The officers and crew of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and two of its guided missile destroyers are back home in Puget Sound in time for Christmas.
The carrier docked at its home port of Bremerton around 12:45 p.m. Sunday. The guided-missile destroyers USS Shoup and USS Kidd, which are part of the Nimitz carrier group, docked in Everett Sunday morning.
The carrier departed Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton on June 1 for its deployment to the Pacific and Indian oceans.
During its deployment, the aircraft carrier flew more than 1,300 combat sorties in Iraq and Syria, dropping more than 900 pieces of ordnance. Last month, the Nimitz joined the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Theodore Roosevelt in a rare exercise involving three aircraft carrier strike groups.
Of the hundreds waiting for the USS Nimitz to return, seven-year-old Cameron Bloodworth may have been the most excited. He was awaiting his father, Chief Petty Officer Lance Bloodworth.
“This is awesome!” was Cameron’s go-to chant.
“Welcome home, dada!” he cheered as the ship made its way in.
His mother, Rachel, said he was prepared Saturday night.
“He had his outfit laid out. He had his toothbrush, his backpack, everything ready so he could get up and get out the door as fast as possible.”
Rachel, who’s been taking care of the couple’s four children the past six months, had a sign that read “Hey Lance, The Baby Pooped, It’s Your Turn”.
Ryker, 5, with a #StarWars themed sign waiting for Capt. Harney of Lake Stevens. #navy #homecoming pic.twitter.com/Om9xaWJ0fP
— Ryan Takeo (@RyanTakeoK5) December 10, 2017
“I am very proud of the entire Strike Group and all that our sailors and Marines accomplished during this deployment,” Rear Adm. Gregory Harris, commander of the Nimitz Strike Group, said in a news release. “The team demonstrated the professionalism, strength, and resolve of the U.S. Navy around the world. They battled through the intense heat of the Arabian Gulf to conduct operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (against ISIS), and now it’s time for all of us to get back and enjoy some well-deserved family time.”
