hill, the destroyers Decatur, Chung-Hoon and Wayne E. Meyer, and the embarked aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 17.
The Chung-Hoon and Wayne E. Meyer returned to their home ports in Hawaii earlier this month.
The Nimitz is the oldest-serving U.S. commissioned aircraft carrier in the world.
