Posted on 02/04/2002 10:35:12 AM PST by Trueblackman
8 Sailor where reportedly hurt onboard The U.S.S. John F. Kennedy CV-67 during a refueling at sea when helm control was lost onboard The JFK.
The fun was increased one moonless night when a Soviet Kashin-class frigate decided to run in between us and the oiler USS Sierra. There was diesel fuel everywhere and I and a bunch of my shipmates nearly were decapitated when the guy line was popped in an emergency breakaway. That experience taught me that sailors can end up being just as dead as Force Recon Marines and SEALs who find hostile fire.
My prayers go out for the sailors on the JFK. We sailed with her for nearly nine months a long time ago........
Fourth oldest, commissioned 7 September 1968; younger than Kitty Hawk, 29 April 1961; Constellation, 27 October 1961; and Enterprise, 25 November 1961.
Seems like the Kennedy has some real trouble. CO relieved, failed an INSURV, and loss of helm control sufficient to cause uncontrolled course changes leading to injury is bad, real bad.
These older carriers (we used to call them black oil ships as opposed to Nuclear (this was in the '60s)) before the advent of DFM, are NOT being given the money to properly upkeep hull and engineering, let alone anything else. They apparently were run down and then ignored along with everything else during X42's watch.
Not to leave anyone out, there was a problem during the '80's with funding, left over from the Carter debacle. The BB's, which could have done some good with terrorist suppression other coastal fire support, are gone, victim of the backlash over the Iowa turret II explosion, which wasn't exactly a stellar era for Naval PR, nor its training records.
It really seems to me that a LOT of money went for grand social experiments, PR, and gee-whiz, and not enough either for training or to maintain what may be required in the terrorist fight. Once deteriorated, it is extremely hard to recondition a large ship, and the powers that be have evidently staked their hand on the Nimitz-Class Nuclear carriers, to the complete exclusion of the needs of the older carriers which could have been kept up.
Keep the Faith for Freedom
MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THIS HONORABLE REPUBLIC
Greg
Very, very true. A note on this the Helmsman lost control but I would guess steering was somewhat restored in minutes possibly seconds. A carrier has two rudders and each rudder has a snipe stationed at the actual steering gear to take over manual steering in event control is lost. If the hydraulics system at the steering gear was a problem then it may well have taken longer.
JFK CV-67 & AMERICA CV-66 were origionally proposed as nukes. AMERICA's plans were origionally nuke it was changed early in building. The war in Nam heated up and LBJ made them conventionals.
My sister is privately upset he has to be on this ship, but she is trying not to worry. I bet this will be upsetting news for her.
Prayers for our military everyday and always here in our home.
I was just commenting below (#25) and saw your post. Darn it, these ships SHOULDN'T be in the shape they have reached.
The problem is, once you have a seriously deteriorated ship, it just can't be brought back 100%. Someone messed up badly on this one (X42). We need this kind of force availablity if this "war" gets any bigger, and we just won't have it, in either personnel or ships, readily available.
There was a time, as we all know, when the 66 was the best in the fleet, no real contenders for the title ;-) We were proud to serve aboard her.
Keep the Faith for Freedom
MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THIS HONORABLE REPUBLIC
Greg
Absolutely! While the Kennedy was begging for money in 1996, my ship was in the shipyard, undergoing a multi-million dollar redesign of the berthing spaces to accommodate women. I think the money could have better served the navy by fixing the Kennedy instead of being spent on social engineering experiments.
Greg
Greg
By Mid Summer 1993 the AMERICA was as bad off as the KENNEDY is now I'll ping you to an article in a thread as soon as I find it again. She did 3 MEDS in 3 years.
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