USS Nimitz conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Lewis in the Indian Ocean, Oct. 14, 2025. (Charles J. Scudellla III/U.S. Navy)
The Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier and its crew will be home for Christmas, scheduled to pull in at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Wash., on Dec. 16, the Navy said Friday.
The Nimitz, flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11, is returning from a nine-month deployment — what the Navy has said is likely the last of its 50 years in service. The ship left NB Kitsap in Bremerton in March to patrol the Indo-Pacific region and the Arabian Sea.
The Navy says the Nimitz is scheduled to arrive at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia by May 2026 to begin the process of decommissioning and deactivating the ship.
The Navy has announced plans for the second Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy, to homeport at NB Kitsap in Bremerton after its 2027 commissioning.
The base is also the homeport of the Nimitz-class carrier USS Ronald Reagan, currently undergoing an 18-month Docking Planned Incremental Availability maintenance at the adjacent Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The overhaul is scheduled to finish in late 2026.
