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General Characteristics

Crew List

History of USS Nimitz

Deployments of USS Nimitz

Homeports of USS Nimitz

Accidents aboard USS Nimitz

About Chester W. Nimitz

Patch Gallery

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USS Nimitz (CVN 68)

USS NIMITZ is the first ship in the NIMITZ - class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and the first ship in the Navy named after Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

General Characteristics:	Keel Laid: June 22, 1968
	Launched: May 13, 1972
	Commissioned: May 3, 1975
	Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va.
	Propulsion system: two nuclear reactors
	Main Engines: four
	Propellers: four
	Blades on each Propeller: five
	Aircraft elevators: four
	Catapults: four
	Arresting gear cables: four
	Lengths, overall: 1.092 feet (332.85 meters)
	Flight Deck Width: 252 feet (76.8 meters)
	Area of flight deck: about 4.5 acres (18211.5 m²)
	Beam: 134 feet (40.84 meters)
	Draft: 37.7 feet (11.3 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 97,000 tons full load
	Speed: 30+ knots
	Planes: approx. 85
	Crew: Ship: 3,200 ; Air Wing: 2,480
	Armament: two Mk 29 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers, two SeaRAM Systems
	Homeport: Bremerton, Wash.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS NIMITZ. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

Click here to view the list.

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Click here to see which USS NIMITZ memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS NIMITZ Cruise Books:

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Interesting Facts:

NIMITZ reaches over 18 stories high from to keel to the top of the mast
Eight steam turbine generators each produce 8,000 kilowatts of electrical power, enough to serve a small city
NIMITZ' Food Services Department provides 18000 - 20000 meals a day
NIMITZ can stock at least 90 days of refrigerated and dry storage goods
NIMITZ' two barber shops trim over 1,500 heads each week
The Post Office processes more than one million pounds of mail each year
The ship has a fully equipped dental facility, staffed by five dentists
The Medical Department is manned by six doctors including a surgeon, who provide everything from surgery to hydro-therapy. The ship also features an 80 - bed hospital ward.
Four destilling units enable NIMITZ engineers to make over 400,000 gallons of fresh water a day, for use by the propulsion plants, catapults and crew.

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USS NIMITZ' Commanding Officers:

Period	Name
July 12, 1972 - August 21, 1976	Captain Bryan W. Compton Jr., USN
August 21, 1976 - February 12, 1979	Captain Richard T. Gaskill, USN
February 12, 1979 - February 26, 1982	Captain John R. Batzler, USN
February 26, 1982 - September 26, 1984	Captain Raymond P. Ilg, USN
September 26, 1984 - August 28, 1987	Captain Eugene D. Conner, USN
August 28, 1987 - September 16, 1989	Captain Brent M. Bennitt, USN
September 16, 1989 - April 16, 1992	Captain Robert C. Williamson Jr., USN
April 16, 1992 - August 26, 1994	Captain John B. Nathman, USN
August 26, 1994 - November 8, 1996	Captain Alfred G. Harms Jr., USN
November 8, 1996 - June 8, 1999	Captain Isaac E. Richardson III, USN
June 8, 1999 - May 17, 2002	Captain Steven F. Firks, USN
May 17, 2002 - November 23, 2004	Captain Robert J. Gilman, USN
November 23, 2004 - March 16, 2007	Captain Ted N. Branch, USN
March 16, 2007 - August 24, 2009	Captain Michael C. Manazir, USN
August 24, 2009 - March 29, 2012	Captain Paul O. Monger, USN
March 29, 2012 - July 8, 2014	Captain Jeffrey S. Ruth, USN
July 8, 2014 - January 12, 2017	Captain John C. Ring, USN
January 12, 2017 - August 1, 2019	Captain Kevin P. Lenox, USN
August 1, 2019 - July 29, 2021	Captain Maximilian Clark, USN
July 29, 2021 - June 29, 2023	Captain Craig C. Sicola, USN
June 29, 2023 - September 21, 2025	Captain Douglas Graber, USN
September 21, 2025 - present	Captain Joseph J. Furco, USN

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USS NIMITZ History:

The keel of USS NIMITZ was laid on June 22, 1968 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. The ship was commissioned May 3, 1975, at Pier 12, Naval Station Norfolk, Va., by the Honorable Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States. Principal guests included: the Honorable James R. Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense; the Honorable J. William Middendorf, II, Secretary of the Navy; Admiral James L. Holloway, III, Chief of Naval Operations and Mrs. James T. NIMITZ-Lay, Ship's Sponsor.

Speaking to a crowd of over 20,000, the President said in his remarks: "Wherever the United States Ship NIMITZ shows her flag, she will be seen as we see her now - a solid symbol of United States strength; United States resolve. Made in America and manned by Americans. Whether its mission is one of defense, diplomacy or humanity, NIMITZ will command awe and admiration from some, caution and circumspection from others and respect from all."

NIMITZ' first deployment began on July 7, 1976, when it departed Norfolk for the Mediterranean. Included in the task force were the nuclear-powered cruisers USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN 37) and USS CALIFORNIA (CGN 36). The deployment marked the first time in 10 years that nuclear-powered ships had deployed to the Mediterranean. In November 1976, NIMITZ was awarded the coveted Battle "E" from Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet, for being the most efficient and foremost aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. The ship returned to Norfolk Feb. 7, 1977, after a seven-month deployment.

NIMITZ again sailed toward the Mediterranean Sea Dec. 1, 1977. Following a peaceful deployment, the ship returned home to Norfolk July 20, 1978. During NIMITZ' third cruise to the Mediterranean beginning Sept. 10, 1979, it was dispatched to strengthen the U.S. Naval presence in the crucial Indian Ocean area as tensions heightened over Iran's taking of 52 American hostages. Four months later, Operation "Evening Light" was launched from NIMITZ in an attempt to rescue the hostages. The rescue was aborted in the Iranian Desert when the number of operational helicopters fell below the minimum needed to transport the attack force and hostages out of Iran. During its deployment, the ship operated 144 continuous days at sea. NIMITZ' homecoming on May 26, 1980 was, at the time, the largest given to any carrier battle group returning to the United States since the end of World War II. The ship's crew was greeted by President and Mrs. Carter, members of Congress, military leaders and thousands of families and friends.

On May 15, 1981, NIMITZ departed Norfolk for the final phases of her workup schedule for an upcoming Mediterranean Cruise. On the night of May 25, an EA-6B Prowler crash-landed on the flight deck, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others. The carrier returned to port to repair damaged catapults and returned to sea less than 48 hours later to complete its training schedule. On August 18 and 19, 1981, during its fourth deployment, NIMITZ and USS FORRESTAL (CV 59) conducted an open ocean missile exercise in the Gulf of Sidra near what Libyan leader Khadafi called the "Line of Death." On the morning of August 19, two NIMITZ aircraft from VF-41 were fired upon by Libyan pilots. The NIMITZ pilots returned fire and shot both Libyan aircraft from the sky. Newspapers across the country rallied around the incident against terrorist-backing Libya with front-page headlines reading "U.S. 2 - Libya 0."

On June 14, 1985, two Lebanese Shiite Muslim gunmen hijacked TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers and crew, including many Americans. In response, NIMITZ was ordered to steam at flank speed to the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Lebanon, where it remained until August. After another extended deployment, NIMITZ left the Mediterranean on May 21, 1987. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean, rounded the rough waters of Cape Horn, South America, and sailed for the first time in the waters of the Pacific Ocean enroute to its new homeport, Bremerton, Wash. NIMITZ arrived there July 2, 1987.

In September, 1988, the ship operated off the South Korean coast to provide security for the Olympic Games in Seoul. On October 29, 1988, NIMITZ began operating in the North Arabian Sea where it participated in Operation "Earnest Will." This operation called for U.S. Navy ships to protect shipping lanes and escort U.S. registered (re-flagged) Kuwaiti tankers. On February 25, 1991, NIMITZ departed Bremerton for the Western Pacific and eventually the Arabian Gulf, where it relieved USS RANGER (CV 61), during Operation Desert Storm. The ship returned to Bremerton August 24, 1991. NIMITZ again deployed February 1, 1993, to the Arabian Gulf, relieving USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) to take its place as part of Operation Southern Watch. The ship returned after a mishap-free deployment in August, 1993.

NIMITZ began a Western Pacific-Indian Ocean-Arabian Gulf deployment on November 27, 1995. During the March 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis - triggered by PRC missile tests near Taiwan - the carrier operated in Western Pacific waters as part of a U.S. show of presence before resuming Operation Southern Watch no-fly enforcement over Iraq. Liberty and logistics stops on that 1995-1996 cruise included Hong Kong, Singapore, Pattaya (Thailand), Jebel Ali/Dubai (UAE), and Pearl Harbor, with return on May 20, 1996. A Selected Restricted Availability ran June 1996-January 1997, setting the ship for an around-the-world transit.

On September 1, 1997, NIMITZ departed for a globe-circling deployment that doubled as a homeport shift to the U.S. East Coast for mid-life work. The itinerary began in Seventh Fleet with Yokosuka and Hong Kong calls, then moved to Fifth Fleet for Southern Watch tasking in the Arabian Gulf, with repeated logistics periods at Jebel Ali. Crossing to the Atlantic via the Mediterranean and a brief U.S. East Coast stop (e.g., Mayport), the carrier arrived at Newport News to start its Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH). The RCOH at Newport News Shipbuilding ran roughly May 1998-June 2001, refueling the reactors and modernizing the island, sensors, communications backbone, and defensive weapons, after which NIMITZ completed sea trials and reentered the fleet.

Following post-RCOH trials in June 2001, NIMITZ executed an "around the Horn" transit in the autumn to shift operating focus to the Pacific, completing the move to San Diego on November 13, 2001. A full combat deployment followed on March 3, 2003, as the ship crossed into Fifth Fleet for Operation Iraqi Freedom and maritime security operations. The air wing flew strike, escort, ISR, and tanker missions while the ship cycled through Gulf logistics hubs. Documented in-theater pier periods included Jebel Ali on May 8-13, 2003 and July 3-9, 2003. NIMITZ returned home on November 5, 2003, then reset for another Western Pacific/Arabian Sea cycle.

NIMITZ sailed again on May 7, 2005, for a Western Pacific deployment that combined allied exercises and presence with theater security operations. Representative port visits included Guam (June 18-22, 2005) and Port Klang, Malaysia (July 1-4, 2005) - firsts for the ship - bookended by routine stops in Singapore and other regional hubs. After stateside upkeep, the carrier deployed April 2-September 30, 2007, relieving another carrier in the Arabian Sea for combat sorties linked to Iraq/Afghanistan tasking. Along the way NIMITZ anchored off Chennai, India (July 2-5, 2007) for defense-cooperation events, took part in Valiant Shield (Guam, August 2007), and visited Hong Kong (August 20-24, 2007) and Pearl Harbor (September 22-24, 2007) before returning to San Diego. A short "surge" cruise from January 24 to June 3, 2008, provided additional Western Pacific presence. Russian Tu-95 bombers probed the CSG that winter and were intercepted by the air wing in international airspace.

From July 31, 2009 to March 26, 2010, NIMITZ completed another Western Pacific/Indian Ocean deployment, then entered a maintenance period in Bremerton, Washington, in December 2010. The Navy subsequently designated Naval Station Everett as homeport in March 2012, and the ship soon undertook a long 2013 cruise (March 29-December 16, 2013) spanning Seventh and Fifth Fleets with sustained Operation Enduring Freedom sorties over Afghanistan, followed by East Pacific returns via San Diego (December 12, 2013) and Everett (December 16, 2013). In January 2015 the administrative homeport shifted back to Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton. A major Extended Planned Incremental Availability (EPIA) ran January 15, 2016-late 2017, and the carrier returned to sea for a June 1-December 10, 2017 deployment that blended South China Sea presence, allied exercises, and a Fifth Fleet period, then entered a Docking Planned Incremental Availability on March 1, 2018, emerging to sea on May 27, 2019.

The COVID-era deployment cycle began with pre-sail sequestration in April 2020, departure from Bremerton on April 27, 2020, and westward movement on June 8, 2020. Over nearly eleven months, NIMITZ operated across Seventh and Fifth Fleets, supporting Freedom's Sentinel (Afghanistan), Inherent Resolve (Iraq/Syria), and Octave Quartz (Somalia repositioning), while port calls were curtailed by pandemic restrictions. The strike group returned to San Diego on February 26, 2021, then to Bremerton on March 7, 2021, closing one of the Navy's longest modern deployments.

Through late 2022 the ship prepared for another Western Pacific patrol, entering the South China Sea on January 12, 2023, early in the cruise and completing a seven-month deployment with return to San Diego on June 28, 2023. The itinerary included routine presence in the Philippine Sea and South China Sea, multilateral exercises, and logistics stops typical of Seventh Fleet operations, before the strike group reset on the U.S. West Coast.

NIMITZ began what the Navy and trade press widely characterized as her final overseas deployment on March 21, 2025, getting underway from Bremerton for a Western Pacific phase that included South China Sea flight operations publicized on June 11, 2025. A planned Southeast Asia engagement slate was adjusted amid shifting requirements. Mid-June reporting indicated reassignment toward the Middle East. In early August 2025 the carrier made a scheduled liberty/logistics visit to Bahrain (August 9-11, 2025) - the first U.S. carrier call there since 2020 - highlighting routine Fifth Fleet support to maritime security and integrated air and missile defense.

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Click here to get a view of the deployments of USS NIMITZ.

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Homeports of USS NIMITZ:

Period	Homeport
commissioned at Norfolk, Va.
1975 - 1987	Norfolk, Va.
1987 - 1998	Bremerton, Wash.
1998 - 2001	Newport News, Va.
2001 - 2010	San Diego, Calif.
2010 - 2012	Bremerton, Wash.
2012 - 2015	Everett, Wash.
2015 - present	Bremerton, Wash.

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Accidents aboard USS NIMITZ:

Date	Where	Events
May 11, 1979	off the Virginia coast	Primary coolant water leaks from one of the two nuclear reactors aboard USS NIMITZ. A navy spokesman says there was no release of radioactivity, no danger to the core, and no danger to the ship's crew.
May 25, 1981	Atlantic Ocean	An EA-6B aircraft attempting to land at night struck a helicopter, then hit another aircraft and tow tractor before coming to rest. A fuel fire erupted. Improved flight deck fire fighting systems quickly contained the fire, and once the fire was believed to be out, the order was given to start the clean-up. As sailors approached the scene, a SPARROW missile warhead that was buried in the debris detonated. The explosion restarted the fire and three more warheads detonated before the fire could be extinguished. Fourteen sailors were killed and 45 injured. Three planes were destroyed and nine were damaged.
November 30, 1988	Arabian Sea	A 20mm cannon on an A-7 Corsair aircraft accidentally fires during maintenance setting six other aircraft ablaze aboard USS NIMITZ. One sailor is killed when a S-3 aircraft explodes, and another sailor who suffered burns to over 90% of his body later dies after being medically evacuated to Germany. NIMITZ continues operations.
August 24, 1994	Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.	A shipyard worker is killed on the flight deck of USS NIMITZ after being hit by a 200-pound steel ball from a portable crane.
January 20, 1995	Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.	Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel J. Avilla is killed and two other sailors are injured when air pressure blew a 100-pound steel cap off the arresting gear during routine maintenance. The accident occurred in a compartment below the flight deck.
February 22, 1996	Persian Gulf	An F-14A assigned to VF-24 crashes in the Persian Gulf while operating from USS NIMITZ. Pilot and RIO are recovered from the water by rescue teams from NIMITZ approx. 30nm from the ship. Both aviators suffered minor injuries.
April 18, 1996	Gulf of Thailand	One sailor was killed and four others injured when an arresting cable on NIMITZ' flight deck snapped and struck a group of sailors. The accident happend as an F-14A came in for landing on the deck and the arresting cable broke. The plane apparently landed safely. It is not known if the plane had to abort its effort to land and circle the ship before returning for a landing.
November 16, 2006	Naval Station North Island, San Diego, Calif.	Three sailors and a shipyard worker are suffering shocks while conducting electrical maintenance on a high-voltage shore power switchboard. They are taken to a San Diego hospital by helicopter and ambulance.
May 19, 2006	13 miles southwest of San Diego, Calif.	A HH-60 Seahawk helicopter operating from USS NIMITZ crashes approx. 13 miles southwest of San Diego and approx. 87 miles from the carrier. All five crewmembers are killed.
August 24, 2020	North Arabian Sea	An E-2C Hawkeye landing aboard USS NIMITZ "made partial contact" with an F/A-18F Super Hornet parked on the flight deck. According to the Naval Safety Center, die E-2C struck the tailfin of a CATM-9X missile attached to the F/A-18F. No personnel were injured.

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Click here to read more about the Ship's Namesake - Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

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USS NIMITZ Patch Gallery:


		Click here for more USS NIMITZ Patches.

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USS NIMITZ Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by Ian Johnson and show the NIMITZ anchored in Gage Roads, Fremantle, Australia, on October 8, 2005. The last two photos show the Admiral's Bridge and the carrier's Primary Flight Control. This was NIMITZ' first visit to Western Australia.

The photos below were taken by me on March 26, 2010, and show the NIMITZ returning home to San Diego, Calif., after completing an 8-month deployment to the 5th and 7th fleet areas of operation. Among the crew are approx. 1200 tigers that were picked up a few days earlier in Bremerton, Wash., for the tiger cruise to San Diego. The carrier in the background is the RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76).

The photos below were taken by me on May 11, 2012, and show the NIMITZ arriving at San Diego, Calif., after 5 days of carrier qualifications off the coast of southern California.

The photos below were taken by me and show the NIMITZ at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif., during a change of command ceremony aboard. During the ceremony, Vice Adm. David H. Buss relieved Vice Adm. Allen G. Myers as Commander, Naval Air Forces. On the third photo the NIMITZ is overflown by a formation of F/A-18 Hornets. The photos were taken on October 4, 2012.

The photos below were taken by me on October 5, 2012, and show the NIMITZ departing San Diego, Calif., for fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications. The next day, NIMITZ conducted the first ever carrier-landing of a V-22 Osprey.

The photos below were taken by me and show the NIMITZ at San Diego, Calif., in the late evening on October 11, 2012.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the NIMITZ during an Extended Planned Incremental Availability (EPIA) at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., on April 17, 2016.

The photos below were taken by me and show USS NIMITZ at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., on July 22, 2024.

The photos below were taken by me and show USS NIMITZ passing Point Loma shortly after departure from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., for Carrier Qualifications on July 22, 2024.