1919_4_ME
10-13-2006, 10:04 PM
October 16, 2006
Aircraft carrier JFK to be decommissioned
Aging vessel will be offered to DHS, NATO
By Mark D. Faram
Staff writer
When President Bush signs the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, he’ll also seal the fate of the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy, putting in motion the decommissioning process for the 38-year-old ship.
The move will give the more than 2,000 sailors assigned to JFK a glimmer of hope that they’ll be able to move on to new assignments soon.
“While we’re still awaiting the president’s signature for the final approval, we are pleased that a decision has finally been made,†said Lt. Sarah Self-Kyler, spokeswoman for the Navy at the Pentagon.
That signature will mean the sailors onboard JFK can begin to plan their futures, but it also means the Navy’s work is just beginning.
“We expect the decommissioning period to take eight to nine months to complete,†Self-Kyler said.
But the service won’t be able to dispose of the Kennedy as soon as the last sailor has departed the brow. Congress has put restrictions on what can happen to the ship once it’s out of service: The Navy must first offer the ship to the Department of Homeland Security and NATO.
Only if those two entities decline to take over the vessel, which is badly in need of overhaul, will the Navy be able to decide whether to mothball the ship or strike it from the register — allowing it to be either scrapped or donated as a museum.
“It won’t be until after we hear back from DHS and NATO can we determine exactly what condition the ship must be maintained in,†Self-Kyler said, of whether the Navy will be required to maintain the ship in a way that would allow her to be recommissioned if necessary.
The president’s signature will also put into motion another process to determine what will replace the Kennedy at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
“We will evaluate the options, based on the results of an environmental impact survey that will begin once the ship’s future has been determined,†Self-Kyler said. “The results of that survey will determine the way ahead for Mayport.â€
That survey will not only look at the possibility of relocating a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Florida base, but will also consider other options such as relocating a large-deck amphibious ship, as well as a complete expeditionary strike group.
That survey is expected to be completed early in fiscal 2008.
Aircraft carrier JFK to be decommissioned
Aging vessel will be offered to DHS, NATO
By Mark D. Faram
Staff writer
When President Bush signs the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, he’ll also seal the fate of the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy, putting in motion the decommissioning process for the 38-year-old ship.
The move will give the more than 2,000 sailors assigned to JFK a glimmer of hope that they’ll be able to move on to new assignments soon.
“While we’re still awaiting the president’s signature for the final approval, we are pleased that a decision has finally been made,†said Lt. Sarah Self-Kyler, spokeswoman for the Navy at the Pentagon.
That signature will mean the sailors onboard JFK can begin to plan their futures, but it also means the Navy’s work is just beginning.
“We expect the decommissioning period to take eight to nine months to complete,†Self-Kyler said.
But the service won’t be able to dispose of the Kennedy as soon as the last sailor has departed the brow. Congress has put restrictions on what can happen to the ship once it’s out of service: The Navy must first offer the ship to the Department of Homeland Security and NATO.
Only if those two entities decline to take over the vessel, which is badly in need of overhaul, will the Navy be able to decide whether to mothball the ship or strike it from the register — allowing it to be either scrapped or donated as a museum.
“It won’t be until after we hear back from DHS and NATO can we determine exactly what condition the ship must be maintained in,†Self-Kyler said, of whether the Navy will be required to maintain the ship in a way that would allow her to be recommissioned if necessary.
The president’s signature will also put into motion another process to determine what will replace the Kennedy at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
“We will evaluate the options, based on the results of an environmental impact survey that will begin once the ship’s future has been determined,†Self-Kyler said. “The results of that survey will determine the way ahead for Mayport.â€
That survey will not only look at the possibility of relocating a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Florida base, but will also consider other options such as relocating a large-deck amphibious ship, as well as a complete expeditionary strike group.
That survey is expected to be completed early in fiscal 2008.