BREMERTON – The USS Nimitz has left on a training mission after a 27-day quarantine period aboard the aircraft carrier.
All hands were tested for COVID-19 prior to departure from Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, on Monday.
“Dealing with the challenges of the COVID pandemic has been difficult, so I’m very pleased that our mitigation efforts have put us in a position to get underway,” said Capt. Max Clark, commanding officer.
The Navy had secured enough COVID-19 test kits to evaluate the nearly 8,000 sailors of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, according to USNI News, the Navy. Navy officials previously told USNI News of the U.S. Naval Institute.
The crew of Nimitz were isolated inside the carrier since the beginning of April in anticipation of getting underway, USNI News said, adding that at the same time, Carrier Air Wing 17, the command staff of Carrier Strike Group 11 and crews of the planned carrier escorts have been isolated in California ahead of the strike group assembling in San Diego.
While underway, Nimitz will participate in a composite training unit exercise, which tests a strike group’s ability as a whole to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea.
Ships, squadrons and staffs will be tested across every core warfare area within their mission sets through a variety of simulated and live events, including air warfare, strait transits, and responses to surface and subsurface contacts and electronic attacks, the Navy said.
“We are all looking forward to training and operating again,” Max said.
“I give the crew all the credit. From the beginning, they have done all that I and Navy leadership have asked them to do — face coverings, social distancing, continuous ship sanitization, testing and periods of quarantine; all executed with precision and professionalism.”
USS Nimitz crew members stand on board wearing face masks. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Olivia Banmally Nichols)
In addition to Nimitz, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group ships and units scheduled to conduct the training operation are guided-missile cruisers USS Princeton, homeported in San Diego, Calif.; guided-missile destroyers USS John Paul Jones, homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, USS Sterett, homeported in San Diego, Calif., and USS Ralph Johnson, homeported in Everett; Destroyer Squadron 9 based in Bremerton; and Carrier Air Wing 17 and its associated squadrons and personnel from Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, NAS Lemoore, Calif., NAS North Island, Calif., and Naval Base Ventura County, Calif.
All Carrier Strike Group units will complete COVID-19 testing prior to getting underway or embarking in addition to having completed a fast cruise or quarantine of at least 14 days, the Navy said.
The Associated Press reported the Navy said on Friday that 33 sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer Kidd had been confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus.
The destroyer with its crew of 350 is off the Pacific coast of South America. Its current mission is related to U.S. counter-drug activities.
Two sailors have been medically evacuated to the United States, according to The Associated Press, and those aboard the Kidd are wearing N95 masks and other personal protective equipment.
The Kidd is the second Navy ship at sea to report an outbreak of the coronavirus, AP said.
Officials said the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt has reported more than 850 cases of infection among its nearly 5,000 crew members. Most of its crew has been moved ashore to quarantine on Guam.
