Kitty Hawk Departs Singapore
Navy Newsstand
Story Number: NNS040419-07
Release Date: 4/19/2004 3:06:00 PM
By Journalist Seaman Christopher Koons, USS Kitty Hawk Public Affairs
USS KITTY HAWK, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) departed the island city-state of Singapore April 12, after four days in port, with thousands of ship and air wing Sailors having enjoyed their time ashore.
More than 5,000 Sailors from Kitty Hawk and the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 enjoyed liberty in Singapore and surrounding areas, boosting the local economy.
"I went to Sentosa Beach, where I saw the wildlife and underwater exhibitions, and to nightclubs and restaurants," said Fireman Kevin Gates of supply department's food service division.
Gates said he most enjoyed Singapore's nightlife.
"The clubs had good music and a lot of people," he said.
Other Sailors saw Singapore as an opportunity to increase their photograph collection.
"I took a lot of pictures," said Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman Robert Smith of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136. "Singapore is a beautiful city."
Smith said he went sightseeing around Singapore during the day, and to clubs at night.
"The weather was great," he said. "And it was good to get off the ship after being on it for a few weeks."
Sailors who participated in activities sponsored by Kitty Hawk's morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) division also enjoyed themselves, said Fire Controlman 1st Class (SW) Sam Sheeley, MWR's leading petty officer.
"Attendance for our tours was pretty good," he said. "Our biggest seller was the night safari, which 390 Sailors went on."
For the night safari, Sailors got a chance to see Singapore's native animals in their natural habitats at night. "The more dangerous ones, such as reptiles, were fenced in," said Sheeley.
MWR also coordinated hotel sales and sporting events during the Singapore visit, which were also quite successful, according to Sheeley.
"We made about $70,000 in hotel sales alone for our Sailors," he said.
The sporting events involved more than just Kitty Hawk and CVW-5 Sailors, said Sheeley.
"We had basketball, softball and soccer games in which Kitty Hawk Sailors competed against Sailors from other ships in the Kitty Hawk Strike Group and local teams," he said.
Sailors who didn't play on a team still participated, said Sheeley. "Attendance at the games was higher than expected," he said. "Sailors came to cheer on their shipmates or to just watch the games."
Some Kitty Hawk Sailors also spent their free time in Singapore helping out in a community relations project coordinated by the chaplain's office.
"We went to the Yio Chu Kang job development and training center, which helps handicapped adults," said Airman Joseph Locklear, a chaplain's office assistant. "Forty Sailors participated."
The staff at the center received much-needed help from Kitty Hawk Sailors, said Locklear.
"We cleaned, painted, fenced, roofed, stripped, waxed and buffed the deck," he said. "The center needed our help to get their building up to standards."
Like the rest of the Kitty Hawk and CVW-5 crew in Singapore, Locklear said those who went on the training center project greatly enjoyed themselves.
"It was very successful," he said. "Everyone worked hard and had a good time. Those who ran the center were grateful for our help."
Kitty Hawk and CVW-5 Sailors can look forward to similar activities at future port visits.
Kitty Hawk is America's oldest active ship having been commissioned April 29, 1961. Nicknamed the "Battle Cat," the aircraft carrier has a crew of more than 3,200 Sailors. Also aboard Kitty Hawk are more than 1,600 Sailors of CVW-5 and staff personnel for Carrier Group 5 and destroyer Squadron 15, with a total complement of more than 5,000 personnel aboard Kitty Hawk.
CVW-5, embarked aboard Kitty Hawk with more than 70 aircraft, operates from Atsugi, Japan, as another essential element of naval aviation and U.S. 7th Fleet operations.
Kitty Hawk, the Navy's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier, currently operates from Yokosuka, Japan.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
