USS George Washington has completed a nearly 6-year mid life refueling and overhaul at HIII's Newport News Shipbuilding.
The carrier departed the shipyard and set sail for sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean.
The maintenance period included refueling the carrier's nuclear reactors, modernizing systems, and refurbishing the ship's interior.
The refueling and complex overhaul took longer than expected due to various factors, including the impact of COVID-19 .
George Washington was previously the Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Japan from 2008 to 2015.
9 sailors assigned to the carrier died by suicide between 2017 and April 2022, prompting an investigation into the crew's quality of life.
The next carrier scheduled for a mid-life overhaul is USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74).
After its delivery back to the Navy, USS George Washington will return to Japan and relieve carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).