150518-N-XN177-070 YOKOSUKA, Japan (May 18, 2015 ) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Robert Stuns, from Seattle, kisses his son prior to boarding the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) as it leaves for its 2015 patrol. George Washington departed Japan after seven years of service as the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier. George Washington and its embarked air wing Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Peter Burghart/Released)