USS George Washington conducts flight ops in Philippine Sea

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Launch/Recovery (Equipment) 1st Class Shawn Zumwalde, from Cincinnati, assigned to air department’s launch and recovery division, signals an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27, to take off on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) while underway in the Philippine Sea, June 11, 2025. The George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWA CSG) is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. The George Washington is the U.S. Navy’s premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States’ commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet.. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class August Clawson)