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.

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