The Big John and CVW-3 Star In These Up Close and Personal Videos
When the aircraft carrier USS John F Kennedy (CVA-67) deployed to the Mediterranean Sea for Operation Provide Promise in 1992, Carrier Air Wing THREE (CVW-3) was embarked aboard the Big John. Operation Provide Promise was the humanitarian relief effort in Bosnia and Herzegovina that occurred during the Yugoslav Wars, from 2 July 1992 until 9 January 1996, which made it the longest running humanitarian airlift in history. Enjoy these videos of CVW-3 in action aboard Big John, all four of which were uploaded to YouTube by David B Cross.
Flight Deck action
Carrier Air Wing THREE Arriving
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While embarked aboard the Big John for her Mediterranean Sea deployment (7 October 1992 to 7 April 1993), CVW-3 consisted of VF-14 Tophatters and VF-32 Swordsmen flying the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, VFA-37 Ragin’ Bulls and VFA-105 Gunslingers flying the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet, VA-75 Sunday Punchers flying the Grumman A-6E Intruder, VAW-126 Seahawks flying the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, VAQ-130 Zappers flying the Grumman EA-6B Prowler, VS-22 Checkmates flying the Lockheed S-3B Viking, HS-7 Dusty Dogs flying the Sikorsky SH-2H Sea King, and Detachment 1 from VRC-40 Rawhides flying the Grumman C-2A Greyhound. This was the last deployment aboard the ship for CVW-3.
Flight Deck Action- Starboard Quarter View
It Takes a Carrier Strike Group
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Accompanying the Kennedy during her 1992-1993 cruise were the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers USS Gettysburg (CG-64) and USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55), the Belknap-class guided missile cruiser USS Wainwright (CG-28), the Spruance-class destroyer USS Caron (DD-970), the Knox-class frigate USS Capodanno (FF-1093), the Perry-class guided missile frigates USS Halyburton (FFG-40) and USS McInerney (FFG-8), the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Albuquerque (SSN-706), the Sturgeon-class attack submarine USS Seahorse (SSN-669), the Kilauea-class ammunition ship USS Santa Barbara (AE-28), and the Wichita-class replenishment oiler USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6).
Night Ops
The Kennedy Story
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The contract to build the USS John F Kennedy awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding on 30 April 1964. The carrier’s keel was laid down on 22 October 1964 and she was launched after being christened by Caroline Kennedy on 27 May 1967. The ship was commissioned on 7 September 1968. Kennedy deployed a total of 18 times- always to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Red Sea, or the Persian Gulf. For her first eight deployments CVW-1 was embarked. The next six deployments saw CVW-3 embarked. CVW-1 deployed one more time, with CVW-8, CVW-7, and CVW-17 each deploying once aboard the Kennedy.
Documentary
This documentary was shot aboard the Kennedy during her 1992-1993 deployment. Enjoy!
The End for the Big John
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The USS John F Kennedy’s motto was Date Nolite Rogare, which is Latin for “Give, do not ask”, or, in the immortal words of President Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. Nicknames for the Kennedy included “Big John”, “Bldg 67”, “Can Opener”, and “Jack the Tin Can Killer”). The Kennedy returned from her final deployment on 13 December 2004. The Big John was decommissioned on 23 March 2007 and stricken from the Naval Register on 16 October 2009.
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