Arab News Japan

TOKYO: US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel joined Japanese government officials and members of the US Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) on Thursday to bid farewell to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

The giant carrier departed the US Naval Base in Yokosuka for the last time as the US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier and set out on its final scheduled Indo-Pacific patrol.

“After nine years of deployment to Japan, the USS Ronald Reagan and her 6,000 crew deserve our heartfelt appreciation for their selflessness, their service, and their sacrifice in keeping the Indo-Pacific safe, secure and stable,” Emanuel said.

The aircraft carrier was accompanied on patrol by the guided-missile cruisers USS Robert Smalls and USS Howard.

“On behalf of the strike group, I want to express my gratitude to the people of Japan and city of Yokosuka. You are our friends, family, and our close and trusted allies,” said Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5. “Our relationship with Japan and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has never been stronger.”

In 2011, while deployed near the Korean Peninsula, Ronald Reagan was heavily involved with the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission during Operation Tomodachi. Following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the ship and its crew were instrumental in refueling JMSDF ships, transporting soldiers and Marines, and providing food, water and supplies to affected communities.

USS Ronald Reagan arrived to Japan in 2015 and was deployed to the Middle East in 2021 to assist in providing safety and security to more than 7,000 US citizens and evacuees in Afghanistan.