388

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1993-Contin ued

1 October The first phase of a new Joint Primary

Training Program began as five Air Force aviators re-

ported to NAS Whiting Field, Pensacola, Fla., while

flight instructors from the Navy, Marine Corps and

Coast Guard reported to Randolph AFB, Tex., for

training.

15 October Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton

announced the consolidation of Aviation Officer

Candidate School (AOCS) and Officer Candidate

School (OCS) in Pensacola, Fla. The consolidated

school would be called Officer Candidate School and

would be located at the Naval Aviation Schools

Command in Pensacola. Both aviation and non-avia-

tion officer candidates would attend. The consolidation

would save about $1.9 million annually.

17 October New Orleans and Guadalcanal ARGs ar-

rived off the coast of Mogadishu, Somalia. The ARGs

joined the Abraham Lincoln which had arrived five

days earlier. Guadalcanal ARG had been operating in

the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Bosnia-Herzegovina,

in support of Operations Provide Promise and Deny

Flight.

29 October America transited the Suez Canal head-

ing south to relieve Abraham Lincoln operating off

the coast of Somalia. Abraham Lincoln then could re-

turn to Alameda, Calif., ending a scheduled six-month

deployment.

16 November Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare

Operator rating (AW) was changed to Aviation Warfare

Systems Operator. The change reflected the broadened

scope of responsibilities. The existing rating badge and

abbreviation "AW" did not change.

24 November The X-31 International Test Program

announced its first two supersonic flights. Aircraft

Number 1 flew nine flights achieving Mach 1.08 at an

altitude of 37,500 feet. The enhanced fighter maneu-

verability demonstrator aircraft was being developed

by the Navy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects

Agency, and the German Ministry of Defense.

30 November President William Clinton signed leg-

islation lifting the ban on women serving on combat

ships.

1 December Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton

announced the first assignment of women to combat

ships to begin by June 1994, pending notification of

Congress as required by the fiscal year 1994 Defense

Authorization Bill. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Abraham

Lincoln were both scheduled to be the first carriers to

embark women. John C. Stennis was scheduled to em-

bark women at the end of 1994.

9 December The V-22 Osprey returned to Patuxent

River, Md., from facilities in Wilmington, Del., to begin

full engineering manufacturing development testing at

the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. The new

program would usher in a new Integrated Test Team

concept of test and evaluation for Naval Aviation.

16 December Independence returned to the Arabian

Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, which

ensured Iraqi compliance with the UN imposed "no-fly

zone" south of the 32nd parallel.

1994

1 January The Navy began training aviators at NAS

Kingsville, Tex., using the new T-45 Training System,

which included the T-45 Goshawk jet trainer. The

Goshawk was to replace the aging T-2 Buckeye and

TA-4 Skyhawk.

18 January In a press briefing held at the

Pentagon, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Frank

Kelso II emphasized that while the naval forces of the

future will have a smaller number of ships, aircraft

and Navy/Marine Corps personnel, the capability of

these smaller forces would be significant due to the

wise use of technologies and prudent cost-cutting

measures.

1 February Saratoga, with CVW-17 embarked, took

station in the Adriatic Sea. The carrier's Joint Task

Group would participate in a variety of U.S., NATO

and UN missions throughout the Mediterranean, Black

and Red Seas. Saratoga and CVW-17 were to provide

combat air patrol and command control and surveil-

lance aircraft for Operations Deny Flight and Provide

Promise off the coast of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

18 February Ensign Alta DeRoo became the first fe-

male Naval Aviator to receive her wings in the E-2

Hawkeye community during a ceremony held in

Norfolk, Va.

21 February Lieutenant Shannon Workman became

the first female combat pilot to pass successfully fleet

carrier qualifications. She was embarked on board

Dwight D. Eisenhower and assigned to VAQ-130 based

at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash. Lieutenant Workman

was slated to be one of four female aviators to deploy

aboard Dwight D. Eisenhower in October.