Sen. King goes to sea on aircraft carrier USS George Washington

U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine spent several days on an aircraft carrier and touring a new “supercarrier” under construction in Virginia last weekend.

King visited the USS George Washington – a nearly 1,100-foot-long carrier commissioned in 1992 – while the crew was conducting daytime and nighttime exercises off the coast of North Carolina. A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, King also had dinner with 10 sailors from Maine while aboard the ship.

King also toured the USS Gerald R. Ford, the first ship in the new Ford-class of carriers. The roughly $13 billion supercarrier is currently under final construction and testing at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, although its delivery to the Navy has been delayed by problems with the ships systems and combat readiness concerns.

“From the destroyers built in Bath to the submarines overhauled at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, I’ve long known that our Navy has extraordinary capabilities – but this weekend’s embark upon the USS George Washington has reinforced for me the wide range and versatility of our Navy’s operations,” King said in a statement. “Aircraft carriers like the USS George Washington are central to the Navy’s mission to protect our national interests across the globe, and I am grateful to our incredible sailors, including those from Maine who I was fortunate to meet, whose pride and professionalism continue to impress me day-in and day-out.”

Read more: http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/12/05/sen-king-goes-to-sea-on-aircraft-carrier-uss-george-washington/