Four months, hundreds of maintenance and modernization items and countless training hours later, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) returned to Naval Station Norfolk following the completion of sea trials April 26-28. The sea trials were the capstone event of Kearsarge’s planned maintenance availability that began Jan. 12 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. During its three days at sea, Kearsarge conducted a Level I flex test for both boilers, full power demonstration, ballast/deballast tests and anchor tests, as well as tests and calibrations on its radar and electronics systems. “Sea trials is our opportunity to test all systems that were worked on during the yard period and all integrated and interconnected systems to ensure operability,” said Ensign John St. John, the ship’s electronic maintenance officer.