[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 141 (Thursday, August 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5935-S5936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 618--COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
              COMMISSIONING OF THE USS ``JOHN F. KENNEDY''

  Mr. NELSON (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Kaine) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 618

       Whereas the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) was named in honor 
     of the 35th president of the United States;
       Whereas, on May 27, 1967, President John F. Kennedy's 9-
     year-old daughter, Caroline Kennedy, christened the USS John 
     F. Kennedy at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock 
     Company in Newport News, Virginia;
       Whereas, on September 7, 1968, during the height of the 
     Cold War, the USS John F. Kennedy entered service at its home 
     port of Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, as the 
     only ship of her class and the last conventionally powered 
     carrier built for the United States Navy;
       Whereas the USS John F. Kennedy was a stalwart for the 
     Atlantic Fleet of the United States Navy, sailing to Europe, 
     Africa, and the Middle East, and across the Arctic and 
     Pacific Oceans;
       Whereas, on March 28, 1977, the USS John F. Kennedy became 
     the first United States aircraft carrier to make a port call 
     at Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia;
       Whereas, on December 4, 1983, the USS John F. Kennedy 
     launched 10 sorties to bomb Syrian anti-aircraft and 
     artillery positions near Hammana, Lebanon, in response to 
     attacks against aircraft of the United States Armed Forces;
       Whereas, on July 3 and 4, 1986, the USS John F. Kennedy 
     hosted more than 8,000 people during the International Naval 
     Review honoring the 100th anniversary of the Statue of 
     Liberty and hosted President Ronald Reagan on Independence 
     Day;
       Whereas, on January 4, 1989, the USS John F. Kennedy 
     launched two F-14 aircraft from Fighter Squadron 32 to 
     intercept and destroy 2 hostile MiG-23s from the Libyan Air 
     Force;
       Whereas, on December 29, 1990, the USS John F. Kennedy 
     entered port in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the first United 
     States aircraft carrier to visit Saudi Arabia;
       Whereas, on January 17, 1991, the USS John F. Kennedy 
     launched its first strikes in Operation Desert Storm as part 
     of a multi-country coalition to drive the military of Iraq 
     out of neighboring Kuwait;
       Whereas, from the beginning of hostilities on January 16, 
     1991, to their cessation on February 28, 1991, the USS John 
     F. Kennedy launched 2,895 aircraft sorties, executed 114 
     strikes, and flew 11,263 combat hours;
       Whereas, on September 22, 1995, the USS John F. Kennedy was 
     transferred to Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, 
     Florida, as the new home port of the vessel;
       Whereas, on November 1, 1999, the USS John F. Kennedy 
     became the first United States aircraft carrier to make a 
     port call in Al Aqabah, Jordan, and hosted the King of 
     Jordan;
       Whereas, on September 11, 2001, the USS John F. Kennedy was 
     called upon to secure the mid-Atlantic seaboard to ``help 
     calm a fearful and shocked nation'';
       Whereas, from March 11 to July 17, 2002, the USS John F. 
     Kennedy deployed and launched strikes in support of Operation 
     Enduring Freedom, and those strikes dropped 64,000 pounds of 
     ordnance on Taliban and Al Qaeda targets;
       Whereas, from July 10 to November 20, 2004, the USS John F. 
     Kennedy deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
     launched 8,296 aircraft sorties, which dropped 54,000 pounds 
     of ordnance;
       Whereas, on December 13, 2004, the USS John F. Kennedy 
     returned from its final deployment;
       Whereas the USS John F. Kennedy was decommissioned at her 
     final homeport of Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, 
     Florida, on March 23, 2007, stricken from the Naval Vessel 
     Register on October 16, 2009, and lays in wait at 
     Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pending final disposition or the 
     call to serve again in the United States Navy; and
       Whereas, from August 23 to 26, 2018, the former crews and 
     supporters of the USS John F. Kennedy will meet in Norfolk, 
     Virginia, to honor the 50th anniversary of the commissioning 
     of the vessel: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of 
     the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67); and
       (2) honors the USS John F. Kennedy, its crew, and all of 
     the courageous sailors and

[[Page S5936]]

     Marines of the United States who have served on board in the 
     past.

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