Scene on the Sound: USS Nimitz in Bremerton after 11 month deployment

USS Nimitz sails past Shoreline
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

On early Sunday morning the USS Nimitz passed Shoreline on its way south to Bremerton. The 100,000 ton aircraft carrier returned to Puget Sound after a 99,000 mile journey. The 11 month deployment broke a post World War II record for any carrier in the U.S. Navy's fleet. 

The Nimitz crew of 3000 plus are happy to be returning to family and friends. We thank the crew for their service and sacrifice.

The weather was cloudy, foggy, and raining when the ship passed Richmond Beach, ten minutes later the sun broke through.

--Wayne Pridemore

Photo by Jan Hansen

The deployment was extended by a month to allow the crew to isolate before leaving port. During their time at sea they went from South China Sea to the Persian Gulf and back.

According to an article by Ed Offley in The Seattle Times 

The combination of crew isolation before departure, strict social distancing measures throughout the cruise and severely controlled “pier visits” in lieu of traditional liberty ashore in three safe ports — Guam, Bahrain and Oman — led the carrier strike group to remain COVID-free for the entire mission.