The “mini” aircraft carrier USS America moves back to San Diego in joyous return

Sailors in their service white uniforms streamed off the USS America and into the arms of loved ones Thursday at Naval Base San Diego in a homecoming that carried an extra touch of emotion.

The 840-foot amphibious assault ship re-established San Diego as its home port after spending six years forward deployed in Sasebo, Japan, where it trained with allies and helped keep the peace in the Indo-Pacific.

The America, once a familiar sight in San Diego, will soon undergo $200 million in maintenance and upgrades at General Dynamics-NASSCO in Barrio Logan. The Navy did not indicate that the “mini” aircraft carrier will eventually move back to Japan.

The $3.4 billion ship is a first-in-class “amphib” that helped expand the Navy’s ability to use a variety of aircraft when it began operating out of San Diego in September 2014.

These aircraft collectively transport, project and protect the America, which typically carries nearly 2,600 sailors and Marines. It is known as a “mini” because it is roughly 250 feet shorter than the Navy’s famous Nimitz-class carriers.

In December 2019, America shifted its home port to Japan, a strategically important U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific. The two countries’ militaries often train together, primarily to be ready to respond should China invade Taiwan or try to close international sea lanes.

The America has been conducting two major patrols per year, a heavy operational tempo that contributes to the sort of maintenance issues that will be fixed at NASSCO.

The ship was on deployment from May to August, then spent time in Pearl Harbor before pushing on to San Diego.

Operating from a foreign port can be a challenge, because “you don’t have huge infrastructure like a base in San Diego or in Norfolk,” Capt. Ethan Rule, the commander of America, told The San Diego Union-Tribune Thursday when the ship pulled in.

Rule also noted that the shift in homeports has been difficult for the families of crew members because many had to move more than 6,000 miles.

But that wasn’t the main point of discussion Thursday. All the chatter was about the returning sailors.

James Wakin of Napa searched the ship’s rails for his son Devin, whom he had not seen since April.

“He’s my fishing buddy, so it’s been hard that he’s been away,” Wakin said.

A short time later, sailor Gwen Salazar waded into the crowed to greet her family.

“It’s great,” she said with a broad smile. “I haven’t been in San Diego in six years.”

She added, still smiling, that she couldn’t go out to celebrate. “I’m on duty tonight.”