Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72)

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Captain William B. Hayden Commanding Officer, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Captain William B. Hayden was bom in Oakland, Califor- nia, but was raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Dartmouth •liege under a Naval ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1966 ih a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He went on inactive duty for a ar eiuning a Master of Aerospace Engineering Degree from imell University in June 1967. Captain Hayden reported to flight training in June 1967 lI was designated a Naval Aviator in September 1968. He ported to VT-21, Kingsville. Texas, for SERGRAD instructor ity in the F-9F and the TA-4. He then transferred to VF-121 in iiamai-. Calit ' omia where he completed F-4 readiness training. March 1970. he rcp )rted to VF-143. making two WESTPAC nloymenls with tlie • Pukin Dogs aboaid USS Enterprise (CVN ). While overseas he was selected for test pilot training and adualed v ith distinction from the USAF Test Pilot Sch(X)l in cember 1973. His next assignment was lo Air Test and Evaluation luadron Four at Point Mugu. California, where he became Proj- 1 Officer for the first Air Combat Maneuvering Range. Follow- ivy acceptance of the ACMR. Captain Hayden became :int Chief Project Officer for Air-to- Air Tactics and also i ed as test pilot for CNO Project HAVE IDEA until May 1976. After completing replacement pilot training in the F-14A, Captain Hayden reported to VF-14 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). He made two MED deployments, serving first as Opera- tions Officer and then as Admin Personnel Officer for the ' To- phatters. In November 1978, he reported to VF-101 serving first as Maintenance Officer and ultimately as Executive Officer. In November 1979, he received orders to VF-32 as Executive Officer and returned to JFK for one more MED deployment where the Swordsmen won the Admiral Joseph Clifton Award as best Fighter Squadron in the Navy. Captain Hayden assumed com- mand of VF-32 in April 1981 and accepted new reconnaissance configured (TARPS) Tomcats before deploying with Air Wing Six on USS Independence (CV 62). The Swordsmen won the Battle E ' for their performance during the subsequent MED de- ployment. In September 1982, Captain Hayden reported to Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida. Upon completion of nuclear power training in March 1984, he reported to USS Dwight D. EisenhowenCVN 69) as Executive Officer. Following two years on IKE, Captain Hayden reported to Washington, DC., as Execu- tive Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Tactical Programs. Captain Hayden commanded USS Iwo Jima (LPH 2) ftxjm April 1987 to November 1988 where his crew won the Battle E as well as all departmental awards. He as- sumed command of Abraham Lin- coln (CVN 72) Precommissioning Unit in December 1988, and be- came the first Commanding Offi- cer of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) on November 11, 1989. Captain Hayden ' s decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, one individual Air Medal, seven Strike Right Air Medals, and the Navy Commendation Medal with Com- bat V . He has flown over 40(X) hours in 20 different aircraft and logged over 1,000 carrier landings. Captain Hayden is happily married to the former Margaret Kit Church of Annapolis, Mary- land. They reside in the Southern Points section of Virginia Beach, Virginia, while their two sons, Will and Matt, are away at college. COMMAND

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Captain Robert L. Petei on Executive Officer, USS Abraliam Lincoln (CVN 72) Captain Robert L. Peterson graduated from the United Slates Naval Academy in 1968 iind received his Masters Degree in l-lectrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. California, the following year. He then attended llight tiaining in Pensacola. Horida. and earned his wings of gold as a Naval Aviator in .lune 1970. Captain Peterson was assigned lo VAW-124. where he served as Avionics Division Officer, deploying to the Western Pacific and to the Meditenanean. In Januaiy 1975 he returned to I Naval Academy for instnjctor duty in the Academy ' s Electri- ..li l:nginecring Department. From Januaiy 1978 until Februiuy 19X0 he was assigned to the aircraft ciinier USS America (CV 66) i light Deck Officer. He then returned to VAW-124, again as the iilron ' s Maintenance and then Operations Officer. Upon detachment from VAW-124 in December 1982. lain Peterson reported to Commander, Carrier Airborne Early rning Wing TWELVE, where in April 1983. he reported as icer in Chaige of the VAW-127 precommissioning detach- 111. He then became VAW-127 s first Commanding Officer on 2 Member 1983. From August 198.S until August 1987. Capt. Tsoii seiTctl as Air Officer in USS Coral Sea (CV 43). From icinber 1987 until May 1989 Capt. Peterson completed nuclear CV training including sch(X)ls in Orlando. Florida; Balston Spa, York; New|Tort. Rhode Island and Washington. D.C. In Uine 1989 Captain Peterson ivported as the Executive Officer for the Precommissioning Unit, Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Captain Peterson has accumulated more than 4,500 flight hours and more than 4(X) aircraft carrier arrested landings. His decorations include two Meritorious Sers ' ice Medals, three Air Medals, Navy Achievement Medal and various unit commendation medals, .service and campaign medals. The son of Mrs. F.J. Alt of Harvard. III., Peterson and his wife, the fonner Mary Ellen Andrew, reside in Norfolk, Virginia with their children Robert. 19 and Erica. 16. COMMAND