Nimitz arrives at new home after final deployment, Bremerton departure

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, previously homeported in Bremerton before an extension of its service life was announced, arrived at its new home in Norfolk, Virginia, on July 9, according to Marine Traffic. The ship will not come back to the Pacific Northwest as the Navy plans to decommission it on the East Coast in 2027.

The Nimitz departed Bremerton for the last time on March 7.

Where did the Nimitz go after leaving Bremerton for the last time?

During the USS Nimitz's four months of deployment from March to July, the carrier sailed through the waters surrounding Central and South America, operating as part of the U.S. 4th Fleet's Southern Seas 2026 military exercise. Southern Seas 2026 marked the 11th iteration of the Southern Seas exercise since 2007, according to the Navy.

During the deployment, the Nimitz Strike Group did port visits in four countries, including Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, and Panama. It engaged with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Uruguay, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, according to the Navy.

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group consists of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101).

Approximately 339 distinguished visitors embarked on the ship, and the Nimitz hosted 3,100 guests during port visits. Southern Seas 2026 recorded the highest number of Latin American leadership visits in the exercise's history, the Navy said.

Also, approximately a dozen officers from six partner nations, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana and Mexico, served aboard the warship. These officers received advanced instruction from U.S. Naval War College professors to conduct operational planning at sea, according to the Navy.

"From presidents and ministers to admirals and generals to sailors and marines, Southern Seas 2026 gave us the opportunity to display not only the unmatched capability of a United States carrier strike group, but also the friendship, trust, and partnership that have long unified the nations of the Americas," Rear Adm. Cassidy Norman, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, said in a statement in June.

"We leave this region with stronger relationships, deeper interoperability, and a shared commitment to ensuring our hemisphere remains secure, prosperous, and free," Norman said.

The Nimitz arrived at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 16.

The carrier headed to New York to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary in July.

On deck for the USA's 250th anniversary in New York

The Nimitz participated in the International Naval Review (INR) 250 in New York City at the beginning of the month. The INR 250 event featured U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels and gathered ships, aircraft, and personnel from 55 international navies and coast guards to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. INR 250 was hosted at the Port of New York and New Jersey from July 3 to 8.

The Nimitz was anchored in New York Harbor during the event and departed the city on July 7.

"For the last 4 months, we've proudly engaged with partners and allies throughout the western hemisphere, building our nation's global maritime team. We can think of no better way to cap off that mission than by celebrating our nation's 250th birthday in the Big Apple alongside shipmates and friends from more than 50 nations!" the USS Nimitz's official social media page posted on July 7.

Commissioned on May 3, 1975, the Nimitz reached its 51st year of service about two months ago. It is the oldest aircraft carrier among the nation's 11 active aircraft carriers. The ship has called Bremerton home for about 25 years, on and off throughout the past half of a century.

The Navy plans to decommission the Nimitz in 2027.

Which aircraft carrier is still in Bremerton? Which will come next?

As of now, Bremerton is home to one aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

The Navy may move the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) to Bremerton in the future. It is unclear when that will happen.

The USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is expected to come to Naval Base Kitsap as early as 2029, Kitsap Sun previously reported.

It won't be USS Abraham Lincoln's first time calling Puget Sound home

The USS Abraham Lincoln may change homeport to Naval Base Kitsap, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Daryl Caudle told Kitsap Sun during his visit to Naval Base Kitsap on June 3.

"Reagan is going to stay here, and I believe that Abraham Lincoln will probably, you know, change homeport to here as well," Caudle said.

"We have to have division of our Pacific carriers between San Diego and Naval Base Kitsap. That's just part of, you know, our ability to sustain both of those carrier forces most effectively, and how we lay those down will be part of that equation. I do think Abraham Lincoln is going to be part of that," Caudle said.

If the homeport shift happens, it won't be the first time the Abraham Lincoln has called Puget Sound home. The San Diego-based carrier is currently deployed to the Middle East and supporting the war in Iran.

In November 1995, the Abraham Lincoln came to Bremerton from its previous home port of Alameda, California, which was ordered shut down by the 1993 Base Closure and Realignment Commission. The carrier underwent a one-year comprehensive overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, according to Kitsap Sun archives.

On Jan. 8, 1997, the ship went to Everett, where it was homeported for about 15 years until shifting to Norfolk, Virginia, in 2012, according to the Navy. In January 2020, the carrier changed its homeport and arrived at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego after a 10-month deployment from Norfolk.

Commissioned on Nov. 11, 1989, in Norfolk, Virginia, the Abraham Lincoln has served the country for over 36 years.

The John F. Kennedy, now under construction

The John F. Kennedy was procured in the fiscal year 2013 and christened at HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division in 2019.

Once the ship is completed and delivered to the Navy, it will become the country's second aircraft carrier of its new Gerald R. Ford-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The ship is scheduled for delivery in March 2027, according to the Navy's Fiscal Year 2026 budget submission.

The ship's Builder's Sea Trials, its first time underway, were completed at the Newport News Shipbuilding division on Feb. 4. Those trials test ship systems and components at sea for the first time and make required adjustments before additional underway testing, according to the Navy.

The John F. Kennedy is proposed to arrive at Naval Base Kitsap no earlier than fiscal year 2029, and the new aircraft carrier will bring approximately 2,800 military personnel and their family members to Bremerton, according to the final environmental assessment report for the Navy's plan to homeport the ship at NBK, published in July last year.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Nimitz arrives at new home after final deployment, Bremerton departure

Reporting by Peiyu Lin, Kitsap Sun / Kitsap Sun

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 10:33 AM.