The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) returned to homeport, Dec. 17, after 19 days at sea conducting carrier qualifications, maintenance inspections and preparations for Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH).

The return to Norfolk completed GW's last scheduled underway before the ship begins RCOH in 2017. RCOH is a four to five year process of refueling the nuclear reactors and renovating equipment with the intent of extending the service life of the ship.

"We were multi-tasking," said Chief Petty Officer Terrell Jones, assigned to GW's Training Department. "We had gun shoots and other drills including two general quarters (GQ) drills this underway. Our primary goal was to get the squadrons their aircraft qualifications and plan for RCOH and [Shipboard Coordinated Offload and Outfitting Plan]."

Sailors practice GQ drills to be ready in case a shipboard emergency threatens the safety of the crew. The crew successfully completed 1,757 traps during the underway period, culminating in about 95 newly qualified pilots.

Also during the underway period, the ship earned the second highest overall score in the carrier fleet in the last four years for a Maintenance Material Management Inspection (3MI). The inspectors came from type command to ensure proper maintenance completion for material readiness of the ship.

The success of the inspection represents the hard work and diligence of Sailors through a year's worth of underway work-ups.

"I checked on board George Washington in July 2012," said Jones. "Finality has not hit me yet. The other day I got the chance to pause and look out on the water from the hangar bay and reflect, 'Wow, this has been a really tough year.' I think a lot of us will have time to reflect once we get back, but right now everyone is focused on 3MI, SCOOP, RCOH and making sure we get everybody home safe."

George Washington arrived to a homecoming celebration with loved ones on the pier. The command's Family Readiness Group (FRG) provided coffee, cocoa, and a warm welcome back to homeport.

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For more news from USS George Washington, visit http://www.navy.mil/.