376

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1991-Continued

10 June A traditional New York ticker tape Parade

of Heroes saluted all the men and women who served

during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm cul-

minated the city's Fleet Week.

12-27 June After rumbling for three days, Mount

Pinatubo in the Philippines began erupting. Subic Bay

Naval Complex suffered major damage. Abraham

Lincoln with CVW-11 aboard; Midway and her battle

group; plus three ships from the Amphibious

Readiness Group Alpha, led by Peleliu, participated in

Operation Fiery Vigil to evacuate the disaster victims.

VFA-94, HSL-47, and VC-5 were among those who as-

sisted with the effort.

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A VC-5 TA-4J Skyhawk departing NAS Cubi Point, PI, dwjng erup-

tions from Mt. Pinatubo.

18 June Tripoli turned over her duties as flagship

for Commander, U.S. Mine Countermeasures Group, to

Texas (CGN 39). The group had located and destroyed

nearly 1,200 mines in the Persian Gulf.

18-19 June VP-4, in combination with the Coast

Guard, carried out a SAR mission and saved two men

and one woman who had been forced to ditch from

their Grumman Albatross seaplane, approximately 600

miles east of Oahu.

23 June Tripoli transited the Strait of Hormuz en route

to San Diego, Calif., her home port, completing a tour in

the Persian Gulf which began on 1 December 1990.

28 June Theodore Roosevelt battle group returned to

Norfolk, Va. She was the last carrier involved in the

Persian Gulf War to return to its home port.

8 July An E-2C Hawkeye from Norfolk, Va., based VAW-

122 aboard Forrestal was ordered to be shot down after

suffering an engine fire that could not be extinguished. All

five aircrewmen parachuted from the aircraft and were re-

covered within minutes by helicopters from Forrestal and

Yorktown (CG 48). The incident occurred during a routine

flight in support of Operation Provide Comfort.

10 July The President approved the list of military

base closures proposed by the Defense Base Closure

and Realignment Commission (BRAC). The list in-

cluded two naval air stations and one Marine Corps air

station: NAS Moffett Field, Calif.; NAS Chase Field,

Tex.; and MCAS Tustin, Calif.

13 July Nimitz battle group turned over operations

in the Persian Gulf to Abraham Lincoln battle group

and transited the Strait of Hormuz.

29 July Grumman delivered the last scheduled pro-

duction EA-6B Po wIer carrier-based electronic warfare

aircraft to the Navy during ceremonies held at its

Calverton, N.Y., plant.

30 July Kitty Hawk left her berth at the Philadelphia

Naval Ship Yard, Pa., after 40 months of repairs and

new equipment. She was the fourth carrier overhauled

at the shipyard under SLEP.

31 July The Senate voted overwhelmingly to over-

turn a 43-year-old law that barred women from flying

warplanes in combat. The new measure, an amend-

ment to the military budget bill for the 1992 fiscal year,

permitted, but did not require, the armed forces to

allow women to fly combat missions.

19 August

annIversary.

The Naval Air Reserve celebrated its 75th

27 August A ceremony at NAS Jacksonville, Fla.,

marked the introduction of the SH-60F Seahawk into

operational service with the Atlantic Fleet. HS-3 was

the first East Coast squadron to trade its SH-3H Sea

Kings for the new helicopter.