A U.S. Sailor signals the area around an aircraft elevator is clear as the elevator takes a tour group from the hangar bay to the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) after the ship pulled into its new operating base at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, Sept. 25, 2008.

George Washington’s arrival from its former homeport of Norfolk, Va., marks the beginning of its role as the Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier and as centerpiece of U.S. 7th Fleet’s Carrier Strike Group 5.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Viramontes/Released)