 USS George Washington arrived in the U.S. Fourth Fleet Area of Operations. George Washington began its Southern Seas 2015 deployment and will participate in UNITOS 2015 from late September to mid-December. Southern Seas seeks to build and maintain relationships with countries throughout the region. The Surface Warfare Officer, or SWO program, is becoming more dynamic. The program is giving officers the opportunity to customize their career path and expand retention rates in order to keep talented officers in the Navy. One of the new pilot programs being tested allows SWOs to take time away from the Navy to further their educations. Participants retain a portion of their pay and return to the Navy once they have completed their studies. Just a reminder, the fall PFA cycle is just around the corner and there is no time like the present to get in shape. For these stories and more, visit navy.mil.