The final Nimitz-class carrier, commissioned in 2009, the George H.W. Bush bridged the era of the Cold War carrier navy and the fleet of the 21st century. Named for the only sitting president who was also a Naval aviator, CVN-77 carries a name that means something to anyone who ever wore the gold wings. She has deployed to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf, conducting combat operations and standing the eternal watch—a fitting capstone to the Nimitz class.