Independence (CV 62) - Naval Cruise Book

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, T-,f -' ' 'a' ' ' ' K ' I' in A I 1 V, , .IMI a.E,,, ,Il fs E E llf fab 1 Captain Carter B. Refo Commanding Officer, USS INDEPENDENCE ICV 623

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ear Admiral Brent M. Bennitt, was born in Lakewood, California. I-Ie graduated from the Naval Academy in 1964, and was designated a Naval Aviator eighteen months later. After two combat cruises and 222 combat missions with VA 94 flying the A-4 v Skyhawk aboard USS HANCOCK and USS BONN E HOMME RICHARD, he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. This was followed by a tour as flight test tutor at the Empire Test Pilot School at Boscombe, England. He was commended by the Queen of England for valuable service in the air as the school's stall! spin program manager and as one of the first devel- opment test pilots on England's first variable stability aircraft. Returning to the United States in 1973, Rear Admiral Bennitt joined VA 83 serving as the Administrative and Maintenance Officer while flying the A-7E aboard USS FORRESTAL. He was a member of the team which represented the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the 1974 NATO South Weapons Delivery Competition. A tour as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet was followed by duty as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of VA 105 . aboard USS SARATOGA. During this tour, the Gunslingers were selected as the top A-7E squadron in the Atlantic Fleet and won the Wade C. McClusky il Award, a symbol of the Navy's most outstanding attack squadron. After leaving VA 105, Rear Admiral Bennitt served as the Attack Training Officer and Flying Hour Funds Program Manager on the staff, Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Following fifteen months of nuclear power Q training, Rear Admiral Bennitt reported to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier . NIMITZ as Executive Officer. In February 1985, Rear Admiral Bennitt 2 assumed command of USS LA SALLE, flagship of Commander, U.S. Middle S Q. A 1 East Force, forward deployed at Manama, Bahrain. , Rear Admiral Bennitt's next assignment was in Washington, D.C. where he served as Acting Director of Aircraft Carrier and Air Station Programs in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations. He then received orders as Commanding Officer of USS NIMITZ, taking command August 28, 1987. In June 1990, Rear Admiral Bennitt assumed the duties as Deputy Director, Test and Evaluation and Technology Requirements IOP 09181 Washington, DC. . ln November 1991, he took command of Carrier Group Five and Battle Force Seventh Fleet. Rear Admiral Bennitt's personal decorations include the Legion of Merit lihree awardsl, Meritorious Service Medal, Individual Air Medals fthree i awardsi, Air Medal Strike Flight Q17 awardsi, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V Qthree awardsi, and the Vietnamese Air Gallantry Cross. Rear Admiral Bennitt is married to the former Beverly Diane Brumfield, of Southgate, California. Rear Admiral and Mrs. Bennitt have one daughter, . Sarah, and they reside in Yokosuka, japan. 'IN

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.Ma i 'nog I 1 9 ., 1 5: 'W' 'QE C aptain Carter B. Refo graduated from the United States if -kj Naval Academy in 1965., He was designated a Naval if 3,3 ,k Q 5.0 Aviator in March 1967. Also in 1967, Captain Refo intro- ' duced the A-7A Corsair II into the Fleet. He made two combat deployments to Southeast Asia aboard USS AMERICA QCV 665 and USS CORAL SEA QCV 435. He is also a plank owner of Attack Squadron Eighty-two, VA 82. In a subsequent tour with VA 82, he served as Operations and Maintenance Officer. In 1971, Captain Refo graduated from the Naval Test Pilot School with Class 58. At sea, Captain Refo served as Commanding Officer, USS MILWAUKEE QAOR 25 and as Commander, Carrier Air Wing Six on USS INDEPENDENCE CCV 625 and USS FORRESTAL CCV 595. He commanded Attack Squadron Seventy-two, VA 72, as part of Carrier Air Wing One embarked aboard USS IOHN F. KENNEDY QCV 675. From 1982 to 1984, Captain Refo served as Air O erations Officer on Carrier Grou Six Staff. P P 3 ! fl T 1 5 Captain Refo's shore tours in- clude, Naval Plant Office Dallas,. ' Texas, Light Attack Wing Readiness Officer at Cecil Field, Florida, Airwing Training Officer, Com- mander, Naval Air Force, Atlantic, Ordnance Branch, Weapons System Test Division, Aircraft Carrier Pro- gram Branch Head, OPNAV Staff. On December 21, 1991, Captain Refo took command of USS INDE- PENDENCE QCV 625 in Yokosuka, japan. Captain Refo's personal decora- tions include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal Qthree awards5, Individual Air Medals ffifteen awards5, Navy Commenda- tion Medal fthree awards5 with Combat V and various campaign awards. Captain Refo and his wife, Paula, make their home in Yokosuka, japan. Captain and Mrs. Refo have two children. Their son, Carter, is a graduate of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and their daughter, Elizabeth, actively competes with the United States Equestrian Team. 0 f