USS Kitty Hawk Decommissioned After 48 Years
Navy Warship Supercarrier Replaced by Carrier USS George H.W. Bush
Feb 1, 2009
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk was decommissioned on January 31,2009, after 48 years of service. USS Kitty Hawk’s long years of military service made her the oldest active warship in America. The aircraft carrier is being replaced by USS George H.S. Bush, the newly commissioned warship named after the 42nd President of the United States.
Kitty Hawk served in the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War and the war in Iraq. According to information on the USS Kitty Hawk Navy website, Kitty Hawk was named after the small North Carolina town in which Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the very first airplane.
Historic Highlights of USS Kitty Hawk Service
- The warship was commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on April 29, 1961. Kitty Hawk departed from San Diego for her first extended Western Pacific deployment on September 1962.
- From 1963 to 1976, Hawk and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 completed eight extended deployments, six of which were in support of American forces in Vietnam.
- In March 1976 Kitty Hawk had a yearlong overhaul in Bremerton, Washington to convert from an attack carrier to a multi mission carrier. Changed on Kitty Hawk made her able to launch and recover the new F-14 Tomcat and S-3 Viking aircraft.
- In the late 1970’s Kitty Hawk went on another WESTPAC deployment which included search and assistance operations aiding refugees from Vietnam. Hawk also offered contingency support off the Korean coast. Deployment was extended to support contingency operations in the North Arabian Sea during the Iran hostage crisis.
- In February, 1980, Kitty Hawk returned to San Diego and was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Battle Efficiency “E” as the best carrier in the Pacific Fleet.
- Kitty Hawk returned to Bremerton for another year long overhaul and upgrades in January, 1982.
- Kitty Hawk was deployed as the Flagship for Battle Group Bravo in July, 1985. The CVW-9 crews logged over 18,000 flight hours and 7,300 arrested landings.
- In 1987 Kitty Hawk went out on a six month world cruise in the Indian Ocean. The warship was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal and Meritorious Unit Commendation.
- In 1991, Kitty Hawk began its second deployment “Around the Horn” of South American.
- Kitty Hawk was appointed as Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet’s “ready carrier” in August, 1992.
- Kitty Hawk began her 18th deployment in October, 1996, visiting the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific.
- In 1998 Kitty Han assumed new duties as America’s only permanently forward deployed aircraft carrier from USS Independence (CV-61) and arrived at her new operating located of Yokosuka, Japan.
- In 1999 Kitty Hawk was deployed to the Arabian Gulf for three months and then returned to Yokosuka.
- In 2001 Kitty Hawk was the first aircraft carrier to go pier side in Singapore at the new Changi Naval Base Pier.
- In October, 2001, after the terrorist attacked on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Kitty Hay deployed to the North Arabian Sea to support Operation Enduring Freedom and served as an afloat forward staging base for U.S. Special Forces.
- In 2003 the ship was in Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom in the North Persian Gulf.
- The first landing of an F/A-18F Super Hornet was on board Kitty Hawk’s 4.1 acre flight deck during the ship’s 12th FDNF underway period, in 2004.
Decommissioning Ceremony
The decommissioning ceremony in Bremerton, Washington, was attended by many of the veterans and crewmembers who had served on her through her years of service on the ocean waters around the world.
USS Kitty Hawk has served a long life in the service of the United States, as a commissioned U.S. Aircraft Carrier. After 48 years of service the ship is being replaced the USS George H.W. Bush.
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