California (CGN 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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KITTY HAWK ttu group irojection of force worldwide is one of the most important ways that the United States ensures world peace is kept. These are the ships of the Kitty Hawk Battle Group that the California met and operated with during WESTPAC 1994. TOP TO BOTTOM: USS Cowpens (CG 63). USS Kitt} ' Hawk ICVN 63), and USS Vincennes (CG 49).

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X he Golden Grizzly beganhercommissionednaval service in February 1974. For ten years, Ccr i orn a, the sixth ' »hlp to bear the name, steamed the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea from Norfolk. Virginia, ser ing three times with the Sixth Fleet and twice with the Seventh Fleet. In the summer of 1977, California represented the lUnited States Surface Fleet at the Silver Jubilee Naval Review in Portsmouth, England. More than 150 warships from 18 nations participated in this commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth ' s coronation. Two years later, follow ing seizure of the U. S. Embassy in lran,CaUfornia , with VSSMmitz (CVN 68) and VSSTexas ( CGN 39 ), interrupted a routine Mediterranean cruise to steam from Livorno, Italy . to the southern coast of Iran in the North Arabian Sea. The all-nuclear task group completed the 12,000- mile transit in only eighteen days, remained on station in the Indian Ocean for the next five months, and eventually returned to Norfolk from the 80,000-mile, nine month deployment in May of 1980. The following year, California completed her second Indian Ocean cruise, returning to Norfolk via the Panama Canal to become the first nuclear-powered surface ship to circumnavi- gate the globe since the VSSEnterpriseTask Force completed Operation Sea Orbit in 1964. In September 1983, the Golden Grizzly left Norfolk for the last time, steaming through the Panama Canal to her new homeport. Naval Air Station Alameda, California. California embarked on her first Western Pacific Indian Ocean Cruise in February 1985 as a member of the VSSConstellation (CV 64) Battle Group. During the spring of 1986,Ca r br »aconducted several weeks of Bering Sea operations and became the first cruiser to visit Adak, Alaska, since World War II. She completed her second WESTP AC as well as her second Around the World ' ' cruise in 1987. The year 1988 brought continued high tempo operations asCalifornia cruised the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans for a third time serving as Battle Group Anti-Surface Warfare Commander during RIMPAC 1 988 as well as Battle Force Anti- Surface Warfare Commander for Olympic Presence Operations off the Korean Peninsula. Subsequently.during her 1988-1989 deployment.Caft oA-nta assumed duties as Anti- Air Warfare Commander for the Battle Group during operations in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf. While assigned to Strait of Hormuz patrol duties in December l9S ,California conducted the last USN EARNEST WILL convoy mission through that strait California has recently completed her Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. Washington. THis RCOH began in April 1990 and has providedCa i orHw with two high endurance D2W reactor cores for her power plants and the revolutionary New Threat Upgrade Combat Systems Suite which makes her the most capable Anti-Air Warfare platform of her type in the World. California will continue to operate out of her new home port in Bremerton. Washington. In June, 1994. California joined the USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group in the Western Pacific for the ship ' s first deploy- ment in five years. California exchanged personnel with the Republic of Korea Navy for a combined exercise and with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force for ANNUALEX 06G and KEEN EDGE 95. She also took part in a LINKEX with United States forces in and near Korea, accomplishing the most exten- sive tactical data link ever established in this region. The deployment wrapped up with participation ui TANDEM THRUST 95, a joint exercise with the armed forces of the United States and several allied nations. California then returned to her home at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard just before Christmas 1994.

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ENGINEERING department LCDR Brian Gah ' in ENGINEER OFFICER 1 he Engineering Department literally is the driving force behind the USS California. Engineering is responsible for the operation, maintenance and upkeep of California ' s two steam-driven propulsion plants, two D2W reactors, damage control and repairs which are beyond the capacity of the personnel or equipment of other departments. Overall, engineering is a department that can be proud of its contributions to the ship and its accomplishments. The department performed exceptionally throughout the deployment by continually keeping the California steaming and ready to meet any mission called upon. In addition, the department showed its professionalism through its outstanding perfor- mances during predeployment work-ups such as TSTA (Tai- lored Ship ' s Training Availability), PEP (Final Evaluated Period) and ORSE (Operational Reactors Safeguards Examina- tion) for which California received the highest grade to be given to a Pacific Fleet cruiser in nearly eight years. f V LCDR Bradley Olds ENGINEER OFFICER LT Dillman Damage Control Assistant LT Keough Auxiliaries Officer LT Engdahl LT Anderson Damage Control Assistant Mechanical Technical Assistant r LT Tonachel Electrical Officer LT Jablonsky Main Propulsion Assistant L X w o il LT Eckardt Chein Radcon Assistant LT Marchwinski Reactor Training Assistant