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Media Observe Valiant Shield 06 Aboard Kitty Hawk

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060624-03
Release Date: 6/24/2006 4:32:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class Randy Lane, USS Kitty Hawk Public Affairs

USS KITTY HAWK, At Sea (NNS) -- Media representatives from around the world flew aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) June 19-20 to get an up-close and personal look at how the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier is participating in exercise Valiant Shield 2006.

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) also hosted members of the international press to help spread the word about the largest U.S. joint exercise in recent history.

“An exercise of this magnitude requires an extra effort from all Sailors aboard Kitty Hawk,” said Capt. Ed McNamee, Kitty Hawk’s commanding officer. “By bringing these media members on board, we can show the world how committed the Sailors aboard USS Kitty Hawk are to their mission.”

The six media members aboard Kitty Hawk, representing news organizations from such countries as Japan and Malaysia, visited several areas of the ship to learn about its capabilities and to meet members of the crew. For each, the highlight of the visit was a trip to the flight deck to observe flight ops during a complete launch and recovery cycle.

“As with any person I’ve ever escorted on board, they wanted to see flight operations,” said Capt. Scott Weller, a media embark representative for Commander, Task Force 70. “They were most impressed by the flight ops, and that’s where we spent a lot of our time. They were also impressed by the sheer size of the ship and its crew.”

“It was interesting to see the speed at which Kitty Hawk can launch and recover aircraft,” said Tetsuya Kakitani, a Japanese photojournalist representing J-SHIPS magazine. “It’s good to know that a country so dedicated to peace has such a great capability.”

During several of their stops, the media members met briefly with the officers and crew of Kitty Hawk to discuss their individual specialties and how they contribute to the Navy’s mission in the Pacific region.

“We hope the message they bring back to their respective countries is that of American commitment to the Asia-Pacific region,” said Weller. “We are willing and able to provide help and support to meet contingencies in this area, and we hope Valiant Shield shows them that we value the friendships we have with our allies and our interest in furthering those relationships to meet common goals.”

Held in the Guam operating area June 19-23, Valiant Shield included 28 naval vessels including three carrier strike groups. Nearly 300 aircraft and approximately 22,000 service members from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard also participated in the exercise.

For more information on Valiant Shield, log on to the official Web site at www.pacom.mil/exercises/vs2006/index.shtml.

For related news, visit the USS Kitty Hawk Strike Group Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cv63/.