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USS George H. W. Bush's COs

About the Ship's Coat of Arms

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Deployments of USS George H. W. Bush

Homeports of USS George H. W. Bush

About the Ship's Name

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USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77)

USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH is the 10^th and final NIMITZ - class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name. Although officially a NIMITZ - class carrier, the GEORGE H. W. BUSH differs significantly from the other ships in her class, even from the RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76).

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

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• Click here to see which USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH Cruise Books:

• Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2014

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USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH's Commanding Officers:

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

Each element of the seal is significant for its relevance to the ship’s namesake, Naval Aviation, naval service, and the United States. There are six prominent features of the seal, beginning with the forty-one white stars.

These stars symbolize the namesake and the nation’s forty-first president, the Honorable George H.W. Bush. After taking the executive oath of office, with his hand on the same Bible George Washington used in 1789, President Bush inspired us to use power to help people.

Rays of light that appear on the seal’s horizon represent President Bush’s concept of a thousand points of light.

The graphic depiction of the aircraft carrier reflects the carrier as both a symbol and instrument of American strength as “a force for good.” Bridging the past, present, and future of Naval Aviation are the overhead profiles of the TBM Avenger torpedo bomber, the F-18 Hornet strike fighter, and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Avenger was selected for its relevance to President Bush’s days as a Navy pilot.

The fouled anchors and shields, as seen centered on Naval Aviators wings, honor the namesake’s aviation history. The youngest pilot in the Navy when he earned his wings, he later flew an Avenger bomber during World War II. During one combat mission, his aircraft received heavy anti-aircraft fire. Although his plane was afire and severely damaged, he courageously completed his strafing run before heading out to sea, where he bailed out and was rescued by a Navy submarine, the USS FINBACK (SS 230).

Finally, the motto "Freedom at Work" is adapted from President Bush’s inaugural speech, during which he said, "We know what works: Freedom works. We know what's right: Freedom is right."

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History of USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH:

Commissioned on January 10, 2009 at Naval Station Norfolk, USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH completed builder's and acceptance trials that winter and began flight deck certification in May 2009. After shakedown workups and post-delivery maintenance, she spent 2010-early 2011 cycling through training and qualifications with her embarked air wing.

On May 2011 the ship sailed on her maiden deployment with Carrier Strike Group Two. She worked up with the Royal Navy during Exercise Saxon Warrior, then anchored off Portsmouth, United Kingdom (late May) for a liberty visit. Early June brought a short anchorage off Cartagena, Spain, followed by a brief stop off Naples, Italy. By mid-summer the strike group had passed through the Suez Canal and operated in US Fifth Fleet waters. The carrier supported maritime security operations and flew missions connected to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn through the remainder of the cruise, and she returned to Norfolk on December 10, 2011.

From July to December 2012, the ship underwent a Planned Incremental Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, completing sea trials at the start of December and resuming workups. In early 2013 she conducted test periods that included MV-22 Osprey carrier logistics trials and large-deck helicopter operations. On May 14, 2013, an X-47B demonstrator completed the first catapult launch of a tailless unmanned aircraft from a carrier flight deck. On July 10, 2013, the X-47B executed the first arrested landing of a UAV aboard an aircraft carrier - both milestones occurring on GEORGE H. W. BUSH during Atlantic operations.

The ship's second combat deployment began in mid-February 2014. After transiting the Strait of Gibraltar, she made brief port calls in the Eastern Mediterranean (including Antalya, Turkey, in early March) and then proceeded into the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal, and on to the Arabian Gulf. Across the spring and summer the carrier supported contingency operations and maritime security tasking. As the Islamic State advanced in Iraq, the ship was directed to the northern Gulf. On August 8, 2014, her air wing carried out the opening US Navy strikes of the campaign that became Operation Inherent Resolve. During the cruise she made multiple logistics calls at Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (with pier-side periods in April, May, August and early September), then wrapped up the deployment later that fall.

From mid-2015 into 2016, GEORGE H. W. BUSH underwent an extended maintenance period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The availability - planned as a PIA - was lengthened to address additional ship-system work, and completion slid into late 2016. The ship rejoined the fleet and executed a compressed training cycle that culminated in COMPTUEX ahead of her next deployment.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH's third deployment began on January 21, 2017. She crossed into the Mediterranean in early February and made a port visit to Souda Bay, Crete, on February 6. On February 13 the carrier commenced combat sorties from the Eastern Mediterranean in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. After several weeks she shifted to the Arabian Gulf, where strikes continued into the spring. In early July the ship made a closely watched port visit to Haifa, Israel, the first US carrier visit to that port in many years. Later in the month she anchored in the Solent off Portsmouth, U.K. (arriving July 27) before leading NATO partners during Exercise Saxon Warrior (August 1-10). The strike group returned to Norfolk later in August 2017.

In May 2018 the ship hosted the French Navy for the combined exercise "Chesapeake 2018", embarking Rafale M fighters and a French E-2C Hawkeye to rehearse integrated deck and cyclic flight operations at sea.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH entered a Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in February 2019. The multi-year DPIA - her first out-of-water period since construction - completed in late August 2021, after which the ship re-entered the training pipeline.

Her next deployment began on August 10, 2022, to US Naval Forces Europe. Through late 2022 and early 2023 the carrier operated widely in the Mediterranean under Sixth Fleet, conducting vigilance activities with NATO (including Neptune Strike iterations), dual- and tri-carrier events with European partners, and anti-submarine exercises such as Dynamic Manta. Along the way the ship made port visits at Souda Bay, Crete (October 6, 2022), Split, Croatia (early November 2022), Naples, Italy (late November 2022), Marseille, France (departing January 3, 2023), Piraeus, Greece (February 3, 2023), and a return to Souda Bay (March 10, 2023). The strike group also supported the large US-Israeli exercise Juniper Oak while remaining under Sixth Fleet command. The ship returned to Norfolk on April 23, 2023.

After post-deployment stand-down, the carrier began another Planned Incremental Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard on January 11, 2024. The ship completed the maintenance and modernization period on schedule, conducted sea trials in mid-November 2024, and shifted back to Naval Station Norfolk to start the basic phase of training.

In 2025, GEORGE H. W. BUSH remained based in Norfolk and progressed through workups under the Optimized Fleet Response Plan. Early in the year she handled a short pierside repair to fouled seawater systems, then resumed the training cycle with at-sea periods and participation in Navy-wide events such as Large Scale Exercise 2025. Through the summer she mixed pier-side readiness tasks with short underways off the Virginia Capes as the strike group aligned for its next certification milestones.

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• Click here to get a view of the deployments of USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH.

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Homeports of USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH:

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• Click here to read more about President George H. W. Bush, the namesake of USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH.

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USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me on November 10, 2008, and show the GEORGE H. W. BUSH at Newport News, Va., undergoing final construction prior to her delivery to the Navy.

			Click here to view more photos.

The photos below were taken by me on October 29, 2010, and show the GEORGE H. W. BUSH passing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on her way to Naval Base Norfolk, Va. The last photos were also taken by me and show the carrier a few hours later at the Naval Base.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GEORGE H. W. BUSH undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., on October 6, 2015.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GEORGE H. W. BUSH undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., on April 13, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GEORGE H. W. BUSH Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 12, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH anchored in the Solent off Portsmouth, UK, on July 28 and 29, 2017. The carrier is already deployed for a little more than 6 months and is in the UK to participate in Exercise Saxon Warrior 17.

			Click here for more Photos.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 4, 2017.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on December 26, 2021.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 9, 2023.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., on October 4, 2024.

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