150226-N-EH855-098 YOKOSUKA, Japan (Feb. 26, 2015) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Joshua Ware, from Charlotte, N.C., acts as a safety observer while Sailors operate a lift on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.