Dwight Eisenhower (CVN 69) - Naval Cruise Book

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IKE ' s Exercises, Events, and Ports-of-Call IKE Day at Busch Gardens 16 Battle E Departmental Awards 18 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 20 St. John ' s, Antigua 26 IKE Picnic 30 REFTRA TYT ORE 32 Exercise DISTANT DRUM 36 Operations in the Gulf of Sidra 40 Exercise BRIGHT STAR 42 Damage Control Olympics 46 Flight Operations Feature 48 VERTREP 56 CONREP 58 Map of Port Calls 60 Naples, Italy 62 Rome, Italy 68 Capri, Italy 74 Taranto, Italy 76 Livorno, Italy 78 Pisa, Italy 80 Florence, Italy 84 Venice, Italy 88 Athens, Greece 92 Greek Isles 96 ' S J 14

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Command Master Chief ABCM William E. Nichols, Jr. Master Chief Aviation Boatswain Mate, William E. Nichols, Jr., assumed the duties as the Command Master Chief of IKE on 28 June 1982. He was born in Greybull, Wyoming on May 18, 1943. His first enlistment in the Navy commenced January 11, 1961. After completion of Recruit Training in San Diego, California, he reported to USS LEXINGTON (CVA-16) homeported in San Diego, California. Upon completion of her last WESTPAC cruise, the Blue Ghost transitted to the East Coast via Cape Horn in August 1962. He detached from LEXINGTON in December 1962 and reported to USS WASP (CVS-18) in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was advanced Petty Officer Second Class. Completing his required sea duty, he reported to NAAS Kingsville, Texas, in April 1964 and was assigned to the Aircraft Crash and Rescue Crew. Missing the fast pace of sea duty, he terminated his shore duty in October 1965 and reported to USS KITTY HAWK (CVA-63) in San Diego, California, as a Petty Officer First Class. After completing three combat tours to Viet Nam as a member of the flight deck crew, he reported to Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. For the next two years he served as the Assistant Crash Chief at OLF Bronson on the Perdido Bay. Upon completion of a tour of shore duty, his next assignment took him back to San Diego and USS TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) in September 1970 as the acting Flight Deck Chief. Shortly after assuming his duties he was advanced to Chief Petty Officer. In the spring of 1973, word was received that the TICO would be decommissioned and he received orders as an Aircraft Fire Fighting Instructor at the Fleet Training Center, San Diego, California. One year later he was selected for duty on the staff of the Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, in Norfolk, Virginia. His duties there included training and technical assistance to all Atlantic Fleet aircraft carriers in aircraft firefighting and aircraft handling procedures. He was also advanced to Senior Chief Petty Officer during this tour. He was selected to attend the Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, Rhode Island, at the completion of this normal tour of shore duty and was ordered to IKE as the Command Master Chief upon its competition. He is an Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist and his awards include the Presidential Unit Citation, two Navy Unit Commendations, five Good Conduct Awards, the National Defense Medal, nine Viet Nam Service awards, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Sea Service Ribbon, the Republic of Viet Nam Meritorious Unit Citation with Gallantry Cross, and the Expert Pistol Shot Medal. Master Chief Nichols is married to the former Martha J. Anderson for Brunswick, Georgia. He resides in Chesapeake, Virginia, with his wife and Yorkshire Terrier, Sassy.

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READEX - 83 was held in the Spring of 1983 in the Puerto Rico and Caribbean Operations Area. VADM James A. Lyons, Commander, SECOND Fleet, came aboard K£on 22 April to present Captain Clexton with the ' TOP SHIP ' award for the exercise. Joining the Captain in the Five Star Room were (L to R) CDR Rezeau, CDR Burch, the Executive Officer, CAPT Ritt, CDR Ramsdell, CDR Luecke, and IKE ' s Command Master Chief, ABCM Nichols. IKE hosted several groups of Midshipmen, both from the United States Naval Academy and NROTC units around the country. Midshipmen normally have two cruises during their four years of college: the first to show them what life as an enlisted man is like and the second to give them junior division officer training. Captain Clexton presents Dennis Beal and Shane Higgins with $500.00 scholarship checks from the wives clubs. 15