Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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Milestones: USS IMITZ sails through 16 years of histor IMITZ has answered its country's call many times in response to regional and interna- tional crises. In doing so, the aircraft carrier secured a prominent place in history, just like its namesake. NIMITZ' first deployment began on July 7, 1976 when it departed Norfolk for the Mediterra- nean. Included in NIMITZ' task force were the nuclear-powered cruisers USS SOUTH CAROLINA and USS CALIFORNIA. The deployment marked the first time in 10 years that nuclear-powered surface ships had deployed to the Mediterranean. In November 1976, N IMITZ was awarded the coveted Battle E from Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet for being the most efficient and foremost aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. The ship returned to Norfolk on February 7, 1977 after a seven month deployment. NIMITZ again sailed toward the Mediterranean Sea on December 1, 1977. Following a peaceful deployment, NIMITZ retumed home to Norfolk on July 20, 1978. During NIMITZ' third cruise to the Mediterranean, it was dispatched to strengthen the U.S. Naval presence in the critical Indian Ocean area as tensions heightened over Iran's taking of 52 American hostages. Four months later, Operation Evening Light was launched from NIMITZ in an I attempt to rescue the hostages. The rescue was aborted in the Iranian desert when the number of opera- tional helicopters fell below the minimum needed to transport the attack force and hostages out of Iran. During its deployment, the ship operated 144 continuous days at sea. NIMITZ' homecoming on May 26, 1980 was, at the time, the largest given to any carrier battle group returning to the United States since the end of World War II. The ship's crew was greeted by Presi- dent and Mrs. Carter, members of Congress, military leaders and thousand of families and friends. On May 15, 1981, NIMITZ departed Norfolk for the final phases of her workup schedule for an upcoming Mediterranean Cruise. On the night of May 25, an EA-6B Prowler crash-landed on the flight deck, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others. The carrier retumed to port to repair damaged catapults and retumed to sea less than 48 hours later to complete its training schedule. On August 18 and 19, 1981, during its fourth deployment, NIMITZ and USS FORRESTAL conducted an open ocean missile exercise in the Gulf of Sidra near what Libyan leader Klradafy called the Line of Death. On the moming of Aug. 19, two of N IMITZ' aircraft from VF-41 were fired upon by Libyan pilots. The NIMITZ pilots retumed fire and shot both Libyan aircraft from the sky. Newspapers across the country rallied around the incident against terrorist-backing Libya with front page headlines reading U.S. 2 - Libya O. On June 14, 1985, two Lebanese Shiite Muslim gunmen hijacked TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers and crew, including many Americans. In response, NIMITZ was ordered to steam at flank speed to the the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Lebanon, where it remained until August. After a five-month deployment, NIMITZ left the Mediterranean on May 21, 1987. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean, rounded the rough waters of Cape Horn, South America, and sailed for the first time in the waters of the Pacific Ocean enroute to its new homeport, Bremerton, Wash. NIMITZ arrived in Bremerton July 2, 1987. In Sept. 1988, NIMITZ operated for three weeks off the South Korean coast to provide security for the Olympic Games in Seoul. On Oct. 29, 1988, NIMITZ began operating in the North Arabian Sea where it participated in operation Earnest Will. This operation called for U.S. Navy ships to protect shipping lanes and escort U.S. registered fre-flaggedj Kuwaiti ships during the Iran-Iraq war. During NIMITZ' time on station, the U.S. Navy stopped escorting Kuwaiti tankers, opting instead for a zone defense of the ships. On Feb. 25, 1991 NIMITZ departed Bremerton for the Westem Pacific and eventually the Arabian Gulf, where it relieved USS RANGER, during Operation Desert Storm. Mobility, flexibility and combat readiness are traits that personify the steel mammoth USS NIMITZ. Jus-t as its namesake will be rememberd for his contribution to the United States, so too will America's finest carrier be remem- bered as an instrument of peace, power projection and a platform for dipomacy.

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y I ITZ 5 T TIST CS Type of vessel ................................ Keel Laid ........ ..... Launched ........... .... Commissioned ...... ..... Builder ............... ..... Propulsion system ....... .... Main Engines ........ .... Speed .............................. .... Propellers ............................... .... Blades on each Propeller ....... .... Aircraft elevators ............... .... Catapults ...................... .... Arresting gear cables ...... .... Overall length ....... ..... Extreme width ......... .... Beam at waterline ....... .... Area of flight deck .......... .... Full load displacement ....... . Accommodations ............... Meals each day .............................. Pounds of mail processed yearly Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier June 22, 1968 May 13, 1972 May 3, 1975 Newport News Shipbuilding Two nuclear reactors Four More than 30 Knots Four Five Four Four Four 1,092 feet 252 feet 134 feet About 4.5 acres About 95,000 tons 6,100 persons 18,000 One million

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