Electrical Delays Fixed and Nimitz Departs Naval Station Everett

Just past 10am this morning, after a brief delay while the fog lifted, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz departed Naval Station Everett. The Nimitz had been scheduled to depart on Friday but that was delayed. In his remarks to reporters this morning, Rear Admiral Mike White said there were a couple of pieces of electrical equipment that he had concerns with yesterday so he re-scheduled the deployment. “There was an issue with the bus transfer in the backup electrical system,” said White. Crews from Bremerton were brought to Everett and worked through the night to get the Nimitz ready to go this morning. More than 100 family members made the trip back to the pier today to say goodbye to the crew. Among those was Marietta White, the admiral’s wife. She said this was either her 9th or 10th deployment in 29 years of marriage to the admiral. The Whites are from Tennessee and have been in Everett for just a month as Mike White was selected as Commander of Strike Force 11. White says the fleet consists of the Nimitz, a cruiser and 4 destroyers. The Nimitz will head to San Diego to pick up their air wing and will then head out for some qualification and training exercises before joining maritime partners in the Pacific. Eventually the Nimitz is expected to head to the Persian Gulf. The deployment is expected to last between six and ten months. You can follow the Nimitz on their Facebook page.

Here are some pictures from today’s departure: