The USS George Washington, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, completed an extensive Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in May 2023, which extended nearly two years beyond schedule.
Typical RCOHs take four years, but the Washington was stuck in HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding for so long that the crew turned over three times while she was stuck in the shipyard. When they finally left port in May 2023, 85 percent of the crew had never been to sea.
Aircraft Carrier RCOH Drags Out For Two Years
Refueling complex overhauls are performed at the mid-point of a ship’s 50-plus-year lifespan, incorporating upgrades to propulsion equipment, infrastructure, and combat support systems. USS George Washington entered its RCOH on Aug. 4, 2017, under a $2.8 billion contract with NNS.
“George Washington’s RCOH represents 26 million man-hours of work, that involved refitting and installing a new main mast, updating the ship’s shafts, refurbishing propellers, and modernizing aircraft launch and recovery equipment,” said Capt. Mark Johnson, manager of the PEO Aircraft Carriers In-Service Aircraft Carrier Program Office.
“The work enhanced nearly every space and system on the carrier, from the hull, screws, and rudders to more than 600 tanks; thousands of valve, pumps, and piping components; electrical cables and ventilation; as well as combat and aviation support systems.
“Beyond the critical need to defuel and refuel the ship’s two nuclear reactors and to repair and upgrade the propulsion plant, this work touched every part of the ship—and challenged every member of the planning team and ship’s force.”
HII gave the typical stock response to try to explain what went wrong.
“Factors that extended the RCOH [Refueling and Complex Overhaul] included delays and changes in her RCOH planning and induction timeline due to FY15 budgetary decisions to inactivate (vice refuel) this ship;
“The arrival condition of the ship, which was more challenging than expected, planned or budgeted for, including growth work in significant areas of the RCOH; the requirement to remove critical parts from CVN-73 to support higher-priority, deploying aircraft carriers; and the impact of COVID-19 on the workforce and industrial base,” HII said in a statement to USNI News when the carrier returned to the ocean for sea trials.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg for the troubled ship as tragedy struck throughout her time in port.
Poor Living Conditions Lead To Several Tragedies
The long, grueling RCOH that stretched for 2117 days cost the taxpayers $2.8 billion. But it cost the crew much more. Living conditions on board the aircraft carrier were so bad, with the area around the shipyard offering little in the way of food or mental healthcare, that the crew grew depressed.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service confirmed that from the time the carrier went into the yard in 2017 to the time it left in May 2023, 11 sailors died by taking their own life, and nine of the 11 sailors died by gunshot wounds to the head.
The Navy’s report on these tragedies recommended limiting the time young sailors spend in the yard. All nuclear-powered carriers and submarines undergo refueling and maintenance halfway through their 50-year lifespan. It can be tedious, monotonous work.
The Navy released an extensive report outlining the quality of life problems for the crew assigned to the carrier while in the shipyard. It also recommended delegating the overhauls to experienced shipbuilding crews rather than leaving the carrier’s crew in the yard for years. However, some Navy commanders have resisted this in the past.
USS George Washington Returns To Japan
The big Nimitz-class aircraft carrier underwent sea trials before returning to Yokosuka, Japan, its homeport as a forward-deployed carrier. Its mission is to maintain security in the Indo-Pacific and monitor China’s belligerent actions in the region.
The Washington relieved the USS Ronald Reagan, which had been based in Yokosuka since 2015. The Washington’s captain, Brent Gaut, said that when the ship got underway, there seemed to be almost a collective sigh of relief.
“You could see a little glimmer of hope in their eyes that for a long time that we hadn’t seen because it had been so long in the shipyard,” Gaut said. “And so to be able to see that, to share that moment with them was so powerful. And we’ve only built upon that since then.”
But this should be a lesson to all involved. The Navy needs to do better by the sailors. They paid HII $78 million to build a facility that will give the personnel a needed place to call home in port and to prevent mental health issues. This building will have a gym and offices where sailors can receive counseling. HII should have chipped in with some of that.
Six years in port? Let’s all hope that never happens again.
About the Author
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.
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