Friends and family members welcome the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) as the ship pulls into its new operating base at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan.

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Sept. 25, 2008) Friends and family members welcome the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) as the ship pulls into its new operating base at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. George Washington's arrival from its former homeport of Norfolk, Va., marks the beginning of its role as the Navy's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier and as centerpiece of the U.S. 7th Fleet's Carrier Strike Group Five. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kari Bergman/Released)