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| Iraq |
| Two Navy Battle Groups to Leave War Zone |
| 2003-04-14 |
| Followup to yesterday's post. WASHINGTON (AP) - Two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and the ships in their battle groups will leave the Persian Gulf this week and return to their home ports, a U.S. defense official said Monday. The departure of the USS Kitty Hawk and the USS Constellation reflects a winding down of the air campaign. The Kitty Hawk will return to its base at Yokosuka, Japan, and the Constellation will return to San Diego, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Well done, sailors! With respect to movements of aircraft carriers, Vice Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of all naval forces participating in the Iraq war - including two carriers in the eastern Mediterranean - had said in an interview Saturday that he hoped the Kitty Hawk and Constellation could leave soon, although he said no orders had been received. The Kitty Hawk is scheduled to leave first, around the middle of this week, followed shortly by the Constellation, the defense official said. That will leave only one carrier in the Gulf - the USS Nimitz, which just arrived to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln is headed back to its homeport of Everett, Wash. Should be plenty what with our new air bases in southern Iraq. Keating said Saturday that either the USS Theodore Roosevelt or the USS Harry S. Truman battle groups - both in the eastern Mediterranean for air missions over northern Iraq - may be sent home soon. Officials said Monday it was not clear whether any decisions had been reached on those carriers. After the Kitty Hawk deployed to the Gulf in February, its duties in the Pacific were taken up by the USS Carl Vinson, which remains in the Japan area and may stay even after the Kitty Hawk gets back if the carrier requires significant amounts of maintenance, officials said. "Hi Kim, my name is Carl, and I'd like you to meet Kitty. I guess we're neighbors!" |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #8 Want to stick a finger in Iran's eye? Rebuild the Iraqi military and give them "Connie". |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-04-15 08:15:47 |
| #7 IIRC, this was the last cruise for the "Connie" - she's going to be retired. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2003-04-14 15:02:01 |
| #6 Jim, The Truman's home port is Naples, Italy. Close enough... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-04-14 13:43:09 |
| #5 No Jim, you're right on. One of them will at least be in the Med very soon. |
| Posted by: Scott 2003-04-14 13:37:32 |
| #4 Vidalia Onions: What we're fighting for! It would have been nice if the F-14 had been from the Carl Vinson.... I believe he was from Vidalia country. |
| Posted by: shipman 2003-04-14 13:33:39 |
| #3 I don't suppose we could station them in the Med off Lebanon & Syria? Or would that be too subtle? |
| Posted by: Jim 2003-04-14 13:11:58 |
| #2 I was at the Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show this last weekend where the Blue Angels performed. On static display were F-14 Tomcats from the Abraham Lincoln, who had flown in the previous Thursday about 500 feet over my car as I drove back. Damn, I never felt so proud to be an American, nor felt so good about paying my taxes this year. Too bad the pilots weren't around to receive my thanks. Aye! Well done! |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-14 12:40:35 |
| #1 Both the Kitty Hawk and the Constellation are older carriers, still oil fueled, and with less room for aircrews as the newer "Nimitz" class, which includes the Truman, Lincoln, Roosevelt,and Carl Vinson. While we will only have three carrier groups in the Middle East, they will be three of the newest and best. The US Fleet in the area will still pack quite a whallop, if they need to. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-04-14 11:39:03 |