Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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K . A n H w ' JiH, ■■■■ ■ isjf|- I,fl Kr ' ' ! ii ' •r Change of Command

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iif - .fe- - a ' - Soon, the ship was retuning a her normal routine. Engi- neering had built up its ' capabilities and was ready for any- thing. The mess decks seemed to offer more and more. Not one department was exempt from the growth the ship displayed. The Air Department kept busy on the flight deck when the ship played host to a number of new pilots operating off the ship. Training these men in aircraft of every sort was an excellent chance for the ship to regain her expertise with flight operations. Of significance was the arrival of the car- rier fighter attack bomber of the future, the F A-18 Hornet. These modern fixed wing aircraft proved the ship ' s capability to adapt to an ever changing Navy. To complete the operational cycle, Kitty Hawk would now eye deployment. There, she would prove herself worthy of the fine reputation she had amassed.

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Commanding Officer USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) Captain David N. Rogers was born in Chicago, Illinois. He ittended Georgetown University and was graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval (Academy in June 1959. While a midshipman, he participated in ;he U.S. amphibious landing in Lebanon in 1958. Captain Rogers ' first duty was as an instructor of seamanship md navigation at the Naval Academy. Following flight training it Pensacola, Florida, and Beeville, Texas, he reported to Attack squadron 36 flying the A-4 deploying aboard USS Saratoga to ;he Mediterranean and USS Lexington during the Cuban crisis. Captain Rogers attended the Naval Postgraduate School and Kas graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Fol- owing school, he reported to Attack Squadron 125 as an A-4 nstructor pilot. He then reported to Attack Squadron 93 deployed aboard USS Bon Homme Richard and later aboard USS Ranger in Southeast iVsia. Captain Rogers flew over 200 combat missions in Vietnam. Subsequently, he was assigned to the Bureau of Naval Personnel BUPERS) as an aviation officer detailer. Captain Rogers served as executive officer and commanding jfficer of Attack Squadron 192, the World Famous Golden Dragons, deploying aboard USS Kitty Hawk and flying the ( -7E. Captain Rogers reported again to BUPERS, serving as Head, Subspecialty Development Branch, and Head, Air Combat Placement Branch. During this tour, he attended night school ind was graduated from the University of Southern California with a Master of Science degree in Systems Management. Captain Rogers assumed command of Carrier Air Wing 14 iboard USS Enterprise in the Indian Ocean, later deploying with the USS Coral Sea. Captain Rogers was then assigned as iir wing training officer at Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He then commanded USS Okinawa (LPH-3) from December 1980 to March 1983. He has flown 45 different types of military aircraft including the AV-8 and F A-18; 15 types from the decks of 15 carriers. He fias over 1,400 carrier landings and 5,000 accident-free flight hours. Captain Rogers has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, 18 Air Medals, five Navy Commen- dation Medals with combat V, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, the Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation and various campaign medals. Captain Rogers is married to the former Barbara Kenna of McLean, Virginia. They have two children, Glenn and Cindy.