America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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i Top (Left): AMERICA makes historic transit of Suez Canal, May, 1981. Top (Right): Perth, Australia . . . May, 1981. Above: Perth . . . morning after. Above (Right): King Neptune reigns during Crossing the Line initiation, August 1981. Left: Beer day . . . October, 1981. CCQC : s so:2:2::c2 27

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Super Carrier, AMERICA . . . transits Suez On a gloomy morning, 14 April, 1981, AMERICA departed Norfolk with her escorts. During this deployment, she be- came the first super class carrier to transit the Suez Canal in both directions. Just by transiting the Suez one way, AMER- ICA was able to save 900,000 gallons of fuel and reduce 3400 miles and eight sailing days, from the normal 12,000 mile route around the horn of Africa. Total transit time was ten hours and ten minutes for the 104.5 mile route. During her seven month line period, AMERICA operated with the navies of Greece, Great Britain, Australia and Spain, steamed over 60,000 nautical miles in two oceans and vis- ited three countries. Just prior to returning from her seven month deployment, on 12 November, 1981, the Navy Board of Inspection and Survey team embarked in AMERICA to conduct INSURV. The results of the inspection were deemed outstanding by the board. It was particularly interesting to note that AMER- ICA was the first carrier ever to pass INSURV. On 7 December, 1981, AMERICA was back to sea for seven days to conduct fleet carrier qualifications, and a Tiger Cruise . During this period, she hosted the fathers and sons of AMERICA men and recorded almost 1700 ar- rested landings. Following the CQ period, AMERICA entered Norfolk Na- val Shipyard for a four month overhaul period. In addition to the normal renovating that took place, she was fitted with two weather satellite receivers and a heads up display unit for the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) platform. AMERICA also spent a short period in drydock for the purpose of re- working shaft cintron seals and refurbishing a tail shaft. AMERICA departed Norfolk in May. 1981, following sea trials, for pre-deployment training. Her training was exer- cised in the Carribbean operating area and included a four (4) day port call to the tropical paradise, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Top (Right): AMERICA departs Suez Canal at Port Said. October. 1981. Above: VS-33. S3-A . . . makes contact on Foxtrot submarine. 1981. Right: Emotions arise as AMERICA departs on Indian Ocean deployment. April, 1981. 26

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Indian Ocean deployment concludes . . . AMERICA prepares for 1982 83 schedule. After an appreciated six weeks in-port Norfolk, AMERICA departed 22 August to participate in the joint NATO exer- cise, United Effort and Northern Wedding 82. The track across the Atlantic encountered many challenges with grow- ing complexity as real world Soviet interest grew in intensi- ty. The Carrier Battle Group entered the North Sea from the southern Norwegian Sea and provided air cover for a major amphibious landing on Jutland. Port calls in Edinburg, Scot- land and Portsmouth, England gave the crew a respite in a very hectic schedule. Accentuating the mobility, flexibility and versatility of the carrier battle group, AMERICA departed Portsmouth, Eng- land early to augment the SIXTHFLT in support of U.S. Marine presence in Lebannon. Once in the Mediterranean, AMERICA participated in another important NATO exer- cise, Display Determination . In two short months, AMER- ICA had participated in major allied exercises in the Atlan- tic, Norwegian Sea and the Mediterranean, once again prov- ing that she is always ready to serve in any theater of operations. Following AMERICA ' S short presence in the Mediterren- ean, she steamed for the Puerto Rican operational area to complete pre-deployment training and to receive an oper- ational readiness examination (ORE). After the ORE and a short fleet carrier qualification peri- od, AMERICA returned to Norfolk to stand down before a lengthy deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. I I 28