USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Antalya
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower came to Antalya to stay for a short while. In a distance of about one mile away from the new industrial harbour of Antalya, the ship can be seen from the road leading to Kemer. To visit the ship is not possible at stake.
The crew (more than 5.000 men and women) should get the possibility to go ashore for some time.
Construction of the third nuclear-powered and second Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), was authorized by Congress in fiscal year 1970.
The carrier, named after the nation's 34th president, was christened Oct. 11, 1975, by Mrs. Mamie Doud-Eisenhower, the ship's sponsor and late president’s. IKE was commissioned on Oct. 18, 1977, under the command of Capt. William E. Ramsey and assigned to U.S. Atlantic Fleet
After 14 months of fleet training, IKE made her first deployment in 1978.
In October 1985, after her fourth deployment, IKE sailed into the Newport News Shipbuilding dry-dock for a complex overhaul. The 18-month shipyard period included the addition of the Close-in Weapons System, NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System, Navy Tactical Data System, Anti-Submarine Warfare module, communications upgrades and berthing refurbishments. IKE rejoined the fleet in April 1987.
IKE completed its sixth deployment in 1990 during the worldwide “Dwight D. Eisenhower Centennial,” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late president's birth.
On January 6, 1993, IKE entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul and conversion and returned to the fleet on November 12, 1993.
In September 1994, IKE and the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division made history with the concept of "adaptive force packaging." The division's soldiers and equipment were loaded on board, and the IKE Navy and Army team headed for Port-au-Prince, Haiti to spearhead Operation Uphold Democracy, the U.S.-led effort to restore the country’s democratically elected government.
One month later, IKE departed for a six-month deployment which included flying missions in support of Operations Southern Watch and Deny Flight. This deployment marked the first time women deployed as crew members of a U.S. Navy combatant ship – the IKE/Carrier Wing Three/COMCRUDESGRU Eight team included more than 400 women.
In February 2000, IKE departed Norfolk for its "Millennium Cruise" to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf. This deployment marked a milestone in the ship's history when the embarked air wing made its first combat ordnance delivery while operating in support of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq.
IKE entered the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard for her mid-life Refueling Complex Overhaul in May 2001. The ship would not return to Norfolk until January 2005.
On Oct. 3, 2006, IKE deployed for the first time since 2000, operating in support of troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan and Maritime Security Operations.
Most recently, IKE completed a routine six-month deployment the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf, returning home in July 2009.
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