State Sections

President

Mr Brian Bartley

151 Oakmont Springs Ave

Meadow Springs WA 6210

Email

Phone 08 9581 7620

Secretary

Mr Bob Poat

PO Box 1633

Mandurah WA 6210

Email navymandurah@bigpond.com

Phone 08 9537 8174

Mobile 0427 722 128

Sub Section Postal Address

c/- Sub Section Secretary

Tour of the USS JOHN C STENNIS (CVN 74)

15 Member’s, family and friends of the City of Mandurah Sub section, went onboard the Nuclear Powered Air Craft Carrier the JOHN C STENNIS.

The tour was organized through a Civilian company that co-ordinates the tours for interested Associations and Organizations.

We mustered for the Roll call as security is very high with tours onboard any of the visiting Ships to Fremantle. We had to wait for a boat to take us to the Stennis and while we waited we walked down the wharf to view the two other ships that were alongside.

It is interesting how times have changed with the way ships are constructed and the Old DDG’s do not look like the DDG’s that made our Fleet. But some things do not change, like the painting the ships side or painting the anti fouling and Duty Watch muster’s with the demonstrations of Fire Fighting equipment or First aid talks.

We finally boarded the shuttle boat out to Gage Roads where the Carrier was anchored. One thing that I have not missed since leaving the Navy is climbing ladders and we did that but it was not very many thankfully. Our first and unfortunately only place we really did see was the massive Flight Deck. The tour was rushed through as the ship was preparing to sail the next day it was late in the afternoon, so we never got to see much.

On a sad note for the Birdies amongst us, was that it was the last deployment of the F14 Tomcat Air craft as they are being replaced with the New Super Hornets.

Leaving the Flight Deck we went to the Hangar Deck and it was a hive of activity. Stores were being loaded and the usual preparations for the Sea were being made, it was also that last chance for some to hit the Shore for the last time for a while. Slops was not open but sections of the Air Wing were selling merchandise and also a selection of Coffee Cups, Caps T-shirts were on sale, so members of the tour snapped up some souvenirs.

As I said the tour was a bit rushed but it was an education for those who went and I suppose some memories for some of the older member’s of the Sub Section that served on the Melbourne or the Sydney.

The Sub Section looks forward to hopefully being invited on another tour when the next Fleet arrives in Fremantle.

Philip Steele

Committee member City of Mandurah Sub Section

Here are some facts about the USS JOHN C STENNIS(CVN 74)

Ship was christened November 11 1991 (Day before HMAS SYDNEY and HMAS BRISBANE sailed for the Persian Gulf)

Commissioned December 9 1995

Length of Flight Deck 1,092 ft

Width of Flight Deck 257 ft

Flight Deck area 4.5 acres

Number of Catapults 4

Number of Aircraft 80+ Tactical aircraft

Meals Served Daily 18,600

Number of Telephones 200

Below are some of the photographs taken from the tour

Work has to be done even if the ship is in Port

Kevin Baxter and Owen Warburton on the way back to Fremantle

Philip Steele checking out the paintings on the side of a Sea Hawk Helicopter. Remembrance to September 11 paintings featured on many of the Air Craft

Next two photographs are of the tour group on the Flight Deck

Welcome to the Flight Deck of the USS JOHN C STENNIS.

The Flight Deck area is 4.5 Acres and you will see F14 Tomcats, F18 Hornets and other aircraft assigned to the John C Stennis.

© The Naval Association of Australia