George Washington (CVN 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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 WB3K®59mW Master Chief Petty Officer Kellam, a native of Miami, Florida, joined the U.S. Navy’ in June of 1980. After attending recruit training in Orlando, Florida, he served two consecutive sea tours aboard USS PIEDMONT (AD 17), and USS SCOTT (DDG 995). While aboard USS SCOTT he was advanced to Second Class Petty Officer and participated in Operations during the Grenada campaign. Upon completion of sea duty, he was assigned to Naval Technical Training center, Pensacola, Florida, in which he served as Command Investigator and Evidence Custodian. He returned to sea duty in 1986, and was assigned to USS O’BANNON (DD 987) as Leading Petty Officer of Deck Department. During this assignment he was meritoriously advanced to First Class Petty Officer. Again doing back-to-back sea assignments he transferred to Commander, Submarine Squadron FOUR (SUBRON FOUR) aboard the Submarine Tender USS FRANK CABLE (AS 40) as Division Officer for second division and subsequently advanced to Chief Petty Officer. In October 1991, he transferred to Naval Station Rota, Spain for shore duty with follow on orders to Assault Craft Unit TWO, Little Creek, Virginia in December 1994. He qualified as Craft Master and Officer in Charge of Landing Craft Utility (LCU 1656) a 200 ton, 135 ft, category “A” Vessel and 13 person crew. During this tour he supported various Joint Task Force operations including OPERATION ASSURED RESPONSE. By 1998 he was assigned to Waterfront Support Maintenance Department, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and advanced to Senior Chief Petty Officer. After his advancement he was assigned to Port Operations as Leading Chief Petty Officer responsible for logistics support of all assigned units to include the Arizona Memorial and Ceremonial guard units at Ford Island. Completing his tour in Hawaii, he was selected to attend the Senior Enlisted Academy and graduated in March 2001. Upon graduation, he was advanced to his present grade of Master Chief Petty Officer and assigned to Commander, Amphibious Group TWO (COMPHIBGRU TWO) aboard the USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD 44). During this assignment, he completed UNITAS deployment 42-01 and was selected as a Command Master Chief. In 2002 Master Chief Kellam served as CMC in VAW-125 aboard USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73), VAW-120 in 2003, and in March 2005 he was selected for his current position as Command Master Chief of Carrier Air Wing SEVENTEEN w here he is responsible to the CAG Commander in matters concerning mission accomplishment, good order and discipline, command climate, planning boards, family advocacy, and Regional Navy Issues for eight squadrons. Master Chief’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy' Commendation Medal with three gold stars, Navy Achievement Medal with three gold stars, and numerous campaign and unit awards. He is Married to the former Diane Laney and has two sons, Jeffrey and Steven. They reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

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 SfSfci Captain Szarleta was commissioned through the NROTC program at Purdue University with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. After completing Naval Flight Officer school in 1985, he was assigned to VAQ- 140 as an EA-6B ECMO, homeported at NAS Whfdbey Island for deployments with the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 67) and USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) Battlegroups in the Mediterranean Theater. In 1988, Captain Szarleta was selected for the NFO to Pilot Transition program where he received his Naval Aviator designation and subsequent orders to the Hornet community. Assigned to VFA-136, he completed workup and deployment cycles with CVW-7 aboard USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) throughout the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and North Atlantic AOR’s. In 1994, he reported to the U.S. Army’s Command and Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for JPME Phase One training. After FRS refresher training, he reported to the Dambusters of VFA-195, homeported in Atsugi, Japan, with CVW-5 aboard the USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA 62). Serving as Safety, Maintenance, and Operations Officer, he completed several deployments throughout Korea, the Persian Gulf, and Pacific theaters. In 1997, Captain Szarleta reported to VFA-106, the east coast F A-18 FRS for duties as assistant Training, Training, and Operations Officers during the BRAC closing of NAS Cecil Field, Florida, and subsequent relocation to NAS Oceana, Virginia. Captain Szarleta reported to the Bulls of VFA-37 as Executive Officer in March 2000 and deployed with CVW-3 and the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 74) Battlegroup in the Arabian Gulf. After his command tour at VFA-37, Captian Szarleta reported to the Navy Military Personnel Command in Millington, Tennesse as Head, Air Combat Placement (PERS-433) and the Bureau’s Naval Aviation Production Team Representative. In November 2003, Captain Szarleta assumed command of the Rough Raiders of VFA-125. In May 2006, he assumed the duties as Deputy Commander, Carrier Air Wing SEVENTEEN (CVW-17).

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The Air Group that would come to be known as Carrier Air Wing SEVENTEEN, Carrier Air Group EIGHTY TWO, was created during World War II on 1 April 1944 in Atlantic City. Air Group EIGHTY TWO deployed for one of the last combat tours of the war onboard USS BENNINGTON (CV 20) as the first air group to operate from her decks. The Air Group operated in the pacific for the remainder of the war supporting the assault on Iwo Jima and the Japanese home islands. During the battle for Okinawa, the Air Group was the first to attack the Japanese super battleship YAMATO in the action that resulted in that ship's sinking. Following the war, the Air Group was redesignated Carrier Air Group SEVENTEEN (CVAG-17) and redeployed to the East Coast in 1946. Until the Air Group was deactivated in September 1958, Air Group SEVENTEEN operated with the Atlantic Fleet and deployed to the Mediterranean and North Atlantic onboard USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, USS WASP, and USS CORAL SEA. Air Group SEVENTEEN was reactivated in November 1966 as Air Wing SEVENTEEN (CVW-17) and assigned to the USS FORRESTAL (CV 59). Just 6 1 2 months after re-forming, the Air Wing deployed to the Tonkin Gulf aboard FORRESTAL. CVW-17 flew its first combat missions into Vietnam on 25 July 1967. On the fifth day of combat operations, a Zuni rocket was accidentally fired across FORRESTAL’s flight deck resultingfn a catajRrophic fire. lerculean efforts eventu- ally controlled the flames, but not before 134 mpi wecjRulled (Ajuding l2 Air Wing personnel) and 21 aircraft were destroyed. Throughout me next 15 years thmFORRESTAL CVW-17 remained intact, conducting ten Mediterranean deployments. Themjr Wing Headquarters moved from NAS Oceana to NAS Cecil Field in 1980. When FORRESTALentered a three-year Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) in November 1982, CVW-17 crossdlcked to the USS SARATOGA (CV 60). The ‘85-’86 Med Cruise found the SAR ATOGA CVW-17 l earn in the thick of the action, intercepting the Egyptian airliner containing Achille Lauro hijackers on 10 October 1985 and con- ducting strikes against Libya in March 1986. Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, CVW-17 and SARATOGA were immediately dispatched from a Med deployment to the Red Sea. During Operation DESERT SHIELD, CVW-17 and SARATOGA maintained sea control in the Red Sea while preparing for combat. CVW-17 launched its first combat strike into Iraq at 3:00 a.m. on 17 January' 1991 and continued tojrtrike targets almost continuously over the next 43 days during Operation DESERT STORM. CVW-17 aircraft delivered over four million pounds of ord- nance during DESERT STORM, returning home on 28 March 1991. In November 1992, CVW-17 and SARATOGA completed yet another record setting deployment to the Mediterranean, logging over 22,500 flight hours and over 9,500 arrested landings. CVW-17 and SARATOGA were the first Carrier Battle Group to take station in the Adriatic off the coast of Yugoslavia in support of Operation PROVIDE PROMISE. In addition to supporting United Nations forces, CVW-17 participated in NATO and other exercises with eleven littoral Mediterranean countries. In June 1994 CVW-17 was transferred to USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) homeported in Norfolk, VA. In September 1994. CVW-17 moved its headquarters back to NAS Oceana, VA. Upon a successful 1996 deployment in ENTERPRISE, CVW-17 was transferred to USS EISENHOWER (CVN 69), also homeported in Norfolk, Va. In the summer of 1998, CVW-17 and EISENHOWER patrolled the Adriatic in an effort to keep peace in Yogoslavia. Following the 1998 Mediterranean cruise, CVW-17 was transferred to USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73), homeported in Norfolk VA. During “TEAM 90’s” (CVN 73 + CVW-17) combat deployment to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean in 2000 CVW-17 broke numerous operational and positive safety records flying 9,300 sorties, 18,000 flight hours and logging 9,200 arrested landings. As a result of a banner de- ployment and unmatched operational excellence and teamwork, the CVW-17 CVN 73 team gar- nered 52 awards in 2000 including 6 Battle “E”s, four Safety “S”s, the RADM McCIuskey and RADM Clifton awards, and the first ever RADM Ramage award for operational excellence.