Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class August Clawson | Capt. Brent C. Gaut, right, from Stockton, California, is relieved by Capt. Timothy...... read more read more
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The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) hosted its change of command ceremony onboard Feb. 8. Capt. Brent C. Gaut, the 15th commanding officer of George Washington was relieved by Capt. Tim Waits, after more than 30 months in command.
Waits who is from Anniston, Alabama, previously served as the commanding officer of USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19).
“It is an honor to take command of the mighty George Washington as we prepare for a pivotal year to become the Navy’s only forward deployed carrier later this year,” said Waits. “There are a lot of challenges ahead of us, but our team is ready to take them head on.”
Gaut, who is a native of Stockton, California, will retire from his career in the Navy after 31 years of active-duty service.
“Having the honor and privilege to command our great nation’s premier CVN has been the highlight of my career, not only because of all we have accomplished together as a warship in the past two and half years, but the unbreakable bond we have created as a team,” said Gaut.
“I am exceptionally proud of each and every one of our mighty Warfighters aboard GW, and feel so blessed to forever be a part of the GW family.”
During his tour as commanding officer, Gaut both revitalized the crew and the combat readiness of George Washington through the redelivery of the carrier back to the fleet in 2023, following a mid-life refueling and complex overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding, a Division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. Additionally, Gaut oversaw a series of milestones for the ship and its crew including the ship’s first underway and flight operations in nearly seven years, as well as earning the retention excellence award.
George Washington serves as one of the Navy’s premier carriers and is preparing to replace USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as the only forward-deployed naval forces-Japan (FDNF-J) carrier in 2024.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2024 17:40 |
| Story ID: | 463520 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 2,591 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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