George Washington Carrier Strike Group completed Southern Seas 2024 on July 4 after successfully circumnavigating South America.
Southern Seas 2024 was part of the U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative, and reflects the United States’ continued commitment to friendship, partnership, and solidarity with the Americas, as well as an opportunity to increase interoperability with partner nation maritime forces.
Participating nations included Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay.
“This Southern Seas 2024 deployment required extensive planning and communication from our team, embarked international staff, and participating Southern Seas countries, and I am extremely proud of our ability to work together in the planning and executing of this mission,” said U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Alexis Walker, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10. “As a result of Southern Seas, we were able to build stronger relationships within the region and share knowledge and expertise through subject matter exchanges. We are now better equipped to collaborate on contingencies often requiring multinational responses.”
While operating in the region, Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN73) with embarked CSG-10 and elements of Carrier Air Wing 7, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Sampson (102), the Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthal (T-AO-189), and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) conducted event-driven scenarios, supported multinational maritime engagements, large-scale combined exercises, cross-deck operations, and subject matter expert exchanges with participating partner nations’ maritime forces to exercise interoperability across multiple domains.
“The participation of George Washington and supporting commands in Southern Seas 2024 demonstrates our continued commitment to maintaining unity, security, and stability in the region,” said U.S. Navy Captain Tim Waits, George Washington commanding officer. “What we have accomplished enhanced interoperability in addition to mutual trust and understanding. My crew demonstrated the ability to work with partner nations toward a common goal. There’s nothing we can’t accomplish when we work as a team.”
Senior officers from 11 partner nations, along with professors from the U.S. Naval War College, and personnel assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40 embarked George Washington to conduct detailed operational planning in support of operations at sea. The embarked international staff included Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, and the United States.
“The embarked international staff were a new and amazing feature of Southern Seas 2024. It was my privilege to lead this group of 29 joint, multinational officers as they integrated with the strike group, the air wing, and the carrier crew itself in planning and executing over 30 bilateral exercises across six countries,” said U.S. Navy Commander Michael L. Stampfler, foreign area officer lead for the Embarked International Staff. “From exchanging patches and coins with the crew on the mess decks to weekly fireside chats with the strike group commander, this team got the full U.S. Navy experience and built lasting relationships on many levels.”
George Washington also hosted distinguished visitor events including formal receptions in Brazil and Peru; and welcomed senior military and civilians aboard to tour the ship, meet with senior leaders, and engage with sailors.
The George Washington transited the Strait of Magellan, and made port calls in several countries where sailors participated in onboard distinguished visitor receptions, community relation projects, and morale, welfare and recreation events ashore.
