News and Events 2012
USS George Washington Arrives in the Philippines
The U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) arrived in Manila Bay on October 24. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is conducting a five-day goodwill visit that highlights the strong historic, community and military connections between the United States and the Philippines.
“We have a longstanding history of partnership with the Philippines dating back to the Spanish-American War, and we are always appreciative of the opportunity to be able to work with one of our regional partners,” said Capt. G.J. Fenton, George Washington’s commanding officer. “My Sailors also appreciate the opportunity to engage in new surroundings and for them to be able to visit a nation with such diversity will be a crowning moment in a lot of their lives.”
“George Washington’s visit to the Philippines shows that our 61-year-old mutual defense treaty is still alive,” said Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. “It shows that the United States is committed to the Filipino people, and that we actively support a reliable partner and a strong ally.”
George Washington Sailors will have the opportunity to interact with the locals via several community service projects set up by the ship. Projects include interacting with school children, teaching basic first-aid at a local hospital facility, and general cleaning and landscaping.
George Washington’s visit to the Republic of the Philippines is also seen as a homecoming of sorts to Filipino-born members of the crew; George Washington has more than 800 Sailors of Filipino descent currently serving aboard.
Upon the arrival of the carrier group, Rear Admiral Cecil R. Chen, commander of Philippine Coast Guard District National Capital Region - Central Luzon, visited the USS McCampbell (DDG 85), to thank the crew for their efforts in rescuing five stranded Philippine national fisherman in international waters off the coast of the Philippines earlier that morning. McCampbell is part of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group, the U.S. Navy's only continuously forward-deployed carrier strike group, based out of Yokosuka, Japan, and is currently conducting a routine western Pacific patrol in support of regional security and stability of the vital Asia-Pacific region.