GW Departs Yokosuka for 2009 Fall Deployment

Story Number: NNS091007-13
Release Date: 10/7/2009 8:30:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) John J. Mike, USS George Washington Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The George Washington Carrier Strike Group departed Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), Japan Oct. 6 for its second annual fall deployment in support of maritime security and to participate in ANNUALEX 2009, the premiere bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Japan.

USS George Washington (CVN 73) recently completed a month-long maintenance and repair period at CFAY after returning from her inaugural summer deployment in the 7th Fleet area of operations Sept. 3.

"As we sail back to sea, we look forward to building upon the successes of our inaugural summer deployment fostering strong and positive relationships with numerous global maritime partners throughout the 7th Fleet area of responsibility," said GW's Commanding Officer Capt. David A. Lausman. "The crew of the George Washington and Carrier Air Wing Five enjoy working closely with navies in complex training environments building interoperability and understanding.

Excerpt. Read the full article at Navy.mil.