John F Kennedy (CV 67) - Naval Cruise Book

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While on her transit home KENNEDY was again visited by a flight of two Soviet TU-95 Bear reconnaissance aircraft. Our E-2C ' s maintained contact while our F-14 ' s flew the intercept and escort missions this time. Upon arrival at Pier 12, KENNEDY began preliminary work for the approaching yard period. On 19 February KENNEDY transited the Elizabeth River to Pier 5 Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a three month Ship ' s Restricted Availability. During the SRA, KENNEDY was the first carrier to receive the Interim Tactical Flag Command Center and the Compartmented Mode Processing System equipment. The completion of the shipyard availability brought refresher training once more, and during Type Training 1 KENNEDY steamed in company with HMS ARK ROYAL. Then as the end of July neared KENNEDY conducted TYT 2 in the Roosevelt Roads OP area. Prior to TYT 3 and the final exam - the Operational Readiness Examination, KENNEDY ' S crew spent five days of liberty in Mayport and Jacksonville, Florida. On 28 and 29 July the CINCLANTFLT Propulsion Examining Board (PEB) conducted an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination (OPPE) as the ship departed Mayport for TYT 3. KENNEDY ' S success marked the first time in over two years that an aircraft carrier had passed all phases of an OPPE. Additionally, the ship marked its 100,000th aircraft recovery on 12 August. On 2 September KENNEDY was underway for a North Atlantic deployment to participate in Exercises Joint Effort, Teamwork ' 76 and Bonded Item. Throughout the NATO exercises Soviet interest was substantial. TU-95 Bear aircraft reconnoitered the KENNEDY and other task force units on five different occasions. On September 14, an F-14A was lost over the side during flight operations in 315 fathoms of water. The aircraft ' s crew ejected safely. The subsequent deep water recovery lasted for weeks under hazardous weather conditions and the aircraft ' s remains were returned to Norfolk. Later, on that same night of Sept. 14, at 2336 local time KENNEDY and the USS BORDELON (DD-881) collided while conducting refueling operations. Six members of BORDELON ' s crew were injured, two of them were evacuated to KENNEDY for emergency treatment. Upon returning to Pier 12 on 10 November, KENNEDY closed out the remainder of the year effecting repairs and making preparations for the upcoming Mediterranean deployment.

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- rf- r -i. ' L Having just completed a nine month overhaul, KENNEDY spent the first six months of 1975 preparing for a seven month deployment to the f lediterranean Sea. Refresher training periods were used to hone those skills which had gone unused during the yard period, but would be essential while deployed. During this time the call of This is a drill, this is a drill became a familiar sound to everyone on board. The training was invaluable since the majority of the crew was inexperienced as a result of a large personnel turnover during the overhaul. On 22 February while operating off of Jacksonville, Florida, KENNEDY recovered the S-21 Viking making the first carrier landing of a fleet-assigned S-3A. March held Type Training 1 and 2 in store and April brought participation in Exercise Agate Punch, a major amphibious exercise conducted off North Carolina. During this exercise KENNEDY put her new designation as a CV to the test as she operated continuously for 253 hours in an air, surface and sub-surface threat environment. In order to remove any remaining question as to her readiness, KENNEDY completed TYT 4 training in fvlay and received an overall grade of excellent on her ORE. She then fully participated in Exercise Solid Shield, a joint Army. Navy, Air Force and f arine Corp exercise similar to Agate Punch. KENNEDY ' S fifth Mediterranean deployment com- menced on 28 June as she departed Pier 12. The highlight of the Atlantic transit came when two Soviet TU-95 Bear D aircraft overflew the ship. The Bears were detected by AW-125 ' s E-2C and intercepted and escorted by A-7 ' s until they departed the area. Tragedy struck at 2159 local time on 22 November when the USS BELKNAP (CG-26) collided with KENNEDY during night flight operations When General Quarters was finally secured, KENNEDY men found that they had lost one of their shipmates to smoke inhalation - the BELKNAP was to count six lives lost from among her crew! Although KENNEDY spent both Christmas and New Year ' s in Barcelona, there wasn ' t an opportunity to let up, for the two holidays were broken by a three day at sea period.

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with the Australian aircraft carrier HMS MELBORNE: a missle shoot on the Salto Di Quirra range and PHIBLEX 7-77. Turnover finally came in July as the USS SARATOGA relieved us on the 21st and KENNEDY outchopped the Med headed for home - Pier 12 Norfolk, Virginia. After a month long leave and upkeep period in August, KENNEDY brought family and friends aboard for a Dependent ' s Day cruise during the opening days of September; then on 6 September she made the brief trip up the Elizabeth River to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a three month Ship ' s Restricted Availability. On 1 and 7 December. USS JOHN F. KENNEDY received official notification that we had received the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle Efficiency Award for 1976-77 and the Golden Anchor Award. These awards designated KENNEDY the best carrier in the Atlantic Fleet for operational excellence and crew retention, respectively. 1977 then closed with KENNEDY moored at Pier 12 eager to face 1978 striving to attain yet higher standard of excellence and possibly her fifth Battle E ' ! The 1977 Mediterranean deployment began on 15 January. Eleven days later KENNEDY relieved USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) in Rota. Spain. The high pitched tempo of the deployment was set almost immediately by KENNEDY ' S participation in Exercise Locked Gate ' 77. Exercise National Week XXII in March provided the outstanding opportunity to train and gain experience in the total war-at-sea scenario, as USS JOHN F. KENNEDY and USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT and their respective task groups faced each other as opponents. On 28 March USS JOHN F. KENNEDY became the first American aircraft carrier to visit Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, and on 2 May she became the first U.S. carrier to visit Alexandria, Egypt in over 30 years. Between these two unique port calls, KENNEDY participated in Exercise Shahbaz ' 77, a joint NATO-CENTO exercise conducted to develop coordination between the two organizations. Even the normal late deployment slow down didn ' t really ease the tempo by much. May brought on Exercise Dawn Patrol, and June followed with a PASSEX