Alert: 8 Sailors hurt onboard The U.S.S John F. Kennedy

ABC Radio News | 04 Feb 2002 | trueblackman

[SpookBrat]

Pinging you. :)

[aomagrat]

Why?

[RightWhale]

some sailors where hit by lines that snapped

They are lucky if there were just minor injuries. Those lines could take off a limb.

[Triple]

Did you happen to know any E2-c pilots on the JFK in the early 90's?

[gwmoore]

Thanks, my time aboard her was (slightly) before that (end '60s). She was in good shape then, and served as Flag 7th Fleet.

Greg

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

So the German Navy can march in the shade.

[stuartcr]

I was on the Kennedy in the early 70's. We lost a Phoenix missile, numerous F-14s, helicopters, and other planes, ran into the Belknap, lost an anchor w/chain, lost rudder numerous times during UNREP, and usually 4-6 sailors each cruise.

[RoseofTexas]

That is what I heard too, that the U.S.S JFK was in DESPERATE need of repair. It was during the RAPIST's term that no funding was allocated for the ship. OH, BUT, bubba did have LOTS OF MOOLA galloping across the GLOBE with l00's of people as his guests compliments of the TAXPAYERS! GOSH, the more I think about it the more it PISSES ME OFF. Why aren't the pubbies shouting this from the roof tops!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

My prayers for these sailors.
I was a Gunners Mate on my Destroyer and know 1st hand the dangers of re-fueling at sea.
I stood bridge watches and many a watch at the helm.
I hope that the Navy Brass responsible for this don't skate like the Commander of the USS Greenville did.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

My prayers for these sailors.
I was a Gunners Mate on my Destroyer and know 1st hand the dangers of re-fueling at sea.
I stood bridge watches and many a watch at the helm.
I hope that the Navy Brass responsible for this don't skate like the Commander of the USS Greenville did.

[ao98]

You are mistaken. We used to have great capability and expertise to refuel at sea. Since 1990 the we have lost most of are oilers. Thats why the USS Cole had to go into port to refuel.

I served aboard the USS Caloosahatchee from 1979 to 1983 I've done hundreds of unreps. We never lost a man, but about 1980 we tried to run over the USS America, we had lost steering. We ended up lightly hitting each other.

About 1975 a destoyer lost steering and turned in front of us, we almost cut in in half and decommisioned it. This stuff happens, but when budgets are cut, it's more likely to happen.

[cva66snipe]

I was on the Kennedy in the early 70's. We lost a Phoenix missile, numerous F-14s, helicopters, and other planes, ran into the Belknap, lost an anchor w/chain, lost rudder numerous times during UNREP, and usually 4-6 sailors each cruise.

That's the harsh reality of life on a carrier. We lost about 5 A-6's our self on one cruise. The departed were taken to the aft walk in cooler till their remains were flown off. We even had a squid ran over by F-14's doing respots.

[USNBandit]

The Kennedy did have a yard period back in the late 90's, but....the kicker might be the manning issues when the JFK was kept on the line as a deploying carrier. At the time a large portion of her crew was made up by TAR reservists who weren't too happy about making a deployment. Morale on that boat has been an issue ever since. As an aside..the carrier in Japan seems to get great service from the yards out there. The Japanese government funds a fair amount of the work themselves, and their yardbirds do a great job.

[b4its2late]

I thought the JFK was in Mayport for refit.

Me too. I thought they were squaking about how bad it is and they take it out for a spin?

[Non-Sequitur]

No, she's conventional. She's just run down and overworked.

[doug from upland]

What is more important ----- making the Navy PC or maintaining our ships? Thank God we now have a real commander in chief instead of the corrupt lip-biting rapist.

[meandog]

Unfortunately the JFK lends credence to the notion of "jinxed ships" in the Navy. The carrier has had trouble throughout her history. Reportedly, morale is in the toilet ever since the carrier last went into the yards for overhaul--then, only chiefs and officers were supposedly allowed liberty after working hours to go home to wives and children and "JFK" became the acronymn for "Just For Khakis"! In the 70s the ship had two serious scraping incidents with refueling oilers; in the 80s she was once run aground in Norfolk. She was also was one of the first ships to bring aboard women, and paid a big price for it as she was on two occasions barely able to get underway due to a skyrocketing pregnancy rate. She is, IMHO, living up to its namesake as it tries to ply trouble waters: Sexual misconduct aboard, monumental mistakes, political miscues, etc. I expect the ship to be assassinated sometime in the future.

[WarEagle]

the continuous commitments that the government keeps getting into meant that she had to stay an active carrier, regardless of how broken down she was.

And she's our only conventionally-powered carrier, so when there's Pacific problems she's our only carrier who can put into port in Japan.

Sucks, doesn't it? Looks like somebody in the Klink Admin would have figured that out and scheduled her for the three year refit.

We need Subic Bay back, bad.

[Al B.]

Thanks for the heads-up. During her recent INSURV inspection, the Kennedy was unable to conduct a full-power steering test, since one of the ship's propeller shafts was inoperable and she was incapable of sustained speeds of more than 19.5 knots.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"This stuff happens, but when budgets are cut, it's more likely to happen."

I am in training at the local Coast Guard Base as part of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Much of the equipment on the boats is old and needs replacement but they do not have the budget for it.
In March 2001 Congress and the President cut the Coast Guard budget by 10%.
However last week the President was at a Coast Guard Station on the East Coast
and said he would get them more money for equipment AND pay raises.