Crew of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz “man the rails” for arrival at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Hannah Kantner/U.S. Navy)
BREMERTON, Wash. — It was getting darker, colder and wetter by the minute Tuesday afternoon when the USS Nimitz slowly peeked its bow into Sinclair Inlet, made a tug-assisted pivot into a berth, and came to a stop at Naval Base Kitsap.
Yvonne Ramirez had driven 125 miles south from Mount Vernon in just under three hours to see her sailor boyfriend, skirting the floods in Snohomish and King counties that had been declared a disaster area by Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Standing under a shelter in front of the berth, she squinted through gray skies at the 1,000-foot-long carrier in hopes of seeing her boyfriend among the sailors manning the rails around the rim of the Nimitz flight deck.
“I’d wait for you forever, but 270 Days was long enough. Welcome home, Kevin Scruggs,” her sign said.
USS Nimitz Electrician’s Mate 3 Kevin Scruggs proposes marriage to his girlfriend, Yvonne Ramirez of Mount Vernon, Wash., on the quay as the carrier arrives at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Franklyn Guage/U.S. Navy)
The nine-month trip across the Pacific and back was a final voyage for the 50-year-old Nimitz, the oldest aircraft carrier in the fleet, a veteran of the end of the Vietnam War; the Iranian Revolution; the Gulf of Sidra incident; two decades of the Cold War; Operation Desert Storm; 9/11; wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria; as well as lesser-known events around the globe.
On its final deployment, the carrier’s 82,000-mile mission included launching its F/A-18 Hornet jets to hit ISIS targets in Somalia, as well as more sedate moments when the crew hosted VIPs in Malaysia and Bahrain.
Tuesday’s arrival in Bremerton was likely the last of the 30 homecomings from deployments that the Nimitz has made since joining the fleet in 1975. The carrier is scheduled to move its homeport from Naval Base Kitsap to Naval Station Norfolk, in Virginia, early next year, the beginning of a long process of decommissioning and deactivation.
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) with superstructure lights featuring Christmas colors as it arrives in Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes)
Before arriving in Bremerton, several hundred carrier personnel had disembarked in earlier stops at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and San Diego. The carrier’s squadrons had flown off to Naval Station Lemoore, Naval Air Station Whidby Island and other wintertime warbird nests.
It took most of two hours to get the remaining 3,000 sailors off the ship in Bremerton — a steady stream of men and women in dress blue uniforms with white caps.
Once past the security gate, new Nimitz crew fathers met their sons and daughters born while deployed, couples clutched for first kisses after nine months apart and parents welcomed home sons and daughters.
Trae Zipperer, of Ft. Myers, Fla., had served on the Nimitz from 1987 to 1991. He was in Bremerton to watch his old ship arrive with his relatively new son-in-law, Manny Munchnikoff. Zipperer’s daughter, Maddy Muchnikoff, waited with him under a shelter that kept the pouring rain off their heads.
“She married into the Nimitz,” Zipperer said. “I served aboard from 1987 to 1991, then she married a Nimitz sailor. It was a fantastic ship, and he’s a fantastic guy.”
Ashley Cortes was dressed as Winnie the Pooh to greet her husband, Chief Petty Officer Randy Cortes. She’d brought the couple’s three children — Noah, Rome, and Zion — with the younger two decked out in “Tigger” the tiger costumes.
Ashley Cortes of Bremerton, dressed as Winnie the Pooh, with her children Rome (holding sign) and Zion as “Tigger,” waiting to greet Navy Chief Petty Officer Randy Cortes as crew disembark the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Wash., Dec. 16, 2025. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes)
“I’m just happy he’s back for Christmas with the family,” Ashley said. “It’s been a long stretch.”
Sam Perusquia struggled to keep his sopping wet sign together long enough for his sailor sister, Karina, to see the five smeared orange exclamation points.
“Always keep in mind that we love & miss you,” the sign said.
Among those greeted with hugs and kisses was Capt. Joseph J. Furco, the Nimitz’s commanding officer.
“The big picture is we were in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, and then participated in operations off the Middle East, including the twelve-day war with Iran, and in conjunction with Air Wing 17 operations in Africa, conducting strikes against ISIS,” he said.
The ship also took part in joint operations with the navies of the France and India.
Oliver Fringer, in a naval officer’s cap, waits with his mother, Laura Fringer, for the disembarkation of Lt. Kyle Fringer from the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as it arrives at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes)
Furco ticked off the carrier’s port stops along the way: Guam, Malaysia, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Honolulu, San Diego and then back to Bremerton.
“I am deeply proud of this crew for proving, over nine months of sustained operations at sea, that they are well-trained, fit to fight and ready to win,” Furco said.
Over by the awning where family members were waiting for the crew to disembark, Yvonne Ramirez spotted her boyfriend, Kevin Scruggs, away for 270 days.
The sailor strode to her side, got down on one knee, unlatched a small red box with a ring and asked Ramirez to marry him.
She’d been a girlfriend on the tough drive over from Mount Vernon, but would return a fiancée.
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) arrives at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025 after 270-day deployment to Asia and the Middle East. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes)
