Hundreds Of Everett Based Sailors Will Be Home For Christmas

Now that the Nimitz has finished off-loading their air wing in San Diego the carrier is headed back to Bremerton and two supports ships will be returning to Naval Station Everett next week. Here’s the good word from the Navy…

Washington-based ships assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG 11) will return on Dec. 10 following a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific. Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Shoup (DDG 86) and USS Kidd (DDG 100) will return to their homeport of Naval Station Everett. USS Nimitz (CVN 68), with embarked Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG 11) and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, will return separately to Naval Base Kitsap.

The strike group, which departed in June, sailed more than 78,000 miles (equivalent to circling approximately five times around the world), flew 1,322 combat sorties into Iraq and Syria, and dropped 904 pieces of ordnance.

“I am very proud of the entire strike group and all that our sailors and marines accomplished during this deployment,” said Rear Adm. Gregory Harris, commander, Nimitz Strike Group. “The team demonstrated the professionalism, strength, and resolve of the U.S. Navy around the world. They battled through the intense heat of the Arabian Gulf to conduct operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and now it’s time for all of us to get back and enjoy some well-deserved family time.”

During deployment, the strike group conducted multinational operations with the French Marine Nationale, Indian Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy, Royal Australian Navy, the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, and Royal New Zealand Navy. These included exercises Malabar 17 in the Indian Ocean, Intrepid Sentinel in the Gulf of Oman, and a landmark Three-Carrier Strike Force Exercise in the Western Pacific.

They also conducted air, surface, and anti-submarine warfare training. Tactical training included VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) drills, close-in coordinated maneuvers, flag hoisting drills, sea surveillance, replenishments-at-sea, maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and explosive ordnance disposal operations.

Over the six-month span, they visited ports in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Chennai, India; Manama, Bahrain; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Hamad, Qatar; Duqm, Oman; Pattaya, Thailand; and Sasebo, Japan. While in port, sailors participated in community volunteer activities such as visiting schools, hospitals, and animal shelters.

Nimitz Strike Group is part of U.S. 3rd Fleet, which leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations.