USS George H.W. Bush is one of the aircraft carriers that received the name of a very important character in the history of the US Navy, namely George H.W. Bush. He was the 41st President of the United States, but also the former Director of Central Intelligence George H.W. Bush, and a naval aviator during World War II.
The vessel belongs to the Nimitz class and can carry 90 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The innovation on this ship consists of the environmental upgrades it received, among which there is a vacuum collection and a marine sewage system that has the purpose of using fresh water instead of seawater to decrease maintenance costs.
History of the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)
Class and type: Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
Ordered: 26 January 2001
Laid down: 6 September 2003
Launched to water: 9 October 2006
Commissioned: 10 January 2009
Decommissioned: still in active service
Discharge: 102,0600 long tons full load
Length: 1,092 ft (332.8 m)
Beam: 252 ft (76.8 m)
Draft: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Propulsion: 2 x Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 x steam turbines, 4 x shafts, 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed: 30+ knots (35+ mph; 56+ km/h)
The capacity of people on board: ship's company - 3,200; air wing - 2,480
Armament: 2 x Mk 29 ESSM launcher, 2 x RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile, 3 x Phalanx CIWS
The capacity of aircraft carried: 90 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters
Its first missions were within the Carrier Strike Group Two, which roamed in Naples, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Piraeus, Antalya, and the Persian Gulf. After every cycle of several months of deployment, the ship returned to her home port. In 2014, USS George H.W. Bush had the main mission to launch hornets and super hornets from the Persian Gulf to strike at specific targets in Syria. At the beginning of 2017, the ship transited the Strait of Gibraltar and participated in a mission against ISIS within Operation Inherent Resolve.
Asbestos Risk on the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77)
The nuclear reactors, the shafts, and the turbines provided by the Westinghouse Electric Company represented a source of asbestos exposure. The enclosed spaces where these asbestos-containing products are found make the inhalation of fibers easy. Another risk was caused by the damage produced during the battles in which this aircraft carrier was involved. Also, the restoration of the ship was made following the norms that existed then, which required a huge quantity of asbestos to insulate pipes, valves, turbines, and any other elements that might catch fire when working at high temperatures.
Have You Been Exposed to Asbestos on the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)?
If you served your country on the USS George H.W. Bush CVN-77, you are likely to have been exposed to asbestos. If you have an asbestos-related cancer diagnosis, we can help you file claims by connecting you with qualified attorneys.