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Kitty Hawk Welcomes Indonesian Military

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060829-12
Release Date: 8/29/2006 5:41:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jacqueline Russell, USS Kitty Hawk Public Affairs

USS KITTY HAWK, At Sea (NNS) -- Ten Indonesian officers and cadets, including the admiral commanding their Navy’s Education Development Center and the captain serving as their Naval Academy chief of staff, visited the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), Aug. 23 and 24.

The two senior officers spent a day aboard the ship, which was sailing south of Indonesia, nearly three months into the carrier’s summer cruise from Yokosuka, Japan.

The four junior officers and four cadets spent about five hours aboard Kitty Hawk before splitting up for overnight visits on the destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) and the cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63).

“This embark was a special opportunity for these Indonesian officers and cadets to see how the U.S. Navy operates,” said Capt. Norm Laws, naval attaché with the American Embassy in Jakarta.

Having the Indonesian officers and cadets visit the Navy ships benefits both countries.

“Any time we can share experiences with the militaries of this region, it helps enhance understanding and cooperation,” Laws said.

The cadets said they were impressed with their time on the U.S. Navy ships.

“It’s a new experience,” said Cadet Herstyadi Condro about the entire visit. “The people on the ships were very busy, doing many jobs, but they were still very professional towards us.”

While with the U.S. Navy, the eight Sailors were able to see everything from carrier flight operations to the ships’ engineering plants. After the overnight visit, the cadets and officers flew back to Kitty Hawk in enough time to watch the carrier and cruiser Cowpens refuel from the Military Sealift Command oiler USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO 199).

The Kitty Hawk Strike Group includes Kitty Hawk, the aircraft squadrons and staff of Carrier Air Wing 5, the guided-missile cruisers USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and Cowpens, and Destroyer Squadron 15 staff. The group’s ships and destroyer squadron staff are based at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, and the air wing and staff are based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan.