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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE COMMAND
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the
35th President of the
During a patrol in
Following hospitalization in
the aftermath of the loss of PT-109, during which time he received
promotion to lieutenant (1 October 1943), Kennedy received further instruction
at the MTBRons Training Center, Newport (December 1943-March 1944), and then
the Subchaser Training Center, Miami, Florida (Mar-May 1944), where he received
the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for the heroism he had displayed in the rescue
of survivors from his sunken PT-boat. After suffering injuries in a fall, he
underwent hospitalization at the U.S. Naval Hospital,
Having assumed the family’s political mantle after the end of World War II, his older brother Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., having been killed during the war, Kennedy was elected to the 80th U.S. Congress on 5 November 1946, and was elected twice more, to the 81st and 82d Congresses. Elected Senator on 4 November 1952, and re-elected 4 November 1958, he focused on national defense and civil rights issues. Kennedy ran for President against Republican Richard M. Nixon and won the contest, being elected to the presidency on 8 November 1960.
In his inaugural address of 20 January 1961, Kennedy advocated that “the word go forth from this time and place to friend and foe alike, that the torch has passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage.” As President, he prepared legislation and mobilized the strength of the Federal Government to insure minorities the benefits of American society. He also sought sweeping reforms in fields of economic welfare, health, and education: “... every American has the right to a decent life for himself and a better life for his children.”
In the context of the Cold War, Kennedy wisely used sea
power to meet global crises during the ideological struggle with the Soviet
Union, including a “quarantine” of
He was dedicated to his belief “that all the world—in Eastern
Europe as well as Western, in
As Soviet threats to
Despite a major escalation of the ballistic missile arms
race with the
Tragically, on 22 November 1963, as his motorcade traveled
through downtown
(CV-67: displacement 87,000 tons (full load); 1ength 1,047'6"; beam 130'; extreme width 252'; draft 35'9"; speed 30+ knots; complement 4,950; armament 3 Sea Sparrow launchers; aircraft 70+; class Kitty Hawk)
John F. Kennedy (CVA-67) was laid down on 22 October
1964 at
Caroline Kennedy christens USS John F. Kennedy (CVA-67). In the background, from left to right—President Lyndon B. Johnson; John F. Kennedy, Jr., Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy; and Mr. D. A. Holden, President of Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. World Wide Photos
After fitting out, John F. Kennedy embarked on a
“fast” cruise from 11 to 13 October 1968, and ultimately put to sea on 21
October. Pilots from the
On 23 October 1968, John F. Kennedy refueled the
destroyer Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) and completed a highline evolution.
After completing a period of independent ship exercises, she stood in to
Hampton Roads on 27 October and anchored. Soon thereafter, she shifted to
John F. Kennedy recovered Attack Squadron (VA) 81’s
A-4Cs while she steamed toward
During subsequent evolutions, on 2 December 1968, shortly after a man overboard drill, Stewardsman Jose L. Langaman apparently jumped into the water. The carrier launched a Kaman UH-2A Seasprite from Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 2, Detachment 67, immediately, flown by Lieutenant (j.g.)s Ronald L. Sitts and William D. Sokel, with Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) Airman Peter A. Dehey, III, and Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Svante E. Mossberg as crew. The helo approached Langaman, and prepared to effect the rescue, but a boat from the carrier, in charge of John F. Kennedy’s boatswain, Chief Warrant Officer Charles I. O’Donald, recovered the messman instead. O’Donald was recommended for the Navy-Marine Corps Lifesaving Medal for his action.
From 12 to 13 December 1968, John F. Kennedy
concluded her stay in Cuban waters with an operational readiness inspection
(ORI). Although the ship had been able to correct only two of the
afore-mentioned 113 discrepancies, she received an overall grade of
satisfactory. The carrier departed
John F. Kennedy moored at her builders’ yard on 16
December 1968 to commence a post-shakedown availability that lasted until 15
February 1969, during which time shipyard workers corrected the ship’s
deficiencies, most notably those that plagued her weapons handling system. On
17 February 1969, she departed to conduct air wing qualifications and check
various systems in the
John F. Kennedy’s first major accident occurred on 19 February 1969, when a North American RA-5C Vigilante from Reconnaissance Attack Squadron (RVAH) 14 plunged into the water just after launch. A Seasprite (BuNo 149748) from HC-2, Detachment 67, piloted by Lieutenants Robert E. Hofstetter and William H. Gregory, with Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d class Dehey and Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st class Donald L. Lewis as rescue crewmen, retrieved Lieutenant (j.g.) John R. Ellis, the Vigilante’s naval flight officer (NFO), but Lieutenant Commander Richard A. “Dick” Bright, the pilot, went down with the plane.
Another accident occurred the following day, 20 February 1969, when a McDonnell-Douglas F-4J Phantom II from Fighter Squadron (VF) 101 was lost while attempting to land at night. A Seasprite (BuNo 149015) (Angel 104), piloted by Lieutenant Gregory (who had been involved in the rescue the previous day) and Lieutenant (j.g.) Sokel, with Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d class John H. Cooper and Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st class Lewis (who had also been involved in the previous day’s rescue), retrieved Lieutenant (j.g.) Frank H. Lloyd, the pilot, and Lieutenant (j.g.) Robert D. Work, his radar intercept officer (RIO), who had ejected from the F-4J, accomplishing the task in total darkness, in the teeth of 35-knot winds and 8-to-10-foot seas, operations made even more difficult by the turbulence caused by the carrier upwind of the rescue site.
After conducting further qualifications, refresher operations for the air wing and extensive type training exercises on 3 March 1969, John F. Kennedy returned to Pier 12, Norfolk Naval Station, on 18 March. The vessel undertook final preparations for extended deployment, but difficulties with the ship’s catapults postponed her departure to 5 April.
That afternoon, John F. Kennedy got underway for the
John F. Kennedy reached
John F. Kennedy anchored at
John F. Kennedy engaged in more training on 20 May
1969, this time with Italian naval forces in NATO-sponsored Quickdraw,
wherein the Italians operated as
Following National Week III, John F. Kennedy
headed for
On 4 June 1969, John F. Kennedy stood out for operations in the western Med with the French Naval Mediterranean Squadron, participating in a TransitEx (transit exercise). On the first day of that evolution, a Seasprite (Angel 04) from HC-2, piloted by Lieutenant Francis P. Donovan and Lieutenant (j.g.) James S. Holt, with Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 2d Class W. Case Benham and Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class Robert L. McCandless as aircrew, sped to the rescue of a sailor who had fallen overboard from Pawcatuck; Benham and McCandless, in spite of the high winds and heavy seas, rescued the sailor, James Lam, and the helo returned him to his ship cold and wet but otherwise none the worse for wear.
After completing the exercise, the combined task forces
anchored at Porto Vecchio,
John F. Kennedy hosted the families of officers and
enlisted men stationed in the
On 23 June 1969, in an accident that illustrated how danger lurked in even routine duties on the John F. Kennedy’s flight deck, Aviation Ordnanceman 3d Class Roger D. Winters of VF-32 suffered severe injury to his right leg when the F-4B onto which he was loading a missile shifted unexpectedly. His leg ultimately had to be amputated above the knee.
John F. Kennedy engaged in two more rounds of Quickdraw with Italian naval forces on 23 and 28 June 1969, during which a Soviet “modified Kotlin-class” destroyer (No. 533), along with two Badgers, joined the carrier’s formation while she conducted an opposed refueling and rearming drill. On 25 June, the ship conducted a combat readiness assessment exercise, and the following day, conducted a basic point defense missile (BPDM) firing exercise, observed by a pair of the ubiquitous Badgers.
On the second day of Quickdraw operations, 28 June 1969, a Douglas EA-1F Spad (BuNo 132599) (side number 753) from Carrier Airborne Early-Warning Squadron (VAW) 33, Detachment 67, ditched about a mile from the ship. A UH-2 (BuNo 150181) Angel 31, piloted by Lieutenant (j.g.)s Holt and Sitts, with Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class Frank A. Richards and Aviation Structural Mechanic (Hydraulics) 3d Class Major Samson on board sped to the rescue; Samson, lowered into the water, assisted in the pickup of Lieutenant Harold Cummings, USNR (pilot), Lieutenant Jesse A. Fairley, Jr., USNR (navigator), Aviation Electronics Technician 2d Class Robert P. Zeman and Midshipman Kent W. Mohnkern, USNR, from the EA-1F’s crew. Samson, however, suffered a cramp, and, unable to assist in his own retrieval by Angel 04 (BuNo 149015), was ultimately retrieved by a whaleboat crew from the guided missile destroyer Claude V. Ricketts (DDG-5).
John F. Kennedy anchored in
John F. Kennedy (CVA-67) anchored off Corfu, Greece, on 6 July 1969, with CVW-1, (tail code AB), arrayed on deck: A-4Cs of VA-81, VA-83, and VA-95, RA-5Cs from RVAH-14, E-1Bs of VAW-121 Detachment 67, F-4Bs of VF-14 and VF-32, and KA-3Bs from VAH 10, Detachment 67. (USN Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2d Class G. G. Cottrill)
During Aircraft Tactical Support Squadron (VR) 24 carquals early in the mid watch on 10 July 1969, a Grumman C-1A Trader crashed; a UH-2B sped to the scene from its night plane guard position. Angel 31, flown by Lieutenant Hofstetter and Lieutenant (j.g.) Sitts, with Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 2d Class Benham and Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class Asada on board, located one survivor, Lieutenant Commander Hugo L. Ecklund, but a motor whaleboat from the ship showed up immediately and rescued the injured officer. Sadly, searchers found no trace of Lieutenant (jg) Carl Preston, the pilot.
A Soviet “modified Kotlin-class”
destroyer (No. 533) returned to observe John F. Kennedy, relieving her
old comrade, Kashin-class (No. 540) on 11 July 1969. The carrier put in
to Golfo di Palmas,
Another Quickdraw and Mini
National Week exercise followed shortly thereafter. On 21 July 1969, John
F. Kennedy reached
John F. Kennedy quit
John F. Kennedy departed
nine days later for operations in the
Increased tension in the
Mediterranean basin, however, cut short John F. Kennedy’s visit. On 1
September 1969, the day the ship had arrived at
During contingency operations on 9 September 1969, an RA-5C (BuNo 150833) from RVAH-14 lost an engine during a “cat shot” and Lieutenant Commander Jesse L. “Jess” Reed, the pilot, and Lieutenant Andre Marechal, the radar analyst/navigator, both ejected from the Vigilante. A UH-2A Seasprite (BuNo 149748) piloted by Lieutenant (j.g.) Jack D. Ossont and Lieutenant Commander Curtis B. Cutting (officer-in-charge of HC-2’s Detachment 67), with Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 2d Class Benham and Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class Asada as crew, retrieved both men from the rough sea.
John F. Kennedy
transited the
One week later, John F.
Kennedy participated in Deep Furrow, a joint NATO amphibious
exercise in the eastern Med, between 17 and 23 October 1969. Tragically, during
Deep Furrow, CVW-1 suffered the loss of two pilots and two planes in a
single day, 19 October. Commander John M. Wolfe of VA-83 perished when his A-4C
crashed in western
On 28 October 1969, a Soviet Kynda-class guided missile cruiser (No. 854) joined the carrier’s formation. Two days later, on 30 October, CVW-1’s misfortunes continued when an RA-5C (side number 601) from RVAH-14 broke free from its tie-downs during a high-power turn-up as the ship was heeling to starboard. Tragically, the Vigilante rolled over Airman Roy E. Shaw, from RVAH-14, as it did so, severely injuring the unfortunate sailor as the plane continued off the port side of the flight deck and plunged into the sea.
John F. Kennedy
conducted an ASW transit exercise with Sirago and Seawolf
(SSN-575) on 1 November 1969, and three days later anchored off
John F. Kennedy stood in
to
John F. Kennedy conducted carquals from 19-23 January 1970, then underwent repair and maintenance at Norfolk Naval Shipyard from 30 January, a pre-administrative readiness inspection while in restricted availability at the shipyard from 4-8 May, and a fast cruise on 18-19 May. She completed her restricted availability on 23 May 1970.
Following limited carquals and
other exercises, John F. Kennedy completed nuclear weapons acceptance
inspection on 28 May 1970 and on 12 June sailed for
John F. Kennedy returned to Norfolk, and through July and August continued training and upkeep, punctuating those operations with a visit to Boston, Massachusetts (2-4 August 1970) during which time Senator Edward M. Kennedy, brother of the late President, members of the Kennedy family, including Caroline, who had been the ship’s sponsor, and her brother John F. Kennedy, Jr., visited the ship.
While conducting operations en
route to
After a stint of local
operations out of
During her 1970-1971
deployment, John F. Kennedy, with CVW-1 (VF-14, VF-32, VA-34, VA-46,
VA-72, RVAH-14, HC-2, VAQ-131 and VAW-125) embarked, visited Athens three
times, Naples twice, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and Malta twice (on 27 November
1970 being visited by U.S. Ambassador to Malta John C. Pritzlaff), Avgo Nisi,
near Crete, Souda Bay again, St. Paul’s Bay, Valletta, Malta, and Barcelona. On
19 December 1970, while in
On New Year’s Day 1971, while John
F. Kennedy lay anchored at
Departing
Reaching
John F. Kennedy then took part in NATO exercises in
the North Atlantic en route to her home port, fueling from the British fleet
replenishment tanker Olmeda (A.124) on 20 February 1971 and in turn
fueling the Dutch anti-submarine destroyer
The difference in their size illustrated strikingly, John
F. Kennedy (CVA-67) refuels the Dutch anti-submarine destroyer Gelderland
(D.811), her forward guns trained skyward, in the
John F. Kennedy
conducted flight operations off the Virginia capes from 13-22 April 1971, one
day into those evolutions (14 April), an explosion in the 02N2 plant burned
Motor Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Charles Pifer, who was transferred to Naval
Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia, three days later. A crash tragically punctuated
the intensive carquals when Lieutenant John P. Lay of VA-46 died when his
Ling-Temco-Vought A-7B Corsair went down into the ocean on 17 April.
After a brief in-port period, the ship returned to the capes from 3-8 May for
Operation Exotic Dancer IV, which included a 64-hour endurance exercise
(EndurEx). Two days later, she began carquals. Training continued into July,
August, and September, in areas that ranged from
On 1 October 1971, John F.
Kennedy welcomed her third commanding officer when Captain Robert H.
Gormley relieved Captain Koch. In November, the ship began operations with the
cleaner and more efficient distillate fuel oil. On 1 December, John F. Kennedy
cleared
John F. Kennedy reached
During the balance of 1972, John F. Kennedy, with
CVW-1 embarked (VA-34, VA-46, and VA-72, VF-14 and VF-32, RVAH-14, VAW-125, a
VAQ-135 detachment, and Detachment 67 of HC-2) conducted operations in the Med
during a period of relative stability in the international scene. The ship and
her air wing took part in a succession of exercises: PhiblEx 8-72 (9-10
January), National Week XII (6-9 February) (during the commencement of
which A-7 jet blast blew Hospitalman 2d Class Curcuru over the side); Quickdraw
(20-21 February), Dawn Patrol (4-9 may), Operation Red Eye (with
Spanish forces, 26 May-1 June), and National Week XIII (17-20 July),
interspersed with port calls that included Naples, Athens, Corfu, Thessaloniki,
Rhodes, Genoa, Cannes, Barcelona, Palma de Majorca, Malaga, Gaeta, Italy, Golfo
di Palma, Augusta Bay, Izmir, Turkey, La Maddalena, Sardinia, and Rota. On 8
April 1972, Lord
Only five days after the canopy accident that claimed the life of AM3 Raymond, an A-6 crashed during a conventional ordnance exercise on 13 April 1972, and a search and rescue effort ensued for Lieutenant (j.g.)s William T. Hackman and David L. Douglas, without success. Two days later, however, debris from the missing Intruder was sighted near the Avgo Nisi target range.
CVW-1 lost three more aircraft (two from VA-72) before the year was out. The first was an A-7 (BuNo 154386) to hydraulic failure on 20 May 1972, with Lieutenant Bernard J. Hedger, from VA-72, being rescued by an HH-2D flown by Lieutenants LeRoy E. Hays and Roy E. Hey, with Aviation Structural Mechanic (Structures) 3d Class F. L. Barthold and Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class G. H. Trouton, as crew. The second was an HH-2D Seasprite (Angel 013) to a lost tail rotor on 11 June, its four-man crew (Lieutenants Larry E. Crume and James R. Palmquist, Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class Kent D. Swedberg and Aviation Structural Mechanic (Safety Equipment) Airman Richard F. Diaz) being rescued by Angel 010 flown by Lieutenants Hays and James C. Harrison, with Aviation Machinist’s Mates (Jet Engine Mechanic) 2d Class David T. Warmkessel and James C. McDonald as crew. The third was another Corsair (Decoy 401) due to a stall spin, on 27 June, with Lieutenant (j.g.) Newton R. Gaines, also of VA-72, being rescued by Angel 010 (Lieutenant Palmquist and Lieutenant Commander Lawrence B. Kauffman, with Swedberg and McDonald as crew), with British guided missile destroyer HMS Antrim providing wind velocity data to the inbound helo.
From 14-28 September 1972, John
F. Kennedy participated in NATO Exercise Strong Express. During that
time, on 17 September, she crossed the
Upon the conclusion of Strong
Express, John F. Kennedy proceeded to
Emerging from her overhaul on 5
January 1973, John F. Kennedy, earmarked to deploy to Southeast Asia,
worked-up in the Virginia capes operating areas, but during her 8-17 February
in-port period received word that, in the wake of the Paris peace accords, she
would deploy to the Med in April instead of the western Pacific in March. The
carrier then began her ORI with flight operations off the
John F. Kennedy departed
John F. Kennedy spent
the next five months of 1973 operating with the 6th Fleet, her port visits
including
After transiting the
John F. Kennedy had
originally been slated to return home after her three-day visit in Edinburgh,
but another crisis in the Middle East reared its head when Egyptian and Syrian
forces launched a surprise attack on Israel on 6 October 1973 in The Yom Kippur
War. Accordingly, John F. Kennedy sailed from Edinburgh on 13 October in
company with guided missile frigate Dale (DLG-19), guided missile
destroyer Richard E. Byrd (DDG-23), and destroyer Sarsfield
(DD-837), supported by the oiler Caloosahatchee (AO-98). The carrier and
her consorts proceeded to a holding area 100 miles west of Gibraltar, to assume
an alert position to respond to the crisis in the
On 25 October 1973, the day after the completion of the program to fly A-4 Skyhawks to Israel, staging them through the Azores and Franklin D. Roosevelt (on station south of Sicily) John F. Kennedy (which had been earmarked to support those flights if required), received orders to rejoin the 6th Fleet, and entered the Mediterranean. The ship’s entering the Med reflected the middle-level alert ordered for U.S. forces world-wide after the Soviet Union reportedly planned a unilateral move of troops into the Middle East to monitor the shaky cease-fire that had taken effect in the wake of the most recent conflict between Israel and her neighbors. John F. Kennedy prepared contingency weapons loads on 27 October.
As tensions in the region
remained high, the carrier remained at sea into mid-November 1973, operating
south of Crete, day and night, with task groups formed around Independence
(CVA-62) and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and refueled by the fast combat
support ship Seattle (AOE-3) (4 November), and old consort Pawcatuck
(9 and 12 November), after which point she put in briefly to Souda Bay on 15
November, only to get underway once more before the day was done. The 6th Fleet
resumed its normal alert status on 17 November, however, and the next day, “the
ship, normally busily noisy, fell silent” as Captain Dixon informed the crew
over the 1MC that John F. Kennedy was finally going home. “With a return
date in sight,” her historian wrote, “the crew looked forward to their
homecoming and reunion with their families, loved ones, and friends.” The ship,
her “second” Med cruise of the deployment completed, transited the
John F. Kennedy
conducted local operations out of
Among the major projects undertaken over the ensuing months to provide the carrier with ASW capabilities and enable her to conduct combined air, surface and sub-surface warfare were the installation of the Tactical Support Center (TSC), designed as a module of the combat information center (CIC), to provide pre-flight planning, in-flight support, post-flight analysis, and mission evaluation for all ASW missions flown by the new Grumman S-3A Vikings and Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters; the satellite read-out equipment (SROE), to provide the tactical commander and his meteorologist “real time” weather data acquired and transmitted by the defense meteorological satellite system; and the versatile avionics shop test (VAST), an enhanced aircraft maintenance facility. In addition, since each embarked type of jet presented a unique problem to the ship’s aircraft-handling capability – the new Grumman F-14 Tomcat’s exhaust being hotter than that of the other aircraft’s and the S-3A’s higher than any other embarked plane’s due to the position of its engines, for example -- the jet blast deflectors needed to be rebuilt to provide a larger protective surface and an improved cooling capability.
During this overhaul, John F. Kennedy experienced a turnover of people, too, of approximately 60 percent. Among those leaving was Captain Dixon, relieved on 24 May 1974 by Captain William A. Gureck.
John F. Kennedy left dry dock at the end of June
1974, and remained in yard hands into late October, at the end of which time
she conducted a fast cruise. On 12 November, she put to sea for her first post
repair trial, and the following day recovered a VF-32 Tomcat (Modex 204,
BuNo 159015) flown by Commander Jerry G. Knutson and Lieutenant (j.g.) David C.
“Davy” Leestma, the first F-14 to land on board. Upon completion of those
trials, John F. Kennedy returned to the yard and wrapped up her overhaul
on 25 November, one week earlier than scheduled. On 26 November, she returned
to Pier 12, Naval Station,
John F. Kennedy spent
the first six months of 1975 preparing for a return to the Med. From 6-20
January 1975, she conducted refresher training out of
Underway on 7 April 1975, John F. Kennedy sailed for the Jacksonville operating area for a third stint of type training, during which, on 9 April, Commander Melvin E. Taunt, commanding officer of HS-11 (who had had to make an emergency landing in a farmer’s field in North Carolina just three days earlier after a massive transmission oil leak in his SH-3D), made an emergency water landing when another major oil leak forced him to ditch about seven miles from the ship, which recovered the downed Sea King in less than two hours with minimal damage. The following day, Major General Sayed Javad of the Imperial Iranian Air Force, came on board to observe F-14 Tomcat operations.
On 15 April 1975, John F.
Kennedy sailed to participate in Agate Punch, an amphibious exercise
conducted in the vicinity of
Following a fourth stint of type training, off
With only a month left before
her Med deployment, John F. Kennedy then took part in Solid Shield--a
joint exercise designed to prepare Atlantic Command Army, Navy, Air Force and
Marine Corps Headquarters for joint combat/amphibious operations--from 27 May
to 6 June 1975. After the exercise concluded, she returned to
John F. Kennedy departed
Norfolk on the afternoon of 28 June 1975 with CVW-1, consisting of nine
squadrons -- two of F-14A Tomcats (VF-14 and VF-32); two of A-7B Corsairs
(VA-46 and VA-72); one of A-6E Intruders (VA 34); one of EA-6B Prowlers
(VAQ -133); one of E-2C Hawkeyes (VAW-125); one of S-3A Vikings
(VS-21); and one of SH-3D Sea Kings (HS-11) -- embarked. RVAH-1 was also
assigned to the air wing, but due to deck congestion, was not flown on board,
remaining on alert in
The highlight of John F.
Kennedy’s voyage to
John F. Kennedy anchored
at
John F. Kennedy got
underway from
Following her participation in National
Week exercises during the first part of August 1975, during which time
contingency forces were maintained for the potential evacuation of the
approximately 100
Subsequently, John F. Kennedy conducted another cycle
of operations before putting in to
A Grumman F-14A Tomcat (AB 106) from VF-14 (Tophatters) prepares to launch from John F. Kennedy’s number two catapult on 28 August 1975, during the ship’s Mediterranean deployment. The large sign on the forward end of the island: BEWARE OF JET BLAST – PROPELLERS AND ROTORS reminds readers of dangers inherent on the flight deck, and the ceaseless vigilance required during flight operations. (USN Photo K-110369, Photographer’s Mate 3d Class T. Beitz)
Following a port call at Catania, Sicily (1-3 October 1975), John F. Kennedy participated in a National Week exercise with Italian and other NATO forces (4-8 October), and then transited to the Strait of Messina (9-13 October), and, ultimately, reached Naples, out of which she conducted cyclic operations in the Tyrrhenian Sea during the latter part of October and in mid-November.
During the third such cycle of operations that began on 19 November 1975, on 22 November, at 2159 local time, the guided missile cruiser Belknap (CG-26), while maneuvering to take her station on John F. Kennedy during the night’s last recovery operations, collided with her approximately 70 nautical miles east of Sicily. On board the carrier, a severe fuel fire blazed up the port side, and although firefighters contained the blaze there inside of 10 minutes, but a receiving room below burned for several hours. At one point, heavy smoke forced the evacuation of all the carrier’s fire rooms, forcing her to go dead in the water. Temporarily hors de combat, John F. Kennedy diverted all flights to Naval Air Facility Sigonella, with the exception of her embarked SH-3Ds from HS-11 that supported the unfolding rescue and relief operations.
John F. Kennedy’s overhanging angled deck, however, had ripped into Belknap’s superstructure from her bridge aft as the cruiser passed beneath it. JP-5 fuel from ruptured lines in the port catwalk sprayed onto severed electrical wiring in her gaping wound. Flames engulfed the damaged areas of the cruiser, and within minutes, Belknap’s entire amidships superstructure was an inferno. Shortly after the fire began, boats from other vessels operating with John F. Kennedy and Belknap began to pull alongside the burning ship, often with complete disregard for their own safety. Ammunition from Belknap’s three-inch ready storage locker, located amidships, cooked off, hurling fiery fragments into the air and splashing around the rescue boats. Undaunted, the rescuers pulled out the seriously wounded and delivered fire-fighting supplies to the sailors who refused to surrender their ship to the conflagration. Guided missile destroyer Claude V. Ricketts and destroyer Bordelon (DD-881) moved in on both sides of Belknap, their men directing fire hoses into the amidships area that the stricken ship’s crew could not reach. Claude V. Ricketts moved in and secured alongside Belknap’s port side, and evacuated the injured while fragments from exploding ammunition showered down upon her weather decks. Frigate Pharris (FF-1094) closed in the carrier’s port side to provide fire-fighting assistance.
Among the acts of heroism on board John F. Kennedy were those that earned recommended citations to Aviation Structural Mechanic (Structures) 3d Class Raymond A. Pabon, Aviation Structural Mechanic (Structures) Airman William L. Snyder, and Aviation Structural Mechanic (Hydraulics) 3d Class Harold T. Collier from VF-32. Airman James D. Lunn, of VA-72, having been issued an oxygen breathing apparatus, grabbed a hose and climbed up three levels to the source of a fire. Perceiving a dull red-orange glow of burning tires within the thick black smoke, Lunn trained his hose upon it until an explosion blew him backwards through a hatch, depositing him three decks below in a foot of water. He was taken to sickbay, where the carrier’s medical people treated his burned hands and lacerated right ear.
Sadly, John F. Kennedy
lost one man, Yeoman 2d Class David A. Chivalette of CVW-1, to smoke
inhalation; two men from VA-72 (one of whom was the aforementioned Airman
Lunn), suffered injuries. Belknap lost seven men; 23 suffered serious
injuries. HS-11’s Sea Kings flew over 36 hours of support flights,
transferring 88 men, including 17 litter patients and 60 hurt, but ambulatory,
sailors. Ultimately towed to
The next day, Rear Admiral
Donald D. Engen, Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe, embarked
to conduct an investigation into the collision; and on 24 November 1975, having
been deemed “operationally capable,” John F. Kennedy resumed flight
operations in the
John F. Kennedy arrived
at
Putting to sea again on 4 December, John F. Kennedy conducted cyclic operations in the western Med (4-8 and 14 December) that book-ended a visit to Palma (9-13 December) and preceded a Poop Deck exercise with Spanish forces (15-16 December) and conducted Corsair strike and interdiction missions against French targets as well as CAP missions, and Tomcat interceptions of raiding Mirages and Jaguars (17-18 December). John F. Kennedy wound up those operations with CVW-1 conducting Phiblex 6-76, delivering live ordnance against the Capodanna target peninsula, simulating close air support for amphibious landings.
John F. Kennedy ultimately
reached
John F. Kennedy resumed
operations on 5 January 1976, and conducted air operations in the western Med
until 11 January, among the evolutions occurring being those familiarizing
French forces with the F-14A, while receiving the first operational look at the
Dassault Mirage F.1. That day, John F. Kennedy began a five-day
port visit to
During the voyage home, John F. Kennedy went on alert when a flight of two Bears neared the ship. Three E-2C’s maintained airborne radar contact and intercept control while two F-14s flew intercept and escort missions, providing the Soviet airmen with a demonstration of the capabilities of the newest naval fighter in the U.S. Navy’s inventory. The Bears retired and John F. Kennedy recovered her alert aircraft.
John F. Kennedy returned
to
During type training from 23 June to 2 July 1976, John F. Kennedy operated with the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. During a second period of such evolutions, John F. Kennedy “entertained” a less welcome (but not altogether unfamiliar) kind of guest. On 21 July, two separate reconnaissance flights by pairs of Bears came into contact with the carrier. F-14’s escorted them, and many of the crewmen topside observed the Bears and their Tomcat escorts appear on the horizon aft of John F. Kennedy and fly along the starboard side approximately four nautical miles away.
On 2 September 1976, John F.
Kennedy got underway for a North Atlantic deployment, with CVW-1 -- VF-14
and VF-32, VA-34, VA-46 and VA-72, VS-32, VAW-125, VAQ-133, HS-11 and Light
Photographic Squadron (VFP) 63 -- embarked, to participate in Joint Effort
(3-10 September), Teamwork 1976 (10-23 September), and Bonded Item
(8-10 October). These three major fleet exercises, involving approximately 200
ships from participating NATO countries, practiced and updated NATO operating
procedures and provide practical applications of established command and
control policies. Visits to a succession of ports:
Bears reflected Soviet
interest in Teamwork 1976, and on 12 September 1976 Lieutenant (j.g.)
William H. “Wally” Baker and Lieutenant Davy Leestma of VF-32 intercepted the
first such overflight 400 nautical miles west of
Two days later, on 14 September
1976, VF-32 lost a Tomcat some 60 nautical miles north of
That same day at 2336, her old consort Bordelon reported losing steering control during night refueling operations while alongside and veered into John F. Kennedy. None of the men on board the carrier suffered injuries and the damage to her hull was minimal. However, Bordelon suffered extensive superstructure damage and injuries to six men. Fortunately, no fires resulted and Bordelon continued under her own power. As it had done during the Belknap incident the previous autumn, HS-11 flew night medical evacuation missions in support of the relief efforts in the wake of the collision.
Soviet interest in the NATO exercises continued, as Bears reconnoitered John F. Kennedy and her task force on four more occasions. Badgers conducted surveillance flights on 18 and 21 September 1976, while the carrier logged the nearby presence of the oceanographic research vessels Arkhipelag and Pelorus as they carried out “tattletale operations,” and a Kresta II-class guided missile cruiser.
On 21 September 1976, John
F. Kennedy, operating in the North Atlantic waters off
During Bonded Item, John F. Kennedy landed several French Vought F-8 Crusaders on board as part of an exchange program, and on 26 October 1976,VF-32 flew mock engagements against their Gallic adversaries. As that squadron’s historian reflected later, “this type of dissimilar flying provided valuable aircrew training.”
John F. Kennedy began
her return transit to
John F. Kennedy sailed
for the Mediterranean on 15 January 1977, with CVW-1 (the same squadrons with
which she had deployed the previous summer and autumn) reaching
John F. Kennedy then participated in NATO Exercise Locked
Gate 1977 (29 January – 12 February 1977) that involved 40 ships from
Canada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, the
United Kingdom, and Spain. The evolution, involving coordinated air, surface
and subsurface operations, and all aspects of electronic warfare, demonstrated
NATO’s resolve and ability to maintain control of the Strait of Gibraltar and
deny access to the Med to hostile forces as well as protect allied countries
along the rim of the North Atlantic. During Locked Gate, F-14As from
CVW-1 intercepted a pair of Bear-Ds southwest of Gibraltar in the
After a stay at
John F. Kennedy returned to Naples on 6 April 1977, and remained there until 19 April to participate in the joint NATO and Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) Exercise Shahbaz 1977 involving U.S. 6th Fleet units, the Imperial Iranian Air Force, Pakistani Air Force, Turkish Air Force, United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, U.S. Air Force Europe and NATO’s 6th Allied Tactical Air Force. Shahbaz 1977 exercised the air defenses of the CENTO participants and to develop coordination of the CENTO air defense system with that of NATO.
Following Shahbaz 1977, John F. Kennedy
conducted flight operations in the Aegean until 30 April 1977; she then sailed
for
John F. Kennedy sailed from
Following Dawn Patrol, John F. Kennedy anchored in
John F. Kennedy got underway on 1 June 1977 for
operations in the western Med. On 2 June, while refueling alongside oiler Marias,
the two ships conducted an emergency breakaway after the destroyer Hawkins
(DD-873), refueling on the other side of
After a port visit at
On 19 July 1977, John F. Kennedy then proceeded to
Rota where, from 19-22 July, she conducted turnover proceedings with
On 3 January 1978, Vice Admiral Howard E. Greer, Commander, Naval Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, arrived and awarded John F. Kennedy the Atlantic Fleet Battle Efficiency “E” for battle readiness. For the rest of January until 29 June, the ship carried out training and qualifying programs in local waters, interspersed with in-port upkeep. On 29 June 1978, with CVW-1 (VF-14 and VF-32, VA-34, VA-46 and VA-72, VAW-125, VS-32, VAQ-133, VFP-63, and HS-11) embarked, she began another voyage to the Med, one day of which (3 July 1978) found her under surveillance by old comrades, Soviet Bear-D’s, that in turn found themselves watched by Tomcats.
On 9 July 1978, John F. Kennedy reached
John F. Kennedy left Naples on the morning of 27 September 1978 to participate in Display Determination 1978, a NATO exercise took place on 11 October and simulated an amphibious landing in northern Greece, after which time the ship arrived at Taranto, Italy, to begin a five-day port visit.
Next, the ship anchored briefly at
John F. Kennedy arrived at
John F. Kennedy left
John F. Kennedy got underway on 8 January 1979 and
arrived at
John F. Kennedy got underway from Pier 12 on 6 March 1979 and spent that day offloading her conventional ordnance. The next day, she hosted about 500 dependents and shipyard workers as she shifted to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. John F. Kennedy moved to dry dock no. 8 on 19 March for her major overhaul. During the ensuing yard period, the ship’s tactical support center was redesignated as an anti-submarine warfare module, and an integrated carrier acoustic prediction system was installed. NATO Sea Sparrow missile system replaced all three BPDMS launchers and fire control directors. Ship’s radars were either updated or changed. Carrier air traffic control was improved with automatic data readouts, which enhanced controller efficiency and response time. Even food service, air conditioning and laundry facilities were bettered.
From early April until mid-July 1979, John F. Kennedy, the normal shipyard routine progressed uneventfully until an unknown arsonist set a series of fires on 9 April 1979. John F. Kennedy responded quickly and minimized the damage to only 38 compartments during six hours’ work at general quarters, but William L. Seward, a civilian yard employee, died. Another series of arson incidents occurred on 5 June, the crew controlling the blazes within two hours with no reported injuries. John F. Kennedy doubled security watches to prevent a recurrence. On 14 July, the carrier shifted from drydock to Pier 5 for the remainder of her yard work.
John F. Kennedy conducted a fast cruise and held dockside trials on 5 December 1979. Six days later, the carrier got underway; she spent the remainder of the year 1979 and the first half of 1980 preparing for her next deployment. After post-repair trials and refresher training out of Guantanamo, a seven-day visit to Boston for OpSail 80 festivities, and a change of command ceremony on 27 June when Captain Diego E. Hernandez relieved Captain Myers, the carrier steamed for the Med on 8 August 1980, with CVW-1 (with VAW-126 and VAQ-138 having replaced VAW-125 and VAQ-133 in the composition, the other squadrons remaining the same) on board.
En route, Tomcats from CVW-1 intercepted a Bear-D
on 14 August 1980. Three days later, John F. Kennedy arrived at
On the morning of 5 September 1980, John F. Kennedy
anchored at
After pausing briefly at
John F. Kennedy anchored at
John F. Kennedy left that Israeli port on 24 October
1980, in transit to a 27 October call at
John F. Kennedy left
John F. Kennedy sailed on 2 December 1980 and resumed
flight operations en route to joint service operations in the central Med. She
anchored in
John F. Kennedy departed
Upon completion of National Week XXX, John F. Kennedy anchored in Souda Bay for the exercise debrief on 19-20 January 1981, then visited Athens (21-27 January), whence she sailed for the central Med for flight operations in support of a combat readiness assessment exercise west of Crete (28-29 January) that tested the ship’s weapons department and air wing ordnance teams.
John F. Kennedy conducted flight operations in the
central and western Med during February 1981, punctuating those operations with
port visits to
John F. Kennedy participated in amphibious exercises
off Carbonaras, Spain (21-22 February 1981), her fighters conducting amphibious
support and combat support and combat air patrol (CAP) missions under surface
combatant control while attack crews gained training and experience in low
altitude, high-threat close air support. From 21-24 February, USAF aircraft
engaged the carrier in dissimilar air combat training work. USAF F-4’s provided
the opportunity to exercise CIC and E-2 (Hawkeye) control of anti-air
warfare (AAW) operators, as well as exercising the fighters in the air-to-air
role. Upon completion of the evolution, John F. Kennedy sailed for
On 9 March 1981, John F. Kennedy got underway for
John F. Kennedy spent April 1981 preparing for a
restricted availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (30 April-3 August). Before
she made the trip to the yard, she unloaded her ordnance and weapons to the
carriers Nimitz and
Having completed her final adjustments, John F. Kennedy
departed
John F. Kennedy’s next departure came on 6 October
1981 when she left for four days of carquals, after which she conducted type
training from 10-19 October off the
Tragically, during the CVW-3 fly-on operations on 29 October 1981, VAQ-138 suffered the loss of the three-man crew of one of its EA-6Bs (BuNo 159582). Lieutenant Commander Jack A. Fisher and Lieutenants James H. Mallory and Alfred J. Dupont perished in the mishap when the Prowler crashed near NAS Oceana. The ship held a memorial service for the lost crew two days later.
John F. Kennedy then sailed for
During November 1981, CVW-3 (VF-11 and VF-31, VA-37, VA-75 and VA-105, VS-22, VAW-126, VAQ-138 and HS-7), which had replaced CVW-1 as the ship’s embarked air wing, intercepted Tu-95 Bears, took part in ReadiEx 1-82, parrying threats to the battle group, and planned attacks on selected exercise targets. As ReadiEx 1-82 progressed, the entire battle group began to perform as a coordinated body.
John F. Kennedy then visited St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands from 8-11 November 1981, after which time she engaged in yet more training, including air wing day and night strikes against targets on Vieques; CAP against multiple airborne raids; minefield evasion, multiple air-to-air missiles exercises; air-to-air gunnery against a towed banner; multiple war-at-sea strikes; advanced anti-ship cruise missile exercises during which CVW-3 scored direct hits on the target, ex-Charles R. Ware (DD-865); electronic warfare training; anti-submarine torpedo exercises by both helo and fixed wing aircraft; refueling/ replenishment exercises; and various safety and navigational exercises.
On 17 November 1981, Dwight D. Eisenhower departed
Following an
John F. Kennedy deployed on 4 January 1982,
commencing the voyage with a three-day period of carquals for her air wing off
the
Late on 21 January 1982, John F. Kennedy got
underway, and participated in National Week XXXI in the
John F. Kennedy then set course for
John F. Kennedy anchored outside
John F. Kennedy and conducted routine operations and
exercises for the next five weeks, evolutions punctuated by her first port
visit in Africa, anchoring at Mombasa, Kenya, on 2 May 1982. She left on 7 May
and steamed toward the
On 19 May 1982, Commodore John Gunning, Commander, Sultan of
John F. Kennedy transited the
John F. Kennedy proceeded to
From 17-27 August 1982, John F. Kennedy conducted
carquals off the
John F. Kennedy shifted to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
on 15 October 1982 where she underwent an overhaul and rehabilitation period
for all ship’s spaces and equipment that lasted until 7 February 1983, upon
completion of which she got underway for two days of post-availability sea trials
off the
John F. Kennedy then engaged in training in the
Caribbean/Puerto Rico operating areas until 5 April 1983, returning to
John F. Kennedy deployed on 26 April 1983 for Solid
Shield 83, conducted through 5 May, an exercise designed to test
multi-phase and joint operations off the coasts of North and
After Solid Shield 83, the remainder of May 1983 saw
more carquals, a planned maintenance system inspection and exercise United
Effort, which took place during John F. Kennedy’s voyage across the
then steamed east towards the Central and Eastern Atlantic Ocean to participate
in Ocean Safari, a NATO exercise held from 3-17 June 1983 that involved
some 90 ships from ten nations. Ocean Safari simulated air strikes into
John F. Kennedy began her trip home on 23 June 1983
and arrived at
John F. Kennedy, with Washington Post military
correspondent George C. Wilson (whose book, Supercarrier, would
chronicle the deployment that unfolded) embarked, sailed from Norfolk on 27
September 1983, and after conducting carquals off the Virginia capes (27
September-2 October) set course, with CVW-3 (VF-11 and VF-31, VA-75 and VA-85,
VS-22, VAW-126 and VAQ-137, and HS-7) for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a port
visit from 13-16 October. During the voyage, over 2,000 “pollywogs” were
initiated into the order of King Neptune’s realm when the ship crossed the
Equator on 8 October. While in Rio, John F. Kennedy’s crew provided
material and manpower aid for the
On 23 October 1983, while John F. Kennedy was en
route to the Med, a suicide bomber struck the U.S. Marine Corps Multi-National
Forces (MNF) Barracks at
John F. Kennedy’s VF-31, however, suffered two tragic
losses inside of three days. On 8 November 1983, Lieutenant (jg) Cole P. O’Neil
and Commander John C. Scull (RIO), died when their F-14A (Modex AC 205)
inexplicably flew into the sea while on a CAP station near the coast of
On 24 November 1983, the carrier’s C-1A Trader, Caroline
II, was lost at sea, during a ferry flight, near
That same day, 24 November 1983, John F. Kennedy’s
F-14As began flying tactical air reconnaissance pod system (TARPS) missions
over
John F. Kennedy engaged in combat for the first time
soon thereafter, when she returned to the waters off
The following morning, 4 December 1983, John F. Kennedy and
Syrian troops captured Lieutenant Robert O. Goodman, the Intruder’s
bombardier/navigator (ultimately released on 3 January 1984, he returned to the
Secretary of Defense Casper W. Weinberger, issued
authorization on 10 December 1983 for John F. Kennedy’s indefinite stay
in the eastern Med. Not transiting to the
John F. Kennedy, given a brief respite from MNF
support duty to conduct NATO exercises near Cyprus in conjunction with the
British and French navies, changed station to north of Alexandria on 22 March
1984. On 9 April, she received orders to proceed to
John F. Kennedy arrived in
On 2 September 1984, Vice President George H.W. Bush visited
John F. Kennedy. Three days later, Captain William R. McGowen relieved
Commodore Wheatley as commanding officer, and soon thereafter, the ship steamed
to the
The carrier remained in shipyard hands until 20 September 1985, undergoing a $165 million overhaul. During that time, she received the installation of two close-in weapons system (CIWS) mounts, a SPN-46 automatic carrier landing system, the Mk. 23 target acquisition system, the single audio system (SAS), a flag tactical command and control (FTCC) system, the URN-25 tactical aid to air navigation, the Raytheon collision avoidance system (RAYCAS), a SPS-67 and SPS-64 surface search radar, SPA-25E and SPA-74 air search radar repeaters, the surface ship torpedo defense (SSTD) and F/A-18 maintenance phase I capability.
John F. Kennedy returned to the fleet on 20 September
1985, and on 8 October, began carquals off the
Returning to
As the month of November 1985 began, the ship assisted five
people on board a fishing vessel in distress on 1 November. A week later, she
(8 November), the carrier conducted target of opportunity exercises with James
K. Polk (SSBN-645), John F. Kennedy aircraft maintaining contact on
their adversary for four hours and simulating four attacks. After visiting
Nassau (9-13 November), she rounded out the month with more exercises, an ASW
evolution (17-20 November) with Bonefish (SSN-582), during which her
aircraft assisted destroyers John Rodgers (DD-983) and O’Bannon
(DD-987) and frigate William S. Sims (FF-1059) in generating 51 hours of
“contact time” and making 57 “attacks,” and a target of opportunity evolution
with Honolulu (SSN-718) that saw aircraft from the carrier maintaining
contact for 21 hours and simulating 14 attacks. On 25 November, the day the
ship returned to
Underway again on 9 December 1985 for fleet carquals, John
F. Kennedy completed tracking exercises for her CIWS and Sea Sparrow
systems, cross-decked people from Patrol Squadron (VP) 8, VP-24, and VP-26, and
qualified pilots from VA-42 and VA-174, VMA(AW)-533, and CVW-3. Beginning two
days later, the ship conducted ASW exercises with L. Mendel Rivers
(SSN-686) and Archerfish (SSN-678) (11-12 December); P-3 Orions from
VP-5, VP-24, and VP-56, assisted by the frigate Bowen (FF-1079)
generated 51 hours of contact and 30 simulated attacks. A brief visit (13 December)
to Mayport preceded the ship’s completing the surface ship torpedo defense
system (16 December), after which (19 December), John F. Kennedy
returned to
Underway on 15 January 1986 for refresher training in the
western Atlantic, John F. Kennedy punctuated those evolutions with a
call at Mayport (22 January) before resuming that work en route to return to
During April 1986, John F. Kennedy conducted carquals (14-16 April) before returning to port on the 17th. She conducted a dependent’s day cruise on the 19th, before resuming in-port status for the remainder of the month, during which time a global positioning system (GPS) satellite navigation unit was installed on board.
On 1 May 1986, Captain John A. Moriarty relieved Captain
McGowen, and five days later the ship sailed for the Puerto Rican operating
area for advanced training. The second day out, she conducted a major (13-hour)
underway replenishment from replenishment oiler
John F. Kennedy got underway on 26 June 1986, and
after completing the certification period for the AN/SPN-46 automated carrier
landing system (ACLS), continued on for
Following a Tiger Cruise from 6 to 9 July 1986, John F.
Kennedy returned to
Proceeding thence for four days at sea, John F. Kennedy
then anchored at Toulon, for a five-day port visit and planning meetings for
Display Determination 86, a large-scale multi-national three-part exercise that
included Forrestal and her battle group, and the French carrier Foch
(R.99). The evolution ran from 19 September to 13 October 1986, extending from
the eastern Mediterranean into the Aegean Sea; upon its completion, John F.
Kennedy exercised with Forrestal and then anchored in
After leaving that Israeli port on 19 October 1986, John F. Kennedy engaged in a “sinkex” in which her aircraft and guided missile cruiser Belknap, utilizing Harpoon, among other weapons, sank the former Italian frigate ex-Cigno. The ship then headed into the Adriatic; sadly, in a four-day span during the Haifa-Trieste transit, CVW-3 lost men and planes; an S-3 (side number 702) with its crew on 21 October, and, during the search for the lost Viking three days later, Captains Russell Schindelheim and Timothy Morrison, USMC, of VMA(AW)-533 died when their A-6E Intruder (side number 552) (BuNo 159897) crashed on 24 October, a Honduran-flag (Marisal Lines) bulk carrier, El Sol, witnessing the mishap and assisting in salvage efforts.
After successive port visits to Trieste (27 October-3
November 1986) and Naples (she arrived on 5 November), John F. Kennedy
steamed into the western Mediterranean, for a Poopdeck exercise (11-12
November 1986) before she exercised with Moroccan and USAF units in African
Eagle, evolutions that tested the battle group in AAW, overland strikes, CV
attack and low-level flying. Concluding African Eagle on 22 November,
the ship reached
On 14 December 1986, his eminence Corado Cardinal Ursi, the
Cardinal Archbishop of Naples, visited John F. Kennedy and celebrated
Mass and held a confirmation ceremony in the hangar bay. Five days before
Christmas, the carrier sailed for
During flight operations in the central Med the next day, 3 January 1987, a VF-14 F-14A (Modex AC-106, BuNo 159431), attempting a night landing, “bolted” and drifted right, striking an A-6 at about 1854. The collision sheared off a portion of the F-14’s right wing and severed an external fuel tank from the wing of the A-6. The crew of the F-14A ejected, and although 14 to 20-foot seas and 35-knot winds hampered the efforts, were recovered, with an HS-7 helo, Dusty Dog 610, recovering the Tomcat’s pilot and destroyer John Rodgers rescuing Lieutenant Michael J. Valen, the NFO, as well as Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Operator 1st Class Timothy Broderick, the rescue swimmer from HS-7. John F. Kennedy’s flight deck crews extinguished the flames that issued from the Intruder’s ruptured fuel tank within minutes of the accident, preventing damage to the flight deck or surrounding planes, and the ship stood down from the fire emergency at 1926.
On 6 January 1987, John F. Kennedy commenced her
John F. Kennedy’s battle group conducted exercises with Nimitz’s
in
John F. Kennedy arrived at her destination on 2
February 1987 and commenced dual carrier battle group operations with Nimitz.
After four days of operations, John F. Kennedy anchored at
Following a month-long leave and upkeep period, John F.
Kennedy focused her attention on the upcoming carquals and a restricted
availability that would follow. The latter commenced on 1 May 1987 at Norfolk
Naval Shipyard, and the carrier remained there until completion of the yard
period on 17 August. Two days later, she carried out sea trials off the
John F. Kennedy then commenced an upkeep period that
lasted until November 1987, during which time American Broadcasting Company
(ABC) film crews came on board to film the motion picture “Supercarrier.” John
F. Kennedy departed for the
On 4 December 1987, John F. Kennedy returned to sea
for refresher training. She returned to
John F. Kennedy spent February through March of 1988
preparing for the upcoming Med deployment. During carquals off the
From 19 April through 19 May 1988, John F. Kennedy
conducted advance phase training off the
Carr’s providential preparation for rescue work had enabled her to be ready to act as on-scene commander as soon as she arrived. Over the ensuing hours, as smoke issued from the hatches of the stricken Bonefish, Carr coordinated the work of the quintet of Sea Kings from HS-7 that “blanketed the…area all working as a cohesive team” to remove people from the burning submarine, in addition to a fixed-wing jet and her own motor whaleboat in the rescue of the 89 surviving crewmen, HS-7 helicopters employing rescue swimmers to attach rescue slings and calm anxious survivors. Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) (HSL) 44, Detachment 4, in Carr, utilizing their SH-60B Seahawk, evacuated ten men and pulled two from the water.
John F. Kennedy assisted with the rescue and embarked
many Bonefish crewmen; 23 sailors suffering from respiratory injuries
received care in the ship’s inpatient ward. The carrier returned to the scene
the following day to conduct further SAR operations as Bonefish was
ultimately taken in tow and returned to her homeport of
Following the Bonefish incident, John F. Kennedy
enjoyed a three-day port visit to Port Everglades,
On 2 August 1988, John F. Kennedy departed
Mediterranean-bound, John F. Kennedy (CV-67), part of Task Group 24.4, turns to port, preparing to launch a Grumman F-14 Tomcat from her number one catapult, on 12 August 1988. (USN Photo DN-ST-89-01287 by Photographer’s Mate 2d Class William Lipski)
After transiting the
From 4-8 September 1988, John F. Kennedy conducted Sea
Wind off the coast of
Following Sea Wind, the carrier visited Toulon,
beginning on 13 September 1988, then sailed to participate in Display
Determination ’88 (22 September-10 October), maneuvers that involved
war-at-sea exercises, overland low-level simulated strikes, and air-to-air
engagements. Following Display Determination ’88, John F. Kennedy
visited
John F. Kennedy re-visited
John F. Kennedy departed Marseille on 27 November
1988, and from 1 to 10 December, participated in African Eagle ’88, a
combined USN, USAF and Moroccan exercise off the north Moroccan coast that featured
simulated low-level strikes against several inland targets, war-at-sea strikes
against Moroccan patrol boats, and dissimilar air combat training against USAF
F-16 and Moroccan Mirages. Following African Eagle ’88, John F.
Kennedy anchored at
On New Year’s Day 1989, John F. Kennedy sailed from
John F. Kennedy reached
John F. Kennedy transited the
During the month of February 1989, John F. Kennedy enjoyed a 30-day post-deployment stand-down period with their families. The beginning of March proved similarly uneventful as harsh weather and over 20 inches of snow prevented the ship from being moved to Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a three-month industrial period. On 11 March, the weather finally broke and the carrier transited to the shipyard in balmy, spring-like conditions; subsequently, on 27 May 1989, Captain Herbert A. Browne, Jr. relieved Captain Wisely as commanding officer in a ceremony held in Trophy Park, on the grounds of the shipyard, guest access being severely restricted due to the security regulations in the industrial area. John F. Kennedy completed her yard work early and returned to Norfolk Naval Station on 14 June.
John F. Kennedy spent the remainder of June 1989
testing shipboard systems in port and at sea. Following a festive Fourth of
July celebration in her homeport, she then sailed on 7 July 1989 to serve as a
ready deck for Training Command carquals in the
On 23 July 1989, John F. Kennedy hosted Vice Admiral Jerome L. Johnson, Commander, 2nd Fleet, as he, in turn, hosted Vice Admiral Igor Vladimirovich Kasatonov, First Deputy Commander in Chief, Northern Fleet, and an entourage that included the commanding officers of Soviet warships Marshal Ustinov, Otlichny, and Gasanov. They dined in John F. Kennedy’s flag mess, and then enjoyed a sunset parade in the hangar bay.
John F. Kennedy left
More training and carquals followed, after which John F.
Kennedy did not return to
John F. Kennedy stood out on 3 October 1989 to
conduct exercises, among which were VS-22 ASW operations against the attack
submarine Key West (SSN-722) on 4 and 5 October. On 6 and 7 October,
however, while en route from
John F. Kennedy then visited Portland (13-16 October
1989) after which she carried out a Tiger Cruise that concluded at Norfolk on
18 October, from which she operated locally for the remainder of the year,
interspersing operational periods with in-port upkeep. On 11 December, the
carrier lay moored at Naval Station Norfolk where she made preparations for a
possible role in President Bush’s recently declared “War against Drugs.”
Throughout the holiday season, John F. Kennedy loaded supplies and
prepared for deployment to the Caribbean, expecting to engage in
counter-narcotic operations off
John F. Kennedy began operations for the new year on
4 January 1990, but she had not been underway for more than a week when her
deployment plans changed,
John F. Kennedy left Mayport on 23 January 1990 for
more advance phase training and on 31 January joined FleetEx (Fleet Exercise)
1-90. She operated in those evolutions that spanned the waters from the middle
of the Caribbean to those north of
The exercise concluded on 5 February 1990 and John F.
Kennedy headed back to
Reaching
On 27 April 1990, John F. Kennedy headed to sea for
exercises off the
John F. Kennedy headed for the
John F. Kennedy reached
Events in the Persian Gulf, however, dashed John F.
Kennedy’s hopes for uneventful, routine, operations that were to be capped
by an overhaul scheduled to begin in January of the following year, when, on 2
August 1990, 0200 local time, 100,000 Iraqi troops massed on the border of
Kuwait. Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s leader, seething over Kuwait’s insistence on
compensation for Iraq’s unpaid war debt from the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988),
it’s overproduction of oil, and claiming evidence that the Kuwaitis were slant
drilling into the Rumaila oil field, ordered them to invade.
That same day, President Bush joined world leaders in
condemning the invasion. A massive diplomatic effort to force
On 10 August 1990, John F. Kennedy received
“short-fused” orders to “load up and get underway.” She commenced her “loadout”
for her Desert Shield deployment and began the loadout of CVW-3 the next
day; on 13 August, she embarked Rear Admiral Riley D. Mixson, ComCarGru 2. Two
days later, she recovered the aircraft of CVW-3 (VF-14 and VF-32, VA-46, VA-72,
and VA-75, VS-22, VAQ-130, VAW-126 and HS-7) and got underway, standing out for
local operations off the
John F. Kennedy, accompanied by Mississippi,
sprinted ahead of the rest of the battle group and passed into the
Mediterranean on 30 August 1990 where Commander, 6th Fleet, briefers met the
ship to provide the battle group deployment schedule – although, as the
carrier’s chronicler later noted wryly, the schedule changed before the
briefers even left the ship! Consequently, John F. Kennedy anchored in
On 4 September 1990, John F. Kennedy took over as the
Mediterranean carrier. Six days later, she anchored off
Two weeks passed without any major happenings on the
carrier. Then, on 26 September 1990, an SH-3H Sea King from HS-7 (side
number 610) splashed several miles from the ship after it lost power in one
engine. The crew and passengers were rescued without injury by helo and motor
whaleboat crews. Throughout the rest of September and October, the carrier
continued to exercise at general quarters. Aircraft launched nearly every day
and conducted training sorties over
While anchored in
John F. Kennedy sailed from Antalya on 28 November
1990; the following day, 29 November, the United Nations Security Council
passed Resolution 678 authorizing “member states cooperating with the
Government of Kuwait to use all necessary means to uphold and implement the Security
Council Resolution 660,” calling for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal
from Kuwait, “and all subsequent relevant Resolutions and to restore
international peace and security in the area.” The deadline for
On 30 November 1990, John F. Kennedy sailed for the
Captain John P. Gay relieved Captain Browne as commanding
officer of John F. Kennedy on 7 December 1990. Rear Admiral Mixson,
Commander, TG 150.5, on hand for the ceremony, presented Captain Browne with
the Legion of Merit. This change of command ceremony proved unique in John
F. Kennedy’s history as it was held while the ship was underway in the
Media representatives from the Joint Information Bureau in
After conducting several small-scale exercises, John F.
Kennedy entered port in
On New Year’s Day 1991, Vice President Dan Quayle paid a
four-hour visit to John F. Kennedy, to demonstrate national solidarity
with the forces deployed in Desert Shield and spoke to the sailors in
the hangar bay of the ship. The next day, the carrier got underway from Jeddah
to return to the
John F. Kennedy braced herself for the prospects of
war. The training and practice runs became more intense when on 13 January
1991, word reached the ship that hostilities with
Two days later, on 15 January 1991, the dialogue between the
future combatants took an ominous tone. White House Spokesman Marlin Fitzwater
warned that military action “could occur at any point after
Saddam Hussein’s forces did not budge. On 16 January 1991,
1650 Eastern Standard Time, a squadron of F-15E fighter-bombers took off from
their base in central
Before her first strikes were launched, Rear Admiral Mixson,
Commander Red Sea Force, announced over John F. Kennedy’s 1MC the launch
schedule that would commence the following day in less than ten hours. He
congratulated the ship for being able to carry out the President’s orders and
participate in air strikes on
On 17 January 1991, 0120 local time, (1720 Eastern Standard
Time, 16 January) John F. Kennedy launched her first strikes on
Starting on that first day of strikes, John F. Kennedy settled into a routine that lasted through the end of the conflict, engaging in a steady but fast-paced regimen of preparing aircraft, launching them, recovering them, repeating the process. All the while, they kept a mixture of hope and faith in the success of their aircrews, and a suspended disbelief in the lack of casualties. John F. Kennedy’s Intruders launched the first Standoff Land Attack Missiles in combat on 19 January.
The three carrier battle group operations in the
Detached from the Red Sea Battle Force on 7 February 1991,
The P.M. carrier was also responsible for S-3 pickup of the
next day’s air tasking order from
The war had not reached as quick a conclusion as John F.
Kennedy’s crew would have liked. The carrier was scheduled to
return-from-deployment on 15 February 1991 That same day, Saddam Hussein issued
a statement concerning
Many of John F. Kennedy’s men felt understandably dismayed when they learned that they would be making one more stop before heading home. Before embarking on her passage, the carrier set material condition Yoke on the main decks and below, instead of Zebra, for the first time since 13 January 1991. On 4 March, John F. Kennedy became the first-ever American warship to conduct a port visit at Hurghada, Egypt, but, as her chronicler wrote later: “The crew’s impatience to get home,” one observer in the ship later wrote, “was not helped by the necessity for canceling boating at Hurghada because of high winds and seas” from 5 to 7 March.
John F. Kennedy weighed anchor off Hurghada at
At 1430 on 28 March 1991, John F. Kennedy moored at
Pier 12, greeted by a throng bearing balloons, banners, and flags. 30,000
family members and supporters showed up to welcome the carrier home in a
celebration that rivaled those at the end of World War II in magnitude and
enthusiasm. John F. Kennedy’s principal return banner bared the same initials
of her proud namesake: “Justice For Kuwait.” Her battle group and
John F. Kennedy immediately commenced a post-deployment stand down. Approximately half of the crew went on leave for one of the two-week leave periods through the end of April 1991. Simultaneously, she entered a selected restricted availability period and commenced maintenance, repairs, and upgrade at Norfolk Naval Station until 28 May, when she shifted to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for more extensive work.
Now that John F. Kennedy was in port, the SRA of the summer of 1991 planned to accomplish several major upgrades and overhauls: reconfiguration of the aircraft maintenance spaces to handle the F/A-18 Hornet, installation of the NTCS-A command and control system, replacement of the non-skid surface on the flight deck and hangar bay deck, and extensive repairs to boilers, piping, electrical generators, and air conditioning equipment. There was also extensive replacement of galley and laundry equipment and installation of the Uniform Micro-Computer Information Data System program, which allowed much quicker disbursing for the benefit of the crew.
John F. Kennedy remained at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
until 1 October 1991, after suffering two false starts on 25 and 28 September.
On 1 October, she steamed for the
John F. Kennedy conducted another Tiger Cruise back
to
John F. Kennedy planned to get underway for carquals
on 2 December 1991, but heavy fog and rain prohibited the ship from departing
John F. Kennedy would not be underway again until 15
January 1992, when she stood out to proceed to the waters off
John F. Kennedy returned to
Refresher training preparations began on 9 March 1992 and ran until 3 April, evolutions that would determine how ready the ship and air wing were and would certify them both as ready to begin unrestricted training in the pre-deployment work-up training cycle. Those preparations included multiple self-inspections of the material readiness of all ship’s spaces and damage control equipment, as well as frequent early morning general quarters drills. The carrier got underway on 1 April and commenced the exercises on 4 April with a series of drills at general quarters and with evaluated combat systems, seamanship, and flight deck exercises.
John F. Kennedy’s refresher training proved far from “smooth sailing.” Initially, the ship’s success at setting material conditions yoke and zebra was not good, particularly because of the amount of time and effort spent correcting discrepancies from the previous drills. In response to these shortcomings, 9 April 1992 became a stand-down day for correcting discrepancies and refocusing damage control efforts. The ship achieved satisfactory results on setting material conditions the next day, however, the scores received for yoke and zebra were 75.1% and 65.04% respectively. 62.5% was considered a passing score. Thereafter, drills were completely productive and culminated with a major conflagration exercise beginning at 0400 on 14 April.
On 11 April 1992, at the request of the
The remainder of April 1992 and the early part of May
focused on preparations for an operational exercise and Fleet Week ‘92
in
John F. Kennedy’s arrival in
Fleet Week ‘92 drew to a close on 26 May 1992, and by
sunset John F. Kennedy had cleared the harbor and coastal areas. The
next day, she launched CVW-3’s squadrons to return to their home bases while a
combat systems readiness review team embarked to conduct tests, inspections,
and review readiness of the ship’s combat systems. She moored at
The combat systems readiness review team finished its work on board John F. Kennedy on 5 June 1992, and an operational propulsion plant examination conducted on 15 June certified the ship for two years’ steaming. She then spent the remainder of that month and the early part of the next preparing for composite training unit exercises (CompTUEx). On 10 July, Rear Admiral Frederick L. Lewis, ComCarGru 4, broke his flag in John F. Kennedy as the training carrier group commander. The ship got underway on 13 July for carquals and CompTUEx in Puerto Rican waters.
On 22 July 1992, John F. Kennedy hosted retired Major General Mary E. Clarke, USA, retired Brigadier General Samuel E. Cockerham, USA, writer and former DACOWITS member Elaine Donnelly, and reserve USAF Master Sergeant Sarah White, of the Presidential Commission on Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces as they visited the ship for an orientation into life at sea and carrier aviation. The four commission members observed the crew’s working and living conditions and interviewed various members of the ship’s company and aircrews, gathering their thoughts, opinions, perceptions and expectations on serving with women. The Commission’s report of their visit would be enclosed with their report to the President on 15 November for his subsequent report to Congress a month later.
Tragedy struck the carrier’s air wing during her operations in Puerto Rican waters on 24 July 1992. Commander Robert K. Christensen, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37’s commanding officer, apparently lost orientation and flew his F/A-18C (AC 302) into the sea during a training night attack mission over Vieques.
The next day, 25 July 1992, John F. Kennedy anchored
off
Once John F. Kennedy returned to Puerto Rican waters,
the CompTUEx continued with Rear Admiral Lewis resuming command of the battle
group to continue the exercises. Tragedy struck the air wing again, however,
when on 31 July 1992 an E-2C from VAW-126 reported experiencing difficulties and
the cockpit filling with smoke. The plane crashed into the sea approximately
four miles from the ship and 60 miles north of
Once the ship and air wing were certified for deployment,
the ship chopped to Commander 2nd Fleet on 6 August 1992, and returned to
After conducting two days of carquals off the Virginia capes
(9-11 September 1992) John F. Kennedy remained in those waters and
participated in fleet exercises with a battle group that consisted of the ships
from the earlier constituted CTF 24.1 in addition to the command ship Mount
Whitney (LCC-20) and destroyer Caron (DD-970). Various media
representatives covered the exercises, pursuing the story of the Navy’s role
and its response to various missions. The training concluded on 17 September
and John F. Kennedy returned to
The crew initiated a pre-overseas movement (POM) stand down
to allow half the crew to take leave until 27 September 1992 and the other half
to take leave from 27 September to 5 October. The ship continued to load out
and complete maintenance required for deployment through the stand down period.
John F. Kennedy got underway for deployment on 7 October. She conducted
two days of refresher carquals for the air wing and then began the Atlantic
transit on 9 October 1992 accompanied by her old consorts Gettysburg, Leyte
Gulf, Wainwright, Caron, Halyburton, McInerney,
Capodanno,and the attack submarines Seahorse (SSN-669) and Albuquerque
(SSN-706), supported by ammunition ship Santa Barbara (AE-28) and Kalamazoo.
A two-plane C-2 detachment from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 also
deployed with the carrier, a new support concept during the deployment. An
intense focus on ensuring chemical warfare defense readiness, cleanliness, and
safety training, marked the trans-Atlantic voyage. On 18 October, the warship
transited the
John F. Kennedy then set her course up the
On 13 November 1992, John F. Kennedy anchored off
On 19 November 1992, John F. Kennedy embarked twelve
senior Egyptian Navy and Air Force officers, including Vice Admiral Ahmed Ali
Fadel, Commander of Naval Operations of the Egyptian Navy, for a debrief on
Operation Seawind. Four days later, TV reporter Joe Flannagan and his
film crew from Norfolk TV station WVEC, embarked in John F. Kennedy for
extensive coverage to be used on a Christmas Eve telecast. After the debrief
for Seawind and a weapons on-load, the ship anchored in
African Eagle began on 6 December 1992 with an
amphibious landing. During the exercise, an F-14 from VF-14 apparently struck a
cable during a low-level flight over
John F. Kennedy’s visit reflected the same type of
atmosphere as had prevailed during Fleet Week in
John F. Kennedy weighed anchor on 4 January 1993 and
sailed for the
On 17 January 1993, after just two-and-a-half days in port,
however, John F. Kennedy received orders to get underway for contingency
operations while
John F. Kennedy began conducting flight operations in the eastern Med on 21 January 1993. Those continued until 28 January, when the carrier turned around and began transit out of the region. On 1 February, she welcomed Vice Admiral Lefebvre of the French Navy.
One week later, on 8 February 1993, John F. Kennedy
anchored at
With the end of her deployment drawing near, John F.
Kennedy began heading westward. In preparation for her homeward voyage, she
embarked family service support people by aircraft; the carrier transited the
John F. Kennedy continued her stand down period for the first week of May 1993. Prior to getting underway on the morning of 10 May, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee came aboard to tour living spaces on the ship studying berthing requirements. The carrier sailed later that morning and conducted flight operations in the afternoon. Those operations continued until 19 May. On 16 May, a group of Tuskegee Airmen embarked for a general aircraft carrier orientation.
On 18 May 1993, the Chief and Associate Judges from the United States Court of Military Appeals, Flag Legal Officers, distinguished legal visitors and several legal officers paid a visit to John F. Kennedy. The purpose of their visit was twofold: to educate the crew on the purpose and workings of the Court of Military Appeals and to provide a Fleet orientation to senior civilian and military personnel in the Department of Defense legal system.
After completing her carquals, John F. Kennedy moored
to Pier 12 on 21 May 1993. On 24 May, she got underway for
On 24 June 1993, Captain Joseph R. Hutchison relieved
Captain Beard as commanding officer. A little less than a month later, on 20
July, John F. Kennedy departed
Not scheduled for any operations during August 1993, John
F. Kennedy continued to prepare for her upcoming yard period, work
interrupted as the month drew to a close with the approach of Hurricane Emily.
John F. Kennedy sortied on 30 August, but within hours of clearing
Three days later, on 5 September 1993, John F. Kennedy
hosted a gala to commemorate her Silver Anniversary, attended by her sponsor,
Mrs. Caroline [Kennedy] Schlossberg. “Growing up it always meant so much to my
brother and me to know that this ship, and all of you, were bringing my
father’s name and memory around the world,” she told the crew. “We were so
proud whenever we would read of ‘Big John’ in the newspapers being in the
Mediterranean, in Desert Storm, in the Adriatic or in
On 13 September 1993, John F. Kennedy sailed for
Some immediate projects included the removal of asbestos, completed on 15 October, and the removal of organotin, completed on 5 November. On 18 November, the first of her propellers was removed, and with it, any doubts that John F. Kennedy could be dispatched in any sort of emergency. The carrier completed her first Quarterly Progress Review on 8 December. The next day, the bow anchor and chain were removed. Four days before Christmas, John F. Kennedy hosted Robert J. “B.J.” McHugh Jr., an eight-year-old bone cancer patient, who received a tour of the ship with his family, as a guest of Captain Hutchison, and lunched with the Chief Petty Officers.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig addressed John F. Kennedy’s future on 5 August 1994. “On 1 October 1995,” he announced, John F. Kennedy would be “designated an operational reserve carrier and reserve force ship assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.” Following an initial deployment, the carrier would be available to deploy with either an active or reserve air wing when mobilized in support of urgent operational requirements. John F. Kennedy’s new primary function during contingency operations would be to provide a surge capability, and in peacetime, to support training requirements. She would participate regularly in routine fleet exercises, carquals and battle group training.
Undocked and moved to Pier Six on 15 November 1994, John F. Kennedy began 1995 with a change of command ceremony in January, Captain Gerald L. Hoewing relieving Captain Hutchison. Eight months later, John F. Kennedy got underway for the first time in over two years, her underway period prolonged briefly by the presence of Hurricane Felix.
On 3 September 1995, John F. Kennedy completed her overhaul and sailed for Mayport. During the underway period, the carrier completed her first carquals in over two years. The ship received a warm welcome from Mayport upon her arrival on 22 September.
The year 1995 closed with John F. Kennedy’s role ever changing. The ship conducted a ten-day fast cruise to provide extensive training for the crew and to ensure more sailors met damage control, engineering casualty control and general shipboard readiness standards. Hangar Bays One and Two were resurfaced during the month of December. John F. Kennedy held a shipboard holiday party on Christmas.
In June and July of 1996, John F. Kennedy made a
The secretaries of the Navy, Air Force and Army embarked for an overnight stay and conference on 4 October 1996. Each dignitary arrived in a different aircraft: Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton in an F-14 Tomcat, Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall in an F/A-18 Hornet, and Secretary of the Army Togo West in an Army H-60 Blackhawk. All three toured areas of the ship specialized for operations involving two or more of the services; their meeting focused on command and control, communications, computers and intelligence.
John F. Kennedy and her air wing, CVW-8, began 1997 with composite training unit exercises (4-12 February), followed by Joint Task Force Exercise ’97-2 (7-23 March), both of which took place in the Puerto Rico operating area, evolutions that tested the ship and her air wing in simulating threats and challenges facing a battle group during deployment and in forward-deployed joint operations. Joining the John F. Kennedy Battle Group were the Kearsarge (LHD-3) Amphibious Ready Group; elements from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit; elements of the Army’s 18th Airborne Corps, 18th Aviation Brigade, and the 82nd Airborne Division; the USAF Air Combat and Air Mobility Commands; Special Operations Command; U.S. Space Command; the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Maritime Forces.
Sadly, during the Joint Task Force Exercise ’97-2, HS-3 lost
one of its Seahawks (Troubleshooter 615) that crashed, with the loss of
its entire crew, while attempting a landing on board the guided missile frigate
The training sharpened the skills of the crew as they
prepared to take their station to support
John F. Kennedy (CV-67) (foreground) assumes the
watch in the western
Soon after John F. Kennedy reached the
John F. Kennedy then participated in Operation Deliberate
Guard (19-22 June 1997), operating in the Adriatic, CVW-8 flying “real
world” missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina. HS-3, during that time, sent one of
its SH-60Fs to operate to guided missile cruiser
After visiting Haifa (8-14 August 1997), John F. Kennedy
operated in the eastern Med, then headed for Suez, transiting the canal on 17
August and setting course for the Arabian Gulf. Transiting the
After transiting the Suez Canal (25 September 1997), John F. Kennedy resumed operations in the Med, taking part in another exercise, Dynamic Mix (1-5 October) that involved forces from Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. After visiting Tarragona, Spain (8-13 October), John F. Kennedy, relieved by George Washington (CVN-73) on 16 October 1997, headed for Mayport, carrying out a Tiger Cruise (25-28 October) that concluded with the ship’s arrival at Mayport to wind up the deployment.
In 1998, John F. Kennedy served as the flagship for
ComCarGru2 during Fleet Week ’98. More than 14 ships from three navies
participated in the event. Distinguished visitors included the Chairman, Joint
Chiefs of Staff, General Henry Shelton, Secretary of the Navy Dalton, and the
Mayor Rudy Giuliani of
From 11 to 19 November 1998, John F. Kennedy participated in Exercise Fuertes Defensas 98/99 at Dam Neck, Virginia in a simulated battle space. The evolution provided an opportunity for the ship to sharpen her skills in the areas of maritime interceptions, mine countermeasures, naval coastal warfare, strike warfare, and support joint and combined forces ashore. It demonstrated the challenges to establishing and operating a Joint Task Force, and the importance of joint doctrine and cooperative command relationships.
After upkeep in Mayport, which lasted until 22 January 1999,
John F. Kennedy resumed work in the
John F. Kennedy underwent tailored ship’s training availability training from 11-20 June 1999 and another CompTUEx from 21-30 June. John F. Kennedy then enjoyed a six-day port visit at St. Maartin before hoisting anchor and participating in another CompTUEx from 7-17 July. From 20-29 July, the carrier participated in a joint task force exercise. She returned to Mayport the next day, where, on 6 August, Captain Michael H. Miller relieved Captain Robin Y. Weber.
John F. Kennedy conducted a Family Day cruise on 29 August 1999, and then settled into for an upkeep slated to last until 16 September. Hurricane Floyd, however, compelled a change of plans as what was considered to be the worst hurricane to hit the eastern seaboard since Andrew (1992), arrived. The carrier put to sea on 13 September to ride out the storm.
Two days later, John F. Kennedy received a message
from the Coast Guard telling of a distress call from Gulf Majesty, a
150-foot ocean-going tug that had been towing a 669-by-103-foot container
barge. Her eight-man crew reported that they were unable to save the boat, and
after grabbing their emergency position indicator beacon, abandoned their craft
in a life raft in the 30-foot seas and 50-knot winds. As the nearest ship to
the foundering tug, John F. Kennedy launched two of HS-11’s HH-60H Seahawks,
flown by Lieutenant Commander Edward J. D’Angelo and Lieutenants Ruben Ramos,
Christopher I. Pesile, and David H. Rios, with Aviation Warfare Systems
Operator 3d Class Timothy F. Lemmerman, Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare
Operators 3d Class Sean P. Whitfield, Michael P. Tungett, Shad D. Hernandez,
William A. Beasley and Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Operator 2d Class David
R. Matthews as rescue aircrewmen, to respond. One of the helicopters found
three members of the crew in the water clutching their distress beacon and
picked them up. A Coast Guard Lockheed HC-130 Hercules from
John F. Kennedy returned to Mayport on 16 September
1999 to embark the rest of her air wing for deployment, and sailed for the
Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf on 17 September, accompanied by destroyers Spruance
and John Hancock, guided missile cruiser
Detachments from CVW-1 participated in Frisian Flag ’99
(27 September-8 October 1999) at Leeuwarden Royal Netherlands Air Force Base in
the
From 15-30 October 1999, John F. Kennedy participated
in Bright Star 1999, an exercise that enabled CVW-1 to train with
Egyptian Air and Special Operations forces and involved the deployment of 705
fixed and rotary wing aircraft from seven nations. The CVW-1 pilots dropped
live laser-guided and inert bombs in
John F. Kennedy transited the Suez Canal on 31
October 1999, to support Operation Southern Watch and UN sanctions
against
John F. Kennedy began operating on 10 November 1999
in support of Southern Watch with daily missions over southern
John F. Kennedy flew missions in support of Southern Watch for another week, until 21 November 1999, followed by another stint from 27-30 November, 9-22 December, and 28 December-11 January 2000, punctuating those operational periods with visits to Bahrain (23-27 November), during which time (26 November) Admiral Jay L. Johnson, the Chief of Naval Operations, presented the pilots and aircrew from the two HS-11 helicopters that were involved in the Hurricane Floyd rescues, with awards for their actions, and Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (22-28 December). CVW-1’s planes flew interdiction missions, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), tactical reconnaissance escort, and DCA flights. During these operations, VFA-86 combat tested a SLAM-ER (standoff land attack missile, expanded response) for the first time. Also, VFA-82 recorded the Navy’s first operations use of the joint direct attack munition (JDAM) in combat during a strike against Iraqi air defenses. The carrier’s pilots destroyed radar sites, anti-aircraft artillery and SAM sites.
John F. Kennedy -- conducting missions in support of Southern
Watch at the time -- became the “Carrier of the New Millennium” on 1 January
2000 by virtue of her being the only carrier underway when 2000 arrived.
January 2000 also saw two more port visits to
John F. Kennedy remained at her homeport until 26 April 2000, when she proceeded to the Jacksonville Operating Area to complete her ammunition offload. The carrier returned to Mayport on 1 May for ten more days of upkeep. On 12 May, she began two weeks of carquals, followed by another upkeep period in Mayport, lasting from 26 May- 24 June.
On 25 June to 22 July 2000, John F. Kennedy took part
in OpSail 2000 then steamed north to
On 14 August 2000, John F. Kennedy began operations
in the
John F. Kennedy remained in upkeep status at Mayport
until 5 February 2001. The next day, wearing Rear Admiral Lewis W. Crenshaw,
Jr.’s flag as ComCarGru 6, and with CVW-7 embarked, she sailed for carquals and
to begin technical evaluations of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC).
Phase One was conducted in the Puerto Rican operating area, and ended with a
port visit for all participating units: including the guided missile cruisers
John F. Kennedy’s Battle Group contained five Aegis-equipped
ships with CEC systems:
After visiting
John F. Kennedy began her transit to
John F. Kennedy returned to
John F. Kennedy conducted TSTA (phases I and II) from 10-25 July 2001 before returning to Mayport on 27 July for upkeep that extended until 22 August. During that time, on 30 July 2001, Rear Admiral Steven J. Tomaszeski (who had been the carrier’s exec at one point in his career) relieved Rear Admiral Crenshaw as ComCarGru 6/Commander John F. Kennedy Battle Group. On 23 August, the carrier began a week of TSTA, phase III. She returned to Mayport on 31 August for an extended upkeep period. From 6 to 8 August, John F. Kennedy Battle Group units participated in Solid Curtain, an Atlantic Fleet exercise that extended along the entire east coast, an evolution designed to test and improve the battle group’s ability to recognize and defend against terrorist attacks while in-port. Tragic events transpired soon thereafter that rendered such concerns justified.
On 11 September 2001, terrorists flew two Boeing 767
commercial airliners, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight
175, into the
As those events unfolded, John F. Kennedy and her
battle group were slated to get underway for CompTUEx 01-2; ordered to support
Operation Noble Eagle instead, set in motion in the wake of the brutal
terrorist assault, the carrier and her consorts quickly established air
security along the mid-Atlantic seaboard, including under its umbrella
Washington, D.C., “to help calm a fearful and shocked nation.” Simultaneously, George
Washington and her battle group operated in proximity of
Released from Noble Eagle on 14 September 2001, John
F. Kennedy steamed for the Puerto Rican operating areas to conduct
intermediate level CompTUEx along with ten other U.S. warships, including the
guided missile cruisers Hue City and Vicksburg, the guided
missile destroyers Carney, The Sullivans, and Roosevelt,
the destroyer Spruance, the guided missile frigates Underwood and
Taylor, the fast combat support ship Seattle, and the attack
submarines Toledo (SSN-769) and Boise (SSN-764). The exercise
included naval surface fire support, ship-to-ship gunnery training, traditional
surface warfare and underwater training, and air-to-ground bombing using inert
ordnance. John F. Kennedy and her air wing, CVW-7, qualified for blue
water or open-ocean certification and the battle group became the first to
employ the Navy’s new Cooperative Engagement Capability during CompTUEx,
completing the exercise on 13 October. On 16 October, the group participated in
a SinkEx that involved ex-Guam (LPH-9) off the Cherry Point Operating
Area, the coup de grace being administered by ballistic missile submarine
John F. Kennedy returned to Mayport on 20 October,
for upkeep that lasted until 26 November 2001. On 27 November, John F.
Kennedy steamed to the waters off
John F. Kennedy began operations in 2002 when she conducted Joint Task Force Exercise 02-01, Phase 1, from 19-25 January, followed by sea trials on 26-27 January. The ship returned to Mayport on 28 January for three days of upkeep. John F. Kennedy began two days of sea trials on 3 February. That day, while conducting trials of her engineering plant and other operational equipment, John F. Kennedy lost steering control during an underway replenishment with the oiler Leroy Grumman (T-AO-195). She implemented an emergency breakaway procedure and regained steering, allowing the ships to maintain a safe distance. Neither ship reported any damaged equipment, but eight sailors in John F. Kennedy sustained minor injuries.
John F. Kennedy, wearing Rear Admiral Tomaszeski’s flag as ComCarGru 6, and with CVW-7 embarked, deployed to the Persian Gulf, on 7 February 2002, two months ahead of schedule, in a battle group that included guided missile cruisers Vicksburg and Hue City, guided missile destroyer Roosevelt, destroyer Spruance, and guided missile frigates Underwood and Taylor. From 7 to 15 February, John F. Kennedy and her consorts completed phase II of Joint Task Force Exercise 02-01, in the midst of which, on 12 February 2002, Captain Ronald H. Henderson, Jr., relieved Captain Greene, who had presided over the ship’s successful preparations for her deployment, as commanding officer. On 16 February, John F. Kennedy and her battle group began their “Trans-Atlantic Journey.”
John F. Kennedy chopped into the 6th Fleet on 21
February 2002 to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On 23
February, she transited the
While John F. Kennedy
was conducting flight-training operations on 2 March 2002, approximately 50
nautical miles south of
John F. Kennedy
transited the Suez Canal on 4 March 2002, one day after the commencement of
Operation Anaconda, unleashed by
Captain Henderson, on the eve of the ship’s launching her
first strikes in support of Enduring Freedom, addressed his crew on 10
March 2002: “We are currently proceeding, at best speed, to our launch strike
for tonight’s strikes, off the coast of
“Our enemy is a group of religious fanatics,” he continued,
“who pervert the peace of Islam and twist its meaning to justify the murder of
thousands of innocents at the Twin Towers of New York, at the Pentagon, and in
a field in Pennsylvania. They hate us and attack us because they oppose all
that is good about
“
”Millions of Americans wish they could be with us here tonight,” he continued, “They saw the Twin Towers fall, and watched helplessly, wanting to do something to defend America and our way of life. For us tonight, that wait and that helplessness are over. We have reached the point where we are all part of something so much greater than ourselves. For the rest of our lives, no matter whether we stay in the Navy or move on to civilian life, no matter what we do or where we go, we will remember that on 10 March 2002, we came together and struck a blow for freedom.”
After noting the “volunteer” nature of the service, the
captain noted the opportunity given them, the “chance to truly make a
difference in the world,” and the diversity of the country they served: “We
represent
“This war will not be short, pleasant or easy. It has already required the sacrifice of our firefighters, our policemen, our soldiers, our Sailors, our airmen, and our Marines. More sacrifices will be made. In the end we will win, precisely because we are those things that the terrorists hate—prosperous, happy, tolerant, and most of all, free.”
Paying tribute to the nation’s
unity of purpose, their families’ backing them,
”Stay sharp,” he urged his crew. “Stay focused. Stay safe.
Use the training that has made you the best Sailors in the world, the best
Sailors in the history of the world. Trust in your faith, and in your
shipmates. God bless us all, and God bless
Soon thereafter, John F. Kennedy began launching her first strikes in support of operations Anaconda and Enduring Freedom. During a night mission over Afghanistan on 12 March, Commander John C. Aquilino, VF-11’s commanding officer, and Lieutenant Commander Kevin Protzman made the first combat strike of the Mk. 84 2,000-pound JDAM -- a guided air-to-surface weapon utilizing a tail control system and the Global Positioning System for guidance -- from their F-14B Tomcat.
While underway, John F. Kennedy’s combat system’s CS-4 division replaced one of the motors on the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) antenna. With the equipment restored, the crew enjoyed better access to telephones, e-mail and the Internet. DSCS provided 40% of the bandwidth for shipboard communications and after CS-4’s work, there was less e-mail backlog and the Internet rendered more accessible.
John F. Kennedy welcomed
John F. Kennedy assumed sole responsibility for carrier operations supporting Enduring Freedom on 17 April 2002 when Rear Admiral Tomaszeski became CTF-50, marking the transition from multi-carrier battle group operations to single.
After a port visit to
Two days later, on 16 June 2002, off the coast of
The George Washington (CVN-73) Battle Group relieved John
F. Kennedy and her consorts of their Enduring Freedom
responsibilities on 19 July 2002. All told, John F. Kennedy had spent
129 days in theatre, conducting 97 Enduring Freedom fly days. CVW-7
averaged 76 sorties per day from 11 March through 17 July. They also dropped
62,113,994 pounds of ordnance on Taliban and al Qaeda targets and supported
The crews of both ships transferred ordnance and CVW-7
aircrews debriefed their George Washington counterparts from CVW-17 on
procedures for conducting Enduring Freedom missions. The two carriers
also completed turnover, which actually began several weeks earlier via the
Internet. John F. Kennedy had been the only
Returning home, John F. Kennedy transited the
Five days later, John F. Kennedy began the first of three carqual stints before she underwent extended selective restricted availability (ESRA) that concluded on 4 October 2002. The second qualifications period began on 28 October and ended on 5 November. The third and final carquals period began on 3 December and lasted for ten days. While engaged in the last qualifications period, the crew began the ESRA a month ahead of the 6 January 2003 scheduled launch date.
After sitting in Mayport for almost a year and undergoing the $300 million ESRA, John F. Kennedy was finally underway again on 11 November 2003. During this underway period, she conducted five days of sea trials with a green crew – nearly half of them had never been underway in the ship.
Captain Henderson turned over command to Captain Stephen G.
Squires on 8 April 2004. A little less than two months later, on 2 June 2004,
the Navy announced the simultaneous deployment of seven carrier strike groups
(CSGs) to demonstrate the Navy’s ability to provide credible combat power
across the globe by operating in five theaters with other U.S., allied and
coalition military forces. Dubbed Summer Pulse’04, this exercise was the
first of the Navy’s new Fleet Response Plan (FRP) slated to result in increased
force readiness and the ability to provide combat power in response to a
crisis. Along with John F. Kennedy, the other carriers involved were George
Washington, John C. Stennis, Kitty Hawk (CV-63), Harry S.
Truman (CVN-75),
John F. Kennedy, operating as part of Summer Pulse
’04, completed Combined Joint Task Force Exercise (CJTFEX) 04-2, or
Operation Blinding Storm, in June. The exercise marked the first Joint
National Training Capability (JNTC) integration event, during which training
focused on functional coalition component commands. All elements of the
After a port visit to
On 22 July 2004, while conducting night flight operations in international waters during the first watch, John F. Kennedy collided with, and sank, a dhow. The carrier and HMS Somerset immediately launched helicopters and small boats to search for survivors. U.S. Navy P-3 Orions assisted in the unsuccessful search and rescue operations.
John F. Kennedy’s second encounter with one of the
ubiquitous wood and sail craft that ply the waters of the region, however,
ended more happily. On 14 August 2004, guided missile cruiser Mobile Bay
(CG-53) received a distress signal from the Iranian cargo dhow Naji, in
the
“We thought we were dead,” Mortada G. Asfendeary told his
rescuers through Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman Moataz Ghonem of HS-15,
who translated his remarks, “We made smoke so people would see us. Three boats
passed us before the helicopter came to get us.” “Thank you,” said Naser
Afendeary, another member of Naji’s crew, “
On 5 October 2004, Captain Dennis E. FitzPatrick relieved
Captain Squires in command, and four days later, Secretary of Defense Donald H.
Rumsfeld, accompanied by the defense ministers of 18 countries assisting the
“I cannot think of a better place,” Rumsfeld declared, “for
my fellow ministers of defense to witness
The war in
Marines from the I Marine
Expeditionary Force (MEF), supported by the Army’s 1st "Hell for
Leather" Cavalry Division and Iraqi security forces, quickly found
themselves embroiled in some of the fiercest house-to-house fighting since 1968
at Hué, in the Vietnam War. While flying preliminary missions on 6 November,
aircraft of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, pounded seven separate Iraqi
strongpoints in just eight hours. Weather played a key role in the battle, the
low ceiling forcing fixed-wing aircraft to fly lower than normal standards and
for more involvement by helos, the enemy taking advantage of the opportunities
afforded by firing SAMs, anti-aircraft artillery, small arms, and even
rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) at aircraft. More ominously, the terrorists
repeatedly violated international laws, fighting from 26 mosques, including the
Khulafah Al Rashid, one of Fallujah’s most revered centers of Islamic
worship, and from three hospitals, including the Ar Ramadi General Hospital and
Medical College. Marines also discovered terrorist “slaughterhouses” where
hostages had been tortured and murdered, showing the merciless nature of the
adversaries faced in
In Fallujah’s crowded streets, avoiding collateral damage to civilians rendered crucial the employment of precision-guided munitions. Al Fajr marked the combat debut of GBU-38 500-pound JDAMs, guidance kits converting unguided bombs into precision-guided “smart” munitions, utilizing global positioning system (GPS) navigation, when F/A-18C Hornets of VFA-34, flying from John F. Kennedy, dropped two against insurgents in Fallujah. Dealing a serious blow to the terrorists and insurgents, the liberation of the city proved instrumental in paving the way for the successful elections. CVW-17 aircraft flew an average of 38 missions a day in support of marines and soldiers on the ground. “Our success at Fallujah as an air wing,” Captain Mark Guadagnini, the air wing commander, later declared, “is a testament to the Sailors that work on the ships and on the flight deck. We couldn’t afford to fail. The international community and the Iraqi nation were depending upon us.”
Ultimately, following a
vertical ammunition replenishment and turnover ceremonies, the Harry S.
Truman (CVN-75) Battle Group relieved John F. Kennedy’s on 20
November 2004 in the
Word of her pending
inactivation notwithstanding, John F. Kennedy spent the first quarter of
2005 "focused on maintaining 'Surge deployment' readiness under the Fleet
Response Plan." The ship logged 818 arrested landings by the end of January
2005, and the following month participated in a pierside Multi-Battle Group
Inport Exercise (MBGIE) that involved ships and staffs out of
John F. Kennedy
completed her Surge sustainment on 11 March, beginning an ammunition offload of
conventional ordnance with Theodore Roosevelt and the Military Sealift
Command ammunition ship USNS
Underway from Mayport on 16 May 2005, John F. Kennedy, with CVW-17 and
500 marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), recently returned
from a combat deployment in Iraq, embarked, visited Boston, hosting 65,000
visitors (19-23 May). She then visited
John F. Kennedy conducted Training Command (TraCom) carrier qualifications at the end of July (26-31 July 2005), then returned to Mayport on 1 August. A little over a month later, on 8 September, the ship got underway for Norfolk as Hurricane Ophelia threatened northern Florida, proceeding to sea as Commander Task Group 183.2 (Hurricane Sortie Commander); during the evolution, the carrier's engineering force lit-off the boilers and permitted the ship to get underway within ten hours of the order. After remaining in-port at Norfolk (10-16 September) as Ophelia "slowly and erratically moved up the east coast," John F. Kennedy conducted TraCom carrier qualifications en route back to Mayport (1,189 day and 230 night traps), ultimately returning to her home port on 28 September. She conducted more TraCom carquals the following month (25-29 October), then participated in a Multi-ship Inport Training Exercise (14-18 November), and then carried out one more stint of TraCom qualifications between 9 and 14 December, logging her 20,000th arrested landing since her 2003 ESRA the first day out.