Boy Scouts from Troop 2860 in Richmond, Virginia, toured aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) Jan. 15.

The Scouts ate lunch on the forward mess decks, toured the flight deck, flight deck control, fo'c'sle, and the hangar bay.

"I really enjoyed seeing the flight deck and flight deck control," said 14-year-old Ian Frazier of Troop 2860.

The Scouts learned George Washington is 1,092 feet long, taller than New York City's Chrysler Building, which is 1,046 feet high. The ship speed can reach 30-plus knots, and can steam for more than 20 years before refueling. With GW reaching its 25 years of service mark, the Scouts learned the ship will head to Newport News Shipbuilding for refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) maintenance this summer, where the ship will be gutted, rebuilt, and modernized from the ground up.

"It was nice to see how these huge aircraft carriers operate and what Sailors do on here to support the mission; it's pretty incredible to look at up close," said 13-year-old Matthew Cunningham of Troop 2860.

During the tour, the 28 Scouts learned GW has two nuclear reactors, two anchors, four aircraft elevators, four catapults, and can embark approximately 70 aircraft.

For Frazier, learning about aircraft, flight deck jersey colors, and the mission of air department was right up his alley.

"I hope to one day go to West Point for the Army and become an aviator," he added.

And that type of feedback is exactly what makes this type of Sunday adventure worth it for the adults who chaperoned the trip.

"One of the goals of Scouts is to show them what kind of jobs they could do in life if they choose the military path," said A.J. Mezynski, Troop 2860 scoutmaster. "Our group has kids from 11 to 17 years of age, so this opens their minds to a lot of possibilities. It gives them something to think about."

While many of the Scouts may be undecided about their future, the group's scoutmaster was happy to see their excitement while touring the ship.

"I enjoyed watching their expressions, listening to their questions, and seeing them pay attention to the Sailors who spoke about their specific department," said Mezynski.

With their tour complete, the Scouts learned many things, including the average age of a Sailor who drives the ship, the purpose of the hangar bay, the key role the fo'c'sle plays during underways and moorings, and how to request permission to come aboard.

Whether these Scouts become Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, or Coast Guardsmen one day, this experience opens their minds to endless possibilities.

"The military is always expanding and they're always looking for new personnel in every branch, and some of these guys may want to join as officers or enlisted -- so this gives them a reference of what they could do if they join," said Frazier. "It was a great tour and I recommend it to anybody."

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For more news from USS George Washington (CVN 73), visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/USSGW or http://www.twitter.com/GW_CVN73.