US Navy Sailor Goes Missing During USS Nimitz’s Final Mission Before Retirement

A US Navy sailor assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has gone missing during a port visit to Guam.

The missing sailor, identified as Gabriel D. Holt, was last seen late at night on April 18, 2025, the same day the USS Nimitz arrived at Naval Base Guam.

According to the Guam Police Department, Holt was spotted at 11:57 pm in the Tumon area, between Hotel Nikko and Gun Beach.

This location is roughly 10 miles northeast of the naval base in Apra Harbour. He was off base when last seen, and was reported missing the next day, April 19.

Authorities described Holt as being six feet tall, weighing 192 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen in a white tank top, green shorts, and grey shoes.

A public post by the Guam Police on April 19 requested help from the community, encouraging anyone with information to contact the Tumon Precinct Command or dial 911.

 

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The Navy confirmed that a wide-scale search was launched immediately after Holt was reported missing.

Spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Tim Pietrack stated that all available agencies were involved in the operation, and the Navy was working closely with local authorities.

Crews from the US Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, a P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Commander Task Force 72, the US Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Oliver Henry, and Station Apra Harbour’s Response Boat-Mediums were deployed.

Guam Fire Rescue teams also contributed both coastal and offshore support.

In total, search teams covered over 11,000 square nautical miles over a period of 120 hours.

Despite the intensive efforts, Holt was not found, and the Navy announced on April 24 at 9:00 am that the active search had been officially suspended.

Following Navy protocol, the sailor’s status has now been updated to “Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown” (DUSTWUN).

The Navy stated that Holt’s family had been informed.

During the ongoing search, USS Nimitz departed Guam on April 21 to resume its deployment in the Western Pacific.

The vessel is part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, which includes Carrier Air Wing 17, Destroyer Squadron 9, and the destroyers USS Gridley and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee.

The Zumwalt class destroyer USS Michael Monsoor, which had arrived in Guam on April 17, is also part of the group.

This deployment is significant for USS Nimitz because it is the aircraft carrier’s final mission before retirement.

Commissioned in 1975, the Nimitz is the first ship of her class and has played an important role in US naval operations for nearly five decades.

She is scheduled to be decommissioned in April 2026, after which she will begin the long and complex process of nuclear deactivation.

References: DVIDS, navycrf

Source: Maritime Shipping News