The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, based in Norfolk, has completed a seven-and-a-half-month deployment in the Mediterranean and is now en route back home.
The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on Wednesday, after being stationed in the area since August 25. The carrier group spent a total of 230 days in the Mediterranean as part of the ongoing U.S. and NATO operations in the region.
With the departure of the Bush, there will be no U.S. carrier in the region for the first time since December 2021. The USS Harry S. Truman had been kept in the Mediterranean since then, as part of the response to the Russo-Ukraine conflict, until its return to Norfolk on September 12. The Truman CSG was relieved by the Bush, cruiser USS Leyte Gulf, and destroyers USS Delbert D. Black, USS Truxtun, and USS Farragut.