The aircraft carriers USS George Washington and USS Ronald Reagan are in San Diego for the next couple weeks for what the Navy's calling a "hull swap."
The Reagan's been based in Yokosuka, Japan since 2015. The Washington spent the last six years conducting mid-life refueling and maintenance in Virginia.
Now, the Reagan will head to Bremerton, Washington, for maintenance and the Washington returns to Japan.
In 2008, the Washington became the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be stationed in Japan when it replaced the now-decomissioned USS Kitty Hawk — the Navy's last conventionally-powered carrier.
Carrier homeport rotations are nothing new to the Navy as the ships require periodic maintenance at the only dry docks large enough to accommodate the 1,100-foot ships — in Bremerton, Washington and Newport News, Virginia.
But swapping the Japan-based carrier is more involved, said Rear Adm. Gregory Newkirk, the commander of Japan-based Carrier Strike Group 5.
"It's planned years in advance," Newkirk told reporters Wednesday at a pier-side news conference. "We swap people, we swap equipment and all the things that make these amazing combat systems work for months at a time at sea."
He said the thousands of sailors coming to Japan on the Washington are excited for the change.
"The United States Navy recruits bold people who want to go out and see the world," Newkirk said. "You can get no better first tour, second tour, third tour experience than living in Japan."
The crews of the two ships will have time to enjoy San Diego, Navy officials said, but since none are home ported here, they don't have access to their personal vehicles.
Capt. Daryle Cardone, the commanding officer of the Reagan, said he's looking forward to connecting with ship supporters in Simi Valley, California.
"We're going to reconnect with the Reagan Foundation and the Reagan Library," Cardone said. "And it is always nice to spend some time here in sunny Coronado and sunny San Diego."
The three San Diego-based aircraft carriers — the USS Carl Vinson, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Theodore Roosevelt — are all on Indo-Pacific deployments.
