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USS Kitty Hawk Visits Busan South Korea

7th Fleet News

Release Date: 3/15/2004

Commander, Carrier Group Five Public Affairs Office

USS KITTY HAWK, At Sea - The USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Five pull into port here today, returning to Busan, South Korea more than three years after their last visit of November 2000. More than 5,000 Sailors will enjoy liberty and hospitality in Busan and the surrounding areas during this port visit.

Of note during this underway period, the new "Super Hornet" squadron, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102, has joined CVW 5 for her first deployment since arriving in Japan in September 2003. The VFA-102 "Diamondbacks" have now introduced the improved F/A-18 E/F "Super Hornet" to the 7th Fleet area of operation, and replaces the F-14 Tomcat, which is being phased out by the Super Hornet Navy-wide.

Rear Adm. James D. Kelly, commander, Carrier Group 5, is the embarked strike group commander. Capt. Thomas Parker, commanding officer of USS Kitty Hawk, along with Capt. Joseph Aucoin, commander of Carrier Air Wing 5, and Capt. Sam Perez, the embarked commodore for Destroyer Squadron 15, are expected to meet with several community and business leaders during their stay.

USS Kitty Hawk is America's oldest active ship, and is the first of the modern "super carriers," commissioned April 29, 1961. Nicknamed the "Battle Cat," the aircraft carrier has a crew of more than 3,200 Sailors. Also on board Kitty Hawk are more than 1,600 Sailors of Carrier Air Wing 5 and staff personnel for Carrier Group 5 and Destroyer Squadron 15, for a total complement of more than 5,000 personnel aboard USS Kitty Hawk looking forward to a successful Pusan port visit.

"We are delighted to be making a visit to the Republic of Korea," said Kelly. "Visits like these help strengthen relations between people of our two countries and allow Sailors to experience a culture they may otherwise never see."

Carrier Air Wing 5, embarked aboard Kitty Hawk with more than 70 aircraft, operates from Atsugi, Japan, as another essential element of naval aviation and 7th Fleet operations.

Kitty Hawk, the Navy's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier currently operates from Yokosuka, Japan, and recently began her spring cruise February 18.

The Kitty Hawk visit is sure to boost the local economy, with the Sailors spending an average of five hundred dollars each during this port visit.